Mount Vernon Cruise
 

Has anyone taken the Spirit Cruise to Mount Vernon? I'm concerned about the time spent at Mount Vernon. It is a 6.5 hr trip with 3.5 hrs spent at Mount Vernon. It's just my husband and I on this trip. He enjoys history and sightseeing but only to a degree. (we are going in mid-Sept.) Thanks in advance.

I've not taken the Spirit Cruise, but I did take another cruise with even less time at Mt. Vernon, and I didn't feel too rushed. Sure, I didn't get into every building, but I feel like I got a nice amount of time there, and even had time to just sit on the hill overlooking the water, reflecting on the beauty of the scenery. Take time to do that. The cruise I took was from Old Town Alexandria with the Miss Christin boat from the Potomac Riverboat Company, I think. It was great!

Thanks Jon, and actually, to clarify for anyone else, I was afraid that 3.5 hrs might be too long to stay.

You and your husband will have a great time. It won't be too much sightseeing for him. :) It's a beautiful area there. You really feel like you're back in time. Enjoy!

An hour of it will be you walking back and forth from the boat to the house and the house to the boat. The boats dock on the Potomac down by the "George Washington -- Pioneer Farmer" area so a positive of the boat trips you start at the other end than everyone who comes in the gates. This makes a less crowded experience than going with the crowd (except for the moments that you meet -- then it's chaos)

There's lots to see at Mt Vernon in addition to the actual house. 3.5 hours won't be too much

We took this cruise and greatly enjoyed it. The trip up the Potomac is beautiful. The view of Mt. Vernon is something you can see only from the river. 3.5 hours is not too long. We could have spent more time there. Depending on when you go, you may have to stand in line for a while to tour the mansion, which I think is worth the wait (we were there on a Thursday in July). The walk from the boat dock to the mansion is interesting - there is much to see along the way. We greatly enjoyed watching the horses in the round barn grinding grain. I would definitely recommend this trip instead of going there by tour bus.