Alexandria

Under Construction. This page has some vestigial info from an old web site I built for people coming from outside the DMV. I will review and delete most of it later.

Here's a detailed tour/scavenger hunt to orient yourself to Alexandria's Old Town. The Farmer's Market finishes at noon and runs only on Saturday, making it a good recommendation for the start of your weekend. You can give yourself this tour Sat morning, all day Saturday, or leave some of it to Sunday depending on how much time you choose to spend in DC, aka "The District."

Getting there: Alexandria is a big sprawling city in Virginia. But the quaint historic part of Alexandria is referred to as "Old Town" and it has a "Waterfront." (Note that Water and Land Transportation to and from Alexandria Old Town's Waterfront may take you across the river to the Old Wharf in The District, or Georgetown, or National Harbor.

Fun Fact: Alexandria is today in Virginia but at one time was a section of DC. Learn more history of Alexandria in a museum atop the Torpedo Factory or at the Tourist Center on King Street.

ORIENTATION: When you exit the Metro, you will be at the Western End of King Street-- the MAIN DRAG running east to the Waterfront of Alexandria, aka “Old Town.” King Street is a short walk from the Metro and the Amtrak station.

To the West: the tallllll Masonic Temple on a hill is where George Washington was buried. It looks quite close but walking there might be a little awkward.
To the East, it's a 25 minute half-mile walk on potentially crowded sidewalks to get to the Waterfront. But there's a trolley...

Orientation:

The Yellow and Blue lines of the DC metro take you to King Street / Old Town. It is about a mile to the Old Town’s Waterfront where one finds GREAT picturesque trails running north and south along the piers and through parks. From the metro's bus loop, you can hop on the Free King Street Trolley if you want to get to the Waterfront in about ten minutes.Use the directions below. Scavenger Hunt: by turning South on the Waterfront boardwalk, the trail takes you past a cool bar called Barcas. Great place for a drink! Go onward to Jonespoint under the big 395 bridge to visit a small but historic lighthouse. Find the cool old boundary marker in its shoreline yard.

King Street

From the Metro go left/West about a block, cross toward the Metro to locate where the buses gather passengers, find where to get on the King Street Free TROLLEY. It runs East, East, East all day long toward the Waterfront on King Street, circling Market Square before it comes back West-West-West to the Metro.. comes every 20 minutes or so, back and forth from Alexandria’s Waterfront. You’ll notice a vast number of restaurants and boutiques the length of your trip on King Street-- very fun to stroll, especially closer to the Waterfront where most will likely dine each night. So, jump on the Trolley and take it to Market Square.

Market Square and Historic City Hall

At Market Square, check out the oldest Farmer’s Market in the US. (Runs till noon only on Saturday.) George Washington helped get it started.

Scavenger Hunt Photo Ops: Pose like Poseidon in front of the fountains. Deltas in front of City Hall... a colorful shot with Vegetables. Find the Kimchi Stand and take a photo. Pose for a photo with the artist named Len Garon.

Exit the western end of the Farmer’s Market by turning RIGHT on Royal Street and walk a half block to Gadsby’s Tavern. Check out the menu to decide if you want to do Sunday Brunch or a dinner there so that you can say you ate where the Founders ate-- prices really reasonable.. Walk inside to the stairway and take a picture with George. (If the tavern is busy, there is a George to pose with at the entrance.) The point is, GEORGE ATE HERE! WITH PATRICK HENRY! AND THOMAS JEFFERSON! Conversations here launched a new nation!

From there, go further East to visit Ramsey House on King Street for the Visitor Center. (Public restrooms downstairs.) An hour long video of the history of Alexandria is available downstairs and it has a gift store and flyers for ghost tours.

All along King Street, notice ice cream stops… restaurants you might want to select for dinner… A PINK shop sign above your heads for 3 sisters is a <--Scavenger Hunt find!

Art and Waterfront

Explore Alexandria’s Waterfront which runs north and south along the Potomac. When you look North across the river, you are seeing DC and Maryland. The Ferris Wheel marks National Harbor. It's a newish development attempting to be a tourist destination and job creator. A day there would show off the very newish MGM Casino and Restaurants.

On Alexandria Old Town’s boardwalk, notice the centrally located stand to purchase tickets for the water taxi (it’s near Black Hitch and the BANDSTAND.) Walk further EAST along the pier and left/NORTH around the corner to actually BOARD the water taxi (it’s different from the river boat, a river CRUISE boat… it’s the water TAXI and can take you across the Potomac to DC’S “Old Wharf.” One-way tix to/from the Old Wharf are $21.
Enjoy art installations and posters with historical information in the park areas.
If you head South on the Waterfront, you'll get to a great bar called Barca's to enjoy a breezey cocktail right above the water.

Torpedo Factory

Duck inside this Waterfront location on the block just north of King Street to see stall after stall of artists' studios. Meet the artists and craftsmen. Buy postcards and gifts.

Scavenger Hunt items if they are all still there like they were in 2020: Take a photo of your squad with a torpedo and learn some of the history of the building. Learn how Chinese Brush Stroke painting is done to create a "bamboo" image. Find your favorie painting by Tori Cowles. Go to third floor's Archeological Museum room for a quick sense of local discoveries. Public restrooms are on floor 1.

Preview dining

See lots of dining options on King Street as you approach the Waterfront-- options for all wallets. Then, the Waterfront boasts great dining options such as Virtue Feed and Grain (pictured), Black Hitch, My Thai and Volas.

Notice the red umbrellas closest to the bandstand on the southern side of Black Hitch. It's a section served by wait staff from “Volas” a few yards from Blackwall Hitch. That boardwalk dining space is public where you can bring food from other vendors OR place your order off of the Vola's menu. Bargain hunters: A Caesar Salad and a beer from Volas costs just $20, and you could always bring a Subway sandwich to those tables to "picnic."

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