Faves and raves by
James C. Rees
Executive director, Mount Vernon
PERSONAL STATS
AGE: 57
NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE D.C. REGION: 27
NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Vernon
1. FAVORITE RESTAURANT
I’ve been a fan of Restaurant Eve (138 N. Royal St., Alexandria) since it opened, and I also love the fish and chips place in the heart of Old Town Alexandria — it’s called Eamonn’s (728 King St.). It really does remind me of the mother country.
2. FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
I like to drive, but it’s almost always in my 2000 pickup truck because I’m a sucker for unexpected yard sales. And I like to stop by nurseries to buy small trees and bushes — it’s the one time I feel I’m on the cutting edge of the green movement.
3. FAVORITE SPORTS EVENT
The first Redskins game of the season is always a time of confidence and good cheer, and you always hope to be on the ground floor of a championship season. But I must admit that I much preferred RFK Stadium to FedEx Field.
4. BEST LIVE MUSIC
I’m a regular National Symphony subscriber at the Kennedy Center, and we’re very excited to co-host a chamber music series with the NSO at Mount Vernon. And two or three times a year, I usually catch an “oldie but goody” at the Birchmere.
5. BEST CHEAP FUN
There’s almost always an estate auction going on somewhere close by, and there’s nothing I like better than a bargain. The proof is in my basement, my attic and my three-car garage!
6. BEST PLACE FOR VISITORS
Since I live at Mount Vernon and have what you might call a master key, it’s hard to resist taking visitors to behind-the-scenes places that tourists never see. And we have a great collection of 18th-century-style animals that everyone loves.
7. FAVORITE HISTORICAL SPOT
I’d be out of a job if I said anything but Mount Vernon! But a close second would be the Lincoln Memorial at night in the winter, when almost no one else is around. The quotes on the wall get me all choked up.
8. MOST ROMANTIC SPOT
I’m not really the romantic type — at least that’s what other people tell me. But we’ve held a couple of very small dinner parties on the piazza of the Mansion at Mount Vernon, where everything was right out of the 18th century. And the full moon was beginning to rise over the Potomac River. Then a bald eagle swept down onto a tree planted by George Washington himself. It was probably more patriotic than it was romantic!
9. FAVORITE ESCAPE
I have a small place in the Blue Ridge Mountains with great views and lots of four-footed friends. And recently, I’ve added about 400,000 honeybees, so I never get lonely.
10. BEST LATE-NIGHT EATS
I never know whether to call it late-night or early-morning, but I’m a fan of the Krispy Kreme doughnut factory on Route One.
11. BEST BREAKFAST
I met for breakfast one morning at the Hay-Adams Hotel with the celebrated author David McCullough, who not only regaled me with historic tales of all descriptions, but knew all the best things to order off the menu. The food was good — David was unforgettable.
12. BEST MEMORY OF D.C.
I remember spending time in George Washington’s flower garden with Audrey Hepburn, who was shooting a television special. She was so elegant and polished, but I could see she was also quite exhausted and no longer had any pretenses of being a star — she was really down-to-earth. Just a few months later, she passed away.
13. LEAST FAVORITE PART OF LIVING IN THE WASHINGTON AREA
I hate to be like everyone else, but I hate the traffic. I often think that George Washington traveled faster on horseback than I do by car.
14. BEST KID-FRIENDLY ENTERTAINMENT
I don’t have any kids of my own, but I bet I’ve given tours of Mount Vernon to at least 10,000. And if the curators aren’t looking, I’ll let them climb into the cupola — I’ve heard the word “awesome” on more than one occasion.
15. BEST FAIR/FESTIVAL
I know I’m prejudiced, but the Mount Vernon Wine Festival is in a class by itself. It’s my theory that a couple of glasses of wine make everything look more beautiful, and George Washington’s mansion is no exception. And the view across the river is simply breathtaking.
