Alexandria (May 2015)

My spouse and I visited Alexandria, Virginia on Memorial Day Weekend in late May 2015). We stayed for 2 nights, and had 2 full days to sightsee.

On the first day (Saturday), we arrived at our hotel, the Hilton, around 12:00 noon, and later walked down King Street in Old Town to find a place for lunch. The first restaurant that we encountered that had available outdoor seating (the weather was gorgeous!), was the Majestic Tavern Cafe. We had a great lunch, and then continued walking down King Street to the harbor. We stopped in at Virtue Feed & Grain for a drink, but after being seated and waiting 15 minutes, we still hadn't received any service. So we moved on, walking back towards our hotel. We eventually stopped in Theismann's for a drink before going back to the hotel to relax. We went out later to find a quick bite to eat, and ended up at Five Guys Burgers & Fries (where I had never eaten, so I got to check that off my casual "to eat" list.)

On the second day (Sunday), we departed early to arrive at Mount Vernon close to opening time. We spent about three hours there, walking around the estate, touring the house, and walking through the museum. (Mount Vernon has been on my "to visit" list every time that we have visited nearby Washington DC, but we were never able to tear ourselves away from the city to visit it.) Upon arrival back in Old Town, we again walked down King Street to find a place for lunch. We noticed that Taverna Cretekou had many outdoor tables in its rear courtyard, and sat down to enjoy a delicious lunch. We walked around a bit, before going back to the hotel to relax. Later that night, we ate dinner at BRABO by Robert Weidemaier.

On the third day (Monday), we enjoyed a quick Starbucks breakfast, and began our drive home.

We had reservations to dine at some fancy restaurants, but we just didn't feel like dressing up and partaking of multi-course lengthy meals when the time came, so we improvised.

We enjoyed a nice weekend, but we don't feel that we need to return to Old Town Alexandria. With its proximity to Washington, DC, that city offers such much more in terms of dining, sightseeing, museums, and hotels.

Hotel:

• Hilton Old Town Link to my review

Restaurants:

• Majestic Tavern Cafe Link to my review
• BRABO by Robert Weidemaier Link to my review
• Taverna Cretekou Link to my review
• Theismann's Link to my review

Activity:

• Mount Vernon Link to my review

 

 

Alexandria: Mount Vernon (May 2015)

My spouse and I visited Mount Vernon on a Sunday morning in late May 2015. Mount Vernon is open daily every day of the year. The house itself does not take long to tour; in fact, depending on the size of the crowds each day, signs are switched out before patrons enter the house advising them that they will have only 10-15 minutes, 15-20 minutes, or 25-30 minutes inside the house. It seems that the same number of rooms are shown on each tour, regardless of the time permitted, but groups are moved through the rooms more quickly or slowly depending on the crowds. The estate itself is large, and it can take a few hours to walk the entire property, as you stop at various outbuildings and gardens to investigate and read more about them. The museum is quite impressive, and you can spend another few hours here, depending on your interest, and how many displays, placards, and films you want to read and see. After guests exit the museum, a cafeteria, gift shop, and full-service restaurant are available. The full-service restaurant accepts reservations via the Open Table system, although not on weekends. The gift shop has two parts: one side with high-quality (and sometimes very expensive) merchandise, and one side with typical tourist souvenirs like T-shirts and keychains. Parking can be difficult later in the day as the crowds fill the estate. You can begin your estate tour with a 20-minute film, which gives background on George Washington and the estate itself. Various add-on tours and activities are available, in addition to your regular entrance ticket, some of which are free and others that cost an additional fee. (We only participated in the standard tour.) Be sure to take in the view of the Potomac River from the chairs on the back porch of the mansion or as you sit on the grassy hill.

Mount Vernon was the plantation home of George Washington, first President of the United States. The estate is situated on the banks of the Potomac River near Alexandria, and 15 miles south of Washington, DC. The Washington family had owned land in the area since the time of Washington's great-grandfather in 1674. George Washington became its sole owner in 1761. The mansion is built of wood in a loose Palladian style, and was constructed by George Washington in stages between 1758 and 1778. Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is today listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The rooms at Mount Vernon have been restored to their appearance at the time of George and Martha Washington's occupancy. These rooms include Washington's study, two dining rooms, the West Parlor, the Front Parlor, the kitchen, and some bedrooms. The internal architectural features (such as the doorframes, moldings and plasterwork) range from Palladianism to neoclassicism. In the West Parlor and Small Dining Room, doorframes feature ionic columns and pediments. Many of the rooms are lined with painted paneling and have ceilings ornamented by plasterwork. Today, visitors to Mount Vernon are shown Washington's study, a room to which in the eighteenth century only a privileged few were granted entrance. It is a simply furnished room that Washington used as a combined bathroom, dressing room, and office. Its walls are lined with naturally grained paneling and matching bookcases. The grandest public room is called the New Room or Large Dining Room, and is a two-storied salon with large windows and a marble chimney that occupies the mansion's north side. The interior restoration of the house features original color schemes, furniture, carpets, and decorative objects. George Washington and his family are evident throughout the house in their portraits and former possessions.

We have visited Washington, DC many times, and we had always planned to visit Mount Vernon, but with the abundance of activities and sights in the city itself, we were never able to tear ourselves away. This time, we stayed in Old Town Alexandria so that we could investigate that town and be closer to Mount Vernon. Finally we can check this landmark off our “to see” list!

 

 

 

Alexandria: Theismann's (May 2015)

My spouse and I had drinks at Theismann’s on a Saturday afternoon in late May 2015. The restaurant is located in Old Town Alexandria just off King Street near the Metro station. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor dining, and it can accommodate large groups in semi-private seating areas. The 40-seat bar was busy and vibrant on the afternoon that we visited, and several TVs are available to watch sporting events. Theismann’s is open for lunch and dinner daily. You can make a reservation by calling the restaurant, or by using the Open Table reservation system. This outlet of the Theismann chain opened in 1975. The menu prices are reasonable. (We expected a menu, prices, and atmostphere comparable to Morton’sor Shula’s steakhouses, but Theismann’s was more affordable and casual.) The restaurant features a sports theme, because it is named after Joe Theismann. When it opened over 40 years ago, Theismann’s was one of the first restaurant-bars in Virginia. Joe Theismann was new to town and a third-string quarterback, but his name on the door drew in patrons. Joe’s quarterback career ended, but the restaurant lives on. This was a good place to enjoy drinks, due to its proximity to our hotel, the Hilton.

Alexandria: Taverna Cretekou (May 2015)

My spouse and I dined at Taverna Cretekou for brunch on a Sunday afternoon in late May 2015. Taverna Cretekou is located on King Street in Old Town Alexandria. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, but offers lunch Tuesday through Saturday, Sunday brunch, and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The huge rear patio is the most desirable place to sit in the warm weather, with some tables on a slightly raised wooden platform and covered by a pergola-type roof, and other tables protected from the sun by umbrellas. Lots of colorful flowers and foliage surrounds the patio. Restrooms are located on the second floor up a somewhat steep set of stairs (and are in desperate need of renovation/updating!). On the Sunday that we dined, Taverna Cretekou offered both a buffet brunch and their regular menu. We ordered from the regular menu, and enjoyed dolmades as our appetizer (grape leaves filled with rice, scallions, and dill, then marinated in olive oil), followed by lamb gyros and Arni ptsio (lamb with pita). For dessert, we ordered the baklava (ground walnuts layered with honey and filo dough). Service was very good, performed by older men who clearly view waitering as their profession (as opposed to young kids doing a summer job). A great meal!