Week 6 - Alexandria, VA (Old Town)

Hello Family and Friends,

I think this is going to be Brett's favorite part of our trip. Northern VA is his home stomping grounds and DC is his first love (we'll get there in about two weeks). Before we could get to northern VA we had to go through southern VA. Guys, I am not a fan. We are traveling on the main interstate, I-95, and directly off of the interstate is the biggest confederate flag I have ever seen (I'm from Alabama, so that is saying something). It was not a confederate flag with an american flag. No, it was a ginormous confederate flag all by itself (I looked it up and it is 20' x 20'). To add fuel to fire, at the base of the flag was a concrete sign with a barbwire fence around it that said, "Confederate States of America". I looked at Brett with an expression that was like "Really, this is your favorite place?" He was like this is southern VA and he didn't spend anytime this way. This is the most un-american thing I have witnessed with my own eyes. Needless to say, VA has a lot of work to win me over at this point!

So we finally get to northern VA. There is no question about the walkability of Old Town. Even the signs tell you how far you away certain popular spots are by walking. We are all really enjoying the feel of old town. I found myself walking slower, even without Brett. However, Brett feels it may be a little too old. There is not one modern home which also means no garages and really expensive upkeep of old buildings. It also feels more like we are on vacation 200 years ago and not really home.

Street sign in Old Town telling you how long it will take to walk to certain locations

We have already taken advantage of the free trolley that will take you to the waterfront. Also the restaurant service has been super grand. Water is refilled during service, plates are cleared away during meals and we are checked on soon after receiving our food. I told Brett he must have been really suffering over the past decade if this is the level of service he is used to in VA.

In Old Town there is only one school that meets our requirements. And of course there is a grocery store, three parks, two pharmacies, shopping, eating, housing and even a pool all within walking distance. I even checked out the Mt. Vernon trail, at night. This trail takes you all the way to Washington's home. Though the Atlanta beltline still has it beat. Mt Vernon trail is a little dark after hours and has a closing time. Atlanta never slept.

Atlas is becoming a pro at riding free trolleys.

I do feel like Alexandria had a big General George Washington theme. We visited the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. This is a social group that Washington was a part of that was all about self betterment and doing good in communities. It is a not so secret, secret society. Our tour guide told us that they lean into the conspiratory theories propagated by such movies as National Treasure with Nicholas Cage (asked Brett if I had to say the Nicholas Cage part, apparently I do). It really seems they are just a reason for dudes to get together and drink on a weekday (considering that Washington owned a huge distillery, I believe it). In 1826, there was a whole anti-masonic movement due to the masons kidnapping some guy in New York for threatening to expose their secrets. He was never heard from again and it is alleged that he was murdered (maybe some of the conspiracies are true...) There are at least 14 different presidents who were Freemasons, the last being President Ford.

The view all the way down to the waterfront from the masonic temple.

If you look all the way to the back, you can see DC from the masonic memorial observation deck.. The pointed obelisk is the George Washington Monument and the dome to the right of it is the Jefferson Memorial.

At the bottom from left to right you will see the six stages of General Washington's legacy.

Atlas and Brett standing with a model of Benjamin Franklin

An image of the masonic temple turned theater in Birmingham, Alabama (my hometown). It was demolished in 1971.

Earlier I referred to Washington as General instead of President. When we visited his Mount Vernon home, we learned that this is the title her preferred as he felt he had earned the title of General while the title president was given to him. I thoroughly recommend adding George Washington's home to your bucket list of things to do in the States. The property is absolutely beautiful and very well run. If we end up moving to the northern VA area I would definitely get a membership. We were there all afternoon and didn't get to the museum on property. Washington owned 8,000 acres of land. The part that remains as his home is 250 acres, which his great nephew sold off as he was unable to keep up with so much land.

A wall in Washington's main entertaining room. The room was so large, that most people's entire home at the time could fit into this one room. Also the green pain was the most expensive of it's time. The fireplace was cut out of a home in france, shipped overseas and given to Washington as a gift.

Washington's expansive lawn was not normal for his time. One of his french visitors described it as "green carpet". His home was about 11,000 square feet and would host over 600 guests a year.

The part I enjoyed most about visiting the property is that they really acknowledged the slaves as a huge part of General Washington's land owning success. And they did a really good job of showing the ethical struggle that Washington had in owning slaves. He felt that this was a nation of free men, yet he owned slaves. So he wrote in his will that upon his and his wife's death that he would free 123 (his personal slaves) of the 300+ slaves on his property. He was concerned about his wife's economic stability, which is why he didn't write to free the slaves until after her death. To Mrs. Washington's credit she freed them even while she was alive in order to honor her husband. You can just see that he felt slavery was wrong, but economically it was beneficial to him. I respect him for being honest with himself about the wrongness of owning another human, but also the economic benefit of free labour.

Atlas and I taking in the view at Washington's Mt. Vernon home

Local students' decoration of a marked slave grave at Mt. Vernon.

Alexandria is where Brett was born. He still has some family in the area who we got to visit with for a little while. When we get to Arlington, you guys are going to get a whole history of little Brett as that is where he grew up.

Brett, Atlas, Danielle, Aunt Priscilla, Uncle Floyd