Mount Vernon & Texas State Society Ball

1/19
More mass transit problems! Today Becca, her mom, and I decided to check out George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, for a couple of hours, then return to the hotel and get ready for the evening's festivities. There is a subway stop named Mount Vernon Square, but Mount Vernon is nowhere near it. It is, in fact, one stop in the opposite direction of our hotel stop, so we ended up wasting about an hour on the subway.
We ate lunch at a restaurant at Mount Vernon, I think it was called the Inn at Mount Vernon. I had duck and sausage cassoulet with hot cider...with some brandy to warm us up! Afterward we meandered around the estate. The line to tour the actual house was too long and we did not have the time to wait in it, but we still managed to have a fun time with all the peripherals, including a 16 sided barn, slave quarters, and a forest trail. I learned that George was the only founding father not to die massively in debt. We left Mount Vernon around 2:30 after I bought some root beer for my collection (that makes 32!) and took a cab back to the hotel to get ready
The parents, Becca, and I rode in a limo to the Gaylord Hotel where the ball was being held. We arrived around 5:30, but most of the festivities did not start until 7. Becca's parents split to go to their fancy dinner and we were left to wander. It was boring at first, but as the clock ticked closer to 7, more and more rooms and activities opened. There was a lot of live country music, which really isn't my thing, but it certainly was tolerable. Dinner was marginal- finger foods and hors'doevers. They weren't bad, but I expected something a little more fancy. I guess that is what the Sponsors' Dinner was for. All the booze was free though, which certainly was a plus.
After dinner, Becca and I wandered around the Texas Fair, which was a bunch of booths set up with various items. We picked up some swag from NASA and free samples of chocolate and cheese. The cheese was the best thing I had eaten all night!
Somewhere along the line we met up with her parents again, then went to go see Neal McCoy play and attempt some moderate dancing.
The limo driver was an old contact of Becca's dad, so we were able to ride all the way back to Northern Baltimore to Kristi's apartment in the limo!
The evening was a blast and everyone had a good time.
The trip as a whole was really fun and it was great to see Kristi again. Thanks a lot playing chauffer and letting us crash at your apartment!