Walking History Tour of Alexandria (short)
Jul 18th, 2021, 07:38 AM
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Walking History Tour of Alexandria (short)
I live in Montreal but have been in northern Virginia helping my parents around the house over the last two months. Funny enough I hadn’t been to Old Town Alexandria in about 20 years and had never done a walking tour. Getting to the Visitor’s Center found in the oldest Alexandria home (the Ramsay House) from where the tour leaves is quite straightforward by metro—get off at King St and then there’s a free trolley to the City Hall in the heart of Old Town right across the street.
It is interesting to learn about the history from a trained guide. There’s the Starbucks I ordered an iced tea from that I had no idea was George Washington’s grain storage building, the beauty of Captain’s Row with cobblestones and the original boot scrapers, old taverns, the old
pipes that say Alexandria DC (I partially grew up in northern Virginia and had no idea that Alexandria was a part of the district once) and the awful legacy of Market Square and the slave trade, which according to the guide was a significant reason Alexandria left the District of Columbia. Well-done and educational; I felt my $15 was well-spent.
Today’s King Street is closed off in places to traffic and has flower boxes and trees strategically placed, lending an almost European-like charm to the historic street. I’d recommend Old Town for the tour but also since it is a beautiful place to while away a day.
Hope you all are finding ways to have an enjoyable summer! Daniel
It is interesting to learn about the history from a trained guide. There’s the Starbucks I ordered an iced tea from that I had no idea was George Washington’s grain storage building, the beauty of Captain’s Row with cobblestones and the original boot scrapers, old taverns, the old
pipes that say Alexandria DC (I partially grew up in northern Virginia and had no idea that Alexandria was a part of the district once) and the awful legacy of Market Square and the slave trade, which according to the guide was a significant reason Alexandria left the District of Columbia. Well-done and educational; I felt my $15 was well-spent.
Today’s King Street is closed off in places to traffic and has flower boxes and trees strategically placed, lending an almost European-like charm to the historic street. I’d recommend Old Town for the tour but also since it is a beautiful place to while away a day.
Hope you all are finding ways to have an enjoyable summer! Daniel
Last edited by Daniel_Williams; Jul 18th, 2021 at 08:18 AM.
Jul 18th, 2021, 11:46 AM
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Thanks for this, Daniel. Nice pix. If I ever knew, I'd forgotten that Alexandria was part of D.C.
Did the tour include the Torpedo Factory? The actual factory became a vibrant arts center. I haven't followed how Covid affected its activities.
Edited to add that I checked my mini Alexandria TR. You commented that Alexandria was in your future. Glad it worked out.
Did the tour include the Torpedo Factory? The actual factory became a vibrant arts center. I haven't followed how Covid affected its activities.
Edited to add that I checked my mini Alexandria TR. You commented that Alexandria was in your future. Glad it worked out.
Last edited by TDudette; Jul 18th, 2021 at 11:58 AM.
Jul 18th, 2021, 01:00 PM
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Hi Tdudette—The tour passed in front of the Torpedo Factory Gallery and discussed it but did not go inside. The art gallery was a focus when I was in Alexandria some maybe 20 years ago, I didn’t end up going this time.
Funny, I hadn’t remembered commenting about Alexandria but indeed I found your report and there was me 6 years ago saying that I really must go back when in the area. And I finally did, with the history tour as the excuse!
Best wishes, Daniel
Funny, I hadn’t remembered commenting about Alexandria but indeed I found your report and there was me 6 years ago saying that I really must go back when in the area. And I finally did, with the history tour as the excuse!
Best wishes, Daniel
