Old Town Alexandria

Old Town Alexandria is the easiest day trip from Washington and often the one visitors enjoy most. It is a real eighteenth-century port town on the Virginia side of the Potomac, a few miles south of the capital, with one of the best preserved historic districts in the country: brick sidewalks, cobblestone lanes, Federal townhouses and narrow alleys, now filled with independent shops, restaurants and cafes. The spine is King Street, which runs about a mile from the King Street Metro station down to the river, and a free trolley runs its length, so getting around costs nothing. At the water end is the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a former naval munitions plant turned into dozens of working artist studios and galleries where you can watch artists paint, throw pots and print, along with the small Alexandria Archaeology Museum; all are free to visit. The waterfront has a marina, parks and docks where boats and water taxis come and go, and it is a lovely place to watch the sunset. History is close at hand. George Washington considered Alexandria his hometown, and Christ Church, built in the colonial era, still has the pew where he worshipped. Gadsby's Tavern Museum, the Carlyle House, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary and other historic sites cost a small fee, and the city's Key to the City pass bundles many of them with a discount at Mount Vernon. The Freedom House Museum tells the story of the domestic slave trade that operated from Alexandria. The honest notes: weekends get busy, parking in Old Town is tight, and the historic sites keep limited hours. Fit: couples, families, history buffs and anyone who wants a charming, walkable town without leaving the Metro map.

Alexandria was founded in the mid-eighteenth century as a tobacco port and was one of the busiest harbors in colonial America. George Washington surveyed its streets as a young man, kept a townhouse here, and attended church, balls and meetings in town; his Mount Vernon estate is only a short drive south along the parkway. Alexandria was part of the District of Columbia until it returned to Virginia in the 1840s, partly because of the slave trade, a history the city now tells openly at Freedom House and elsewhere. During the Civil War it was occupied by Union troops almost from the start, which helped preserve its buildings. The result is a town where the history is not behind glass but on every block.

Visit craft: take the Metro to King Street, ride the free trolley to the waterfront, and walk back up King Street slowly, exploring side streets such as the cobblestone lanes near the river and the tiny Spite House. Spend an hour in the Torpedo Factory, have lunch, then pick one or two historic sites to visit properly; Gadsby's Tavern and Christ Church are the classics for Washington connections. Stay for sunset on the waterfront and dinner. In season, the water taxi between Old Town and the Wharf or Georgetown makes a scenic way to arrive or leave.

Practicals: King Street Metro on the Blue and Yellow lines; the free King Street Trolley runs from the station to the waterfront. The visitor center on King Street sells the Key to the City pass and has maps. Street parking is limited and garages fill on weekends. Allow half a day or more. Pair it with Mount Vernon, which is a short drive or bike ride south along the Mount Vernon Trail.