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Out and about Alexandria, Va

lfreas

Last visited 4/2023


We stayed at Wyndham National Harbor


What makes Alexandria cool? Well, it has it's own sense of history that runs parallel to that of DC, but in a much slower pace. There are several places to visit, but the first place to go is the visitors center. I would suggest buying the Key to the City, which allows access to a number of points of interest. It's a bargain at $20 for what would normally cost you $60, and even includes a discount to Mount Vernon. The good thing is that the pass is good for one calendar year, but (on the down low) we couldn't use the pass within a year due to Covid, and they allowed us to finish up our ticket this year. They were awesome! Plan to park in one of the town's parking garages


Some places to see include the Carlyle House that was built in 1753 and was the seat of General Braddock's strategy building for the French and Indian War. Braddock was, evidently, not a good guest, and would ransack the interior of the house on a whim. The fun part is that the museum has placed evidence of this throughout the tour...pictures askew, broken chair legs, etc. Let your kids find the evidence!



Artifacts in the building include the wedding dress of one of the family members. They know it is of this pattern from a small piece that was sent to family in England. The museum had it reproduced and made into a ball gown


A cool place to visit is the Stabler-Leadbeater Pharmacy that worked between 1792-1933. The original family had sold the pharmacy and everything in it. One person bought almost all of the inside fixings at the auction, and has recently allowed it to be borrowed for presentation by the museum. So, when you go, you are seeing it almost as it was over 100 years ago.

Some of the more noteworthy patrons included the Washingtons




A great place to eat is Gadsby's Tavern who offers some really good food for great prices. It was probably the best food for the price that we had eaten since getting to Alexandria area. It is the site of George Washington's Birthnight Ball and Thomas Jefferson's Inaugural Ball in 1801. We were told on a tour that Andrew Jackson's party that involved a huge block of cheese, a riot broke out that pretty much ruined what was then the White House, and Jackson became so disgusted that he walked the whole way from DC to Gadsby's Tavern, over 5 miles.


The Lyceum is the next place to visit. Once a meetinghouse for anyone who wanted to learn and discuss openly topics of the day, it now holds historical documents, architectural finds and mainstays of Alexandria in bygone years.

There are a number of other great places that I will blog about in more detail. Look for them in the other blogs



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