Photo Historic Travels

Tag: Historic Sites in Alexandria VA

  • One More Thing to Do in Alexandria

    One More Thing to Do in Alexandria

    Several blog posts ago I mentioned that I did not complete everything there is to do in Alexandria. Recently, I returned to the Northern Virginia (NOVA) area to visit The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. This article serves a companion pieces to my Alexandria blog post. Keep reading till the end to watch my YouTube video about the Masonic Memorial.

    3–5 minutes

    The Masonic Memorial Tour

    The George Washington Masonic Memorial.

    The guided tour goes through some of the rooms of the massive obelisk. The tour begins in the Grand Hall, a massive room with 40-foot columns, two massive murals of George Washington in patriotic scenes, and a giant statue of George Washington at the far end of the Hall. Our tour guide then directed visitors to the Replica Lodge Room, which replicates Alexandria’s original Masonic meeting room. Here I learned the origins of Freemasonry, which begin in the 1600s. The term originates from the mason guilds that would grant the honorary position of “free mason” to prominent men of the community.

    The George Washington Masonic Memorial, with Freemason Logo.

    The tour makes its way up the building, stopping at two exhibit rooms. The first room talks about all the different Freemason orders. It turns out that there are many different orders including the Shriners. The next room is a two-story room with one floor devoted to the life of George Washington and the other floor talking about the history of the building. Before reaching the observation deck, you stop at the Knight Templar Chapel, the only order of Freemasonry where you must be a Christian.

    Tower of The George Washington Masonic Memorial.

    Then visitors are sent to the observation deck mentioned below. Finally, the tour goes all the way down to the first floor, where you are greeted with a gift shop. The gift shop lacked much of interest, but it’s funny that a secret organization has a gift shop. Besides the gift shop, one can glance inside a giant banquet room and look at a small exhibit about historic Masonic buildings.

    Outside Columns and Portico Ceiling of The George Washington Masonic Memorial.

    The Observation Deck

    The observation deck is 300 feet above the ground floor, as well as being on top of a hill. There are panoramic views of Alexandria and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, the D.C. area is too far away to get great shots, and the modern office buildings completely swamp views of historic downtown Alexandria. Still, I highly recommend The George Washington Masonic Masonic Memorial just for the observation deck.

    Looking Below at Freemason Logo and Alexandria.
    Panoramic View of Alexandria.
    Panoramic View of Alexandria's suburbs.
    Panoramic View of Alexandria with Washington D.C. in Background.

    Interesting Facts About The Building

    Here are some facts about the building. First the entire building stands 333 feet tall. President Calvin Coolidge (not a Freemason) laid the building’s cornerstone in 1923. However, construction took so long that the interiors were not completed until the 1970s.

    Panoramic View of Alexandria from steps of The George Washington Masonic Memorial.

    The elevators that visitors go on to tour the building are worth a mention. As the building narrows as it gets to the top, the elevators go up in a 7.5-degree angle. The strangely shaped elevators are as a mix between a rounded square and a triangle and missing a corner. The tour guide revealed this was a purely ascetic choice, as the architect wanted to incorporate Art Deco into an otherwise Greco-Roman building.

    How You Visit The Masonic Memorial

    Here are some practical tips on visiting The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. The Memorial is open from Thursdays-Mondays, with guided tours at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30, p.m., 2:00 p.m., & 3:30 p.m. that last about an hour. You may take pictures inside the building, but no use of flash photography. You cannot film inside the building, but they were fine with me filming on the observation deck provided I did not record anyone.

    Conclusion

    I did not know that the Masonic Memorial was open to the public as a museum until recently. I enjoyed learning about the Freemasons at the Masonic Memorial as it’s a world I know nothing about. The observation deck also makes the Masonic Memorial a unique must-see destination.

    Here is my companion YouTube video about The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. This is the first time I’ve tried color grading one of my videos, so let me know if you like it or not.

    Restaurants

    Dolan Uyghur Restaurant in Chantilly.
    This Is The Chantilly Location

    The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is about 13 minutes away from Old Town Alexandria with its many attractions and restaurants; I recommend Mia’s Italian Kitchen on King Street. I also recommend Dolan Uyghur Restaurant for Uyghur cuisine (a mix of Chinese and Middle Eastern flavors); the closest location is 17 minutes away in Arlington. Read the restaurants recommendations linked above if you want more dining options that are further away.

