American History Tours – Alexandria, Virginia

My Top 3

Cuddling the gentle Potomac River less than seven miles from our Nation’s Capitol, Alexandria, Virginia is a city rife with American history. In fact, it’s location along the Potomac, a windy creature that snakes its way through Maryland, D.C., West Virginia and Virginia before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay, is much to blame for the city’s early prominence on the American stage.

A port town for England as far back as the 1750s, Alexandria was unavoidably destined to play a role in the American Revolution. The fact that colonial fat cats like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin liked to chum around town only sealed its fate. It’s even believed that in the run-up to the war, General Washington ran exercises for his troops in the Square.

Post-revolution, Alexandria became a part of the District of Columbia along with Georgetown and, of course, Washington. However, a combination of factors, including governmental neglect, soured that whole Federal City thing, and Alexandria returned to its old stomping grounds of Virginia.

The timing wasn’t so good, though. Moving back into Virginia made Alexandria a city of the confederacy, something the Union troops who lived walking distance away didn’t much appreciate. The town was seized at the very beginning of the American Civil War and held for the entire duration.

The history of Alexandria continues well into the 20^th-century, with exciting stories from World War II, the Civil Rights movement and many other important eras, but the bulk of the history tourism today concerns that first 120 years from founding to the end of the Civil War.

There’s plenty to see. Most historic attractions in Alexandria can be found in or near Old Town, the historic district. Certainly one of the most popular attractions is Gadsby’s Tavern. This musty, charming place dates back to 1785 and was visited regularly by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and several other important colonial and early U.S.-era players. Today the Tavern is half restaurant, half museum. While everything is worth seeing, the food doesn’t live up to the history.

Other worthwhile historic attractions include: the home of Robert E. Lee, Christ Church, the George Washington Masonic Memorial, the Torpedo Factory and Captains Row.

For Alexandria hotels, consider the Holiday Inn Alexandria - Historic District. It’s pet-friendly, located close to all of the above and, being a Holiday Inn, great for families with little ones.