On the Paradox of Mt. Vernon

The other big thing I able to see in Virginia this last weekend is George Washington's estate at Mt. Vernon.  The view of the Potomac from the back is spectacular, and the non-profit that owns the property has done an admirable job of preserving it for prosperity.

Nevertheless, my experience there was highly fraught.  For in one of the rooms, the tour guide points out a large key encased in glass; it is the key to the infamous Bastille, sent to General Washington as a token of friend...