  • Best Things to Do in Alexandria

    Best Things to Do in Alexandria

    I always wanted to see Alexandria and experience the beautiful historic old town. The hour-long glimpse of Alexandria I got several years before only served to whet my appetite for more. Finally, I got extra days off work, so I decided to explore more of what Travel & Leisure calls one of the best cities in the U.S. This blog post about Alexandria is the first of a three-part series of my recent trip exploring Northern Virginia (NOVA), followed by Leesburg/Waterford and Winchester.

    5–8 minutes

    Exploring Historic Alexandria District

    Homes in Alexandria Virginia with Sign Saying Old & Historic Alexandria District.

    After arriving in downtown Alexandria, I first had lunch at Mia’s Italian Kitchen. The restaurant is located in the pedestrian friendly section of King Street. The restaurant is three stories tall, but I forgot to see the second and third floor. I had the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, which was perhaps my favorite meal of the trip. There are plenty of other restaurants nearby is you want a different option.

    Mia's Italian Kitchen Restaurant in Alexandria VA.

    Historic Alexandria is definitely a must-see destination. There is so much to do and see within downtown Alexandria, as well as admire the old buildings. Some roads were made out of cobblestone, which added to the ambience of Alexandria’s historic nature. There were also several small parks located on the waterfront conveniently located near downtown.

    First the Architecture and History…

    Glass protecting Ruins of Ice Well.
    Ruins of Ice Well That Could Store Up To 62 Tons of Ice For Local Tavern
    Historic Buildings in Alexandria Virginia.
    King Street Alexandria Virginia.
    King Street Alexandria Virginia.
    Historic Houses and Trees in Alexandria Virginia.
    Historic Houses and Trees and Cobblestone Street in Alexandria Virginia.
    Historic Houses and Trees and Cobblestone Street in Alexandria Virginia.
    Street in Alexandria VA with Tree in Background.
    Historic Buildings in Alexandria.
    Historic Buildings in Alexandria.
    Historic Buildings in Alexandria.
    Historic Buildings in Alexandria.
    Historic Buildings in Alexandria.
    Historic Buildings in Alexandria with leaves in foreground.

    Now the Nature…

    Park Behind Lee-Fendall House in Alexandria Virginia.
    Park Behind Carlyle House in Alexandria Virginia.
    Park Behind Carlyle House with Gazebo in Background.
    Small trail surrounded by plants in Founders Park, Alexandria VA.
    Trees and Potomac River at Riverfront Park.

    Museums of Alexandria

    Historic Huntley Museum in Alexandria.

    Historic Huntley was built in 1824 as a summer home of the original owner. Today the interior of the house is non furnished, and one side of the building has it so visitors can see the brickwork and roof of the house. Something unusual is that the outhouse and slave quarters were brick structures, as those structures were usually made out of wood.

    Lee-Fendall House Museum in Alexandria.

    The founding father Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee originally purchased the lot the Lee-Fendall House is located on, but his father-in-law Philip Fendell first lived in the house. Many members of the Lee family lived in the house throughout the years, but not Robert E. Lee. Later on, John L. Lewis, the president of the United Mine Workers Union lived here.

    Carlyle House Museum in Alexandria.

    It is believed that the Carlyle House inspired both Mount Vernon and George Mason’s Gunston Hall. General Edward Braddock stayed here before the French and Indian War started and was a terrible house-guest. The front stone work is a replica of the original stone, while the other three sides have the original stone walls covered in stucco.

    Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum in Alexandria.

    I recommend getting a guided tour of the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum because I decided to do the self-guided tour and did not really find much interesting about it. The tours fill up fast so either arrive early or expect to kill time before the tour begins. On Saturdays during the summer the museum stays open till 7:00. As for the history of the building, the Apothecary opened in 1792 and stayed a family business until 1933.

    Torpedo Factory Art Center

    Torpedo Factory Art Center at Waterfront.

