After another hardy Stratford Hall breakfast and a stroll through their visitor center exhibits we headed for George Washington's Birthplace a few miles down the road. Here on the banks of Pope's Creek (which empties into the Potomac) Augustine and Mary Washington welcomed their first child George into the world some 283 years ago. George's great grandfather John began farming this land in the 1660's. A private group build a memorial home on the site in the 1930's This structure is brick and furnished in a fine manner. The Washington home would have been wooden and much smaller.
We walked the grounds of the working farm and introduced ourselves to the animals -- the oxen Lewis and Clarke and the friendly horses. It is a very idyllic and beautiful setting.
Ranger Bill gave a fine tour of the house and answered Marsha's many questions. Very soon the Park Service and the University of Virginia will embark on a archeological dig of the actually site of the Washington's home.
Then we were back in the car driving to the outskirts of Fredericksburg to Gari Melchers home and studio. Although he was very successful and admired in his time he fell into obscurity. We had never heard of him until we began looking at the list of Things to do in Fredericksburg to see what we had missed on previous visits. He left America as a young man to study in Europe and he began his his career by living and working in Paris, Holland and Germany. He and his wife returned to American when the first World War began. Settling in New York City and buying this home overlooking the Rappahanock River as a summer retreat. We visited his studio and took the brief tour of his home which was filled with fine European and America antiques and oddities and the art of his contemporaries. He was a leading proponent of Naturalism. We liked his portraits the best.
After leaving Fredericksburg we drove the one hour to Richmond were we will go to the Art Museum tomorrow and check out the city. The hotel clerk's recommendation for dinner was a place called Lunch. Our boys used to enjoy having Breakfast for Lunch so we were intrigued with the notion of "Lunch" for Dinner. It got even stranger as Monday night at Lunch is Ramen night. Big steamy bowls of Handmade Ramen noodles with exotic ingredients and your choice of Soy based and Sea salt broth. Yummy and fun.