This weekend we finally got a break from winter and took
advantage of it. Boomer and I joined our
friend Jean and her dog Daisy for a 6 mile urban hike from our Del Ray neighborhood through Old Town and back home.
Jean and I are friends, neighbors, and our career paths have
a number of similarities. In addition to
exercise and time with the dogs – I was excited for time with my friend.
Fitbits full charged and humans fully caffeinated, we took
off on our trek that would take us through a variety of Alexandria
neighborhoods, to the Potomac River, through historic Old Town and back to Del
Ray.
The morning was ours for exercise, dog time and some much needed girl
time – perfect for solving the world’s problems, a walk of this nature provides
many “snoop-worthy” stops and google moments.
Our Del Ray neighborhood was built around a rail yard in the
late 1800s. Crossing those historic (and
currently used) train tracks was the beginning of our hike.
Along the way we ran into dogs (and their owners) and one of
Jean’s colleagues and his dog.
Boomer and Daisy did well on the walk, and about 40 minutes
into our excursion, they got a well-deserved play break at Old Town’s Founder's Park in the heart of Old Town and on the Potomac River. Old Town Alexandria, Virginia is a town with
a rich history, and played a featured role in the Revolutionary War, the
formation of Washington, D.C., and the Civil War. Today, it’s the backdrop of the PBS series
Mercy Street. It’s also a great place to
window shop, grab a bite to eat and wander streets that look close to the way
they did 200 years ago.
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| A much needed romp in Founder's Park |
We leave Founder’s Park we work our way past the Torpedo Factory. The Torpedo Factory actively produced torpedoes
until the end of World War II. 
It was
used for storage by the federal government until the mid-1970s when it was
turned into an arts center. Today it
houses nearly 100 art galleries and studios.
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| The back of the Carlyle House, the focal point of Mercy Street |
During the Civil War, Alexandria – a Southern town and the hometown of Robert E Lee, was occupied by Union troops. Any large home or building (hotel) was immediately taken by the Union and turned into a hospital or utilized by the Army. This is largely the plot of Mercy Street.
Jean, Daisy, Boomer and I have walked about 6,000 steps when
we hit Wise’s Tavern – at the corner of Cameron and North Fairfax streets. On April 16th 1789, George Washington
was first publically addressed as President of the United States at an event at
Wise’s Tavern.
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| Wise's Tavern |
We stop and say hi to a passerby and her dog. It turns out she’s the owner of the
dog-friendly Sonoma Cellar on King Street.
We plan on visit for their Taco Tuesday and wine tasting.
A few blocks further up Cameron is Gadsby's Tavern – which is
where the Colonial elite hung out – including George and Martha
Washington. Their “city” house is within
eyesight of the tavern. Apparently
Martha wasn’t much of a cook, so when they were in the city, they had their
meals at Gadsby’s. Like much of Old
Town, Gadsby’s is also said to be haunted.
As we hit Washington Street one of the two main thoroughfares
in Old Town, we are facing Christ Church, which was the home church to both the
Washington and Lee families.
Walking down Washington Street we pass Oronoco Street where
the Lee family lived in several homes, including the Lee Fendall House, where
Jean had her wedding reception. At the
end of the block at St. Asaph Street is Old Towne School for Dogs which is
packed full of delicious treats, accessories and food for dogs and cats.
We cross Washington Street and walk down Oronoco heading
into the Parker Gray neighborhood, which was created during and after the Civil
War for freedmen and emancipated slaves.
The neighborhood remained historically significant during the Civil
Right era with notable leaders of that movement residing in the neighborhood.
We’ve broken the 10,000 step mark as we turn down Fayette
Street – looking at renovated houses, sleeping secret gardens, and courtyards
that look eager for spring.
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| A beautiful garden waiting for Spring |
Finally, crossing back to our side of the railroad tracks,
we’re home. We’ve made new friends, seen
some old ones, solved the world’s problems, made plans for Taco Tuesday and had
some quality girl and dog time!
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| Doggie photo op by the Potomac |