    Located on the waterfront is the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Thirty different artists have their own gallery where they display their artwork. It is fun place go window shopping and sightseeing even if (like me) you’re not interested in contemporary art.

    Interior of Torpedo Factory Art Center.

    Located within the Art Center is the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. While there, I learned that Alexandria’s waterfront has been expanded over the years; in fact, the land the Torpedo Factory is own was not around in 1748. I also learned that several ships were found buried under Alexandria’s waterfront.

    Waterfront Businesses with Wooden Boat in Foreground.

    Conclusion

    Overall, I highly recommend Alexandria as a day trip, or perhaps spend several days because I did not have time to visit The George Washington Masonic National Memorial, or even know about River Farm until my Historic Huntley tour guide mentioned it. If you are visiting Washington D.C, definitely schedule a day to visit Alexandria. Or, you could do what I did and make Alexandria a launching point to explore the NOVA area, such as Woodbridge.

    Here are some helpful tips. Historic Huntley is only open on Saturdays with tours at 10:30 and 12:00 between April and October. Historic Huntley is not located within downtown Alexandria, instead being about a 20-minute drive away. The other three museums are located within historic Alexandria, and the Carlyle House and Apothecary Museums are two blocks down from the Torpedo Factory Art Center. The Lee-Fendall House is a 15-minute walk from the Art center, and it’s a pleasant walk through quaint neighborhoods.

    Below is my companion YouTube video about Alexandria. If you enjoyed the video, please like and subscribe.

    Restaurants in the Greater NOVA Area

    For those wanting to travel through the Greater NOVA area, there are so many restaurants serving different all different kinds of cuisines. Listed below are the restaurants I went to on this trip in the order of closest to furthest from Alexandria.

    El Pike Bolivian Restobar Restaurant in Arlington.

    El Pike Bolivian Restobar serves (as you can probably guess) Bolivian food. I had the Falso Conejo, which is a saucy steak dish. It was conveniently opened late because when I arrived at NOVA, many of the restaurants I wanted to go to were already about to close for the night. Located in Arlington.

    Fettoosh Restaurant in Arlington.

    Fettoosh serves Moroccan Food. Moroccan food is similar to other Middle Eastern Cuisine, but there are some unique dishes like Chicken Tagine, which I ate. The parking lot is very small, so I parked at the grocery store across the street. Located in Arlington.

    Rice Culture Taiyaki & Soft Serve Restaurant in Chantilly.
    This is the Chantilly Location

    Rice Culture serves taiyaki (fish shaped Japanese pancake with filling inside) as well as soft serve ice cream. I couldn’t decide between getting a taiyaki or a pandan flavored something so I combined the two–Pandan does not have much of a taste. There are two locations, the closest one to Alexandria is located in Vienna.

    Hawk & Griffin Restaurant in Vienna, VA.

    Hawk & Griffin serves traditional British Pub food and goes all out on the pub theming. I went there to have Sticky Toffee Pudding, which was so good I didn’t mind the fruit in the pudding. I was the only person there not watching the World Cup. Located in Vienna.

    Marufuji Japanese Market in Vienna, VA.

    Marufuji Japanese Market has everything that one would need to make Japanese food. The place is definitely a must see even if you’re on vacation and really can’t buy much. I bought several ramens that I have never seen before. Located in Vienna.

    Malaysian Kopitiam Restaurant in Centreville.

    Malaysian Kopitiam serves (once again) Malaysian food, which I would describe as being a mix between Chinese, Indian, and Thai cuisine. I had the Nyonya Chicken, which was like Sweet and Sour Chicken but spicier. Located in Centreville.

    Swadi Pakistani Restaurant aka Swadi Charcoal Kabob in Sterling.

    Swadi Pakistani Kitchen serves food from Pakistan, which is similar to Indian food but with beef dishes. I had the Nihari, which is a curry with slow-cooked beef. The person who took my order actually recognized me from the nearby Dunkin Donuts I went to that morning. Located in Sterling.

    Roy Rogers Restaurants in Gainesville. VA.

    Roy Rogers restaurants are the local fast-food chain of the greater DC area. I had breakfast there, but they are known for their roast beef sandwiches and “fixin’s” bar. It was not an outstanding breakfast, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Located all over NOVA.