Lincoln's Cottage

Over Labor Day, I hopped on a bus down the street from my house, rode it for 10 minutes, and was spit out at the base of the Soldier's Home, where President Lincoln's Cottage is located. Despite asking everyone I know to go with me, no one took me up on it, and you all missed out. But since the Cottage is open year round, you can go back and learn lots of really cool things about our 16th President. Lincoln spent three summers, or a quarter of his presidency, residing there with his wife and son, and he did substantial work on the Emancipation Proclamation while in residence.

The house is sparsely furnished (you weren't supposed to take any pictures inside the house) since the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who recently gave the house a $15 million renovation, didn't want to furnish it with inauthentic items. But the interior is still beautiful, from the doors that open out onto a porch, to the windows. The first floor is also painted various shades of pink and peach, which matches how it was painted when Lincoln lived there.

The Cottage web site talks about how they want people to leave with a better understanding of Lincoln, and they use the house and activities that took place there to do it. You do, and you also learn a lot about what D.C. was like during the Civil War. I think this is one of those off the beaten path things everyone should go to.

Visit their web site for more information.