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.
Exploring 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.
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…
Now the Nature…
Museums of 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.