Gone to Look for America: (Alexandria, Virginia)

Yesterday, Brandon and I made a little day trip to Alexandria, Virginia, yet another town on the list of places people keep telling us we need to visit.  We focused on exploring the Old Town neighborhood, known for its high-end boutiques, fine restaurants, art galleries, and antique shops.  It's also nationally recognized for its early-American architecture and historic attractions.

I couldn't believe how different the drive looked with all of the fall colors, compared to when we'd been in that area in late summer. Aren't these trees gorgeous? That's how it looked along the freeway pretty much the whole way!

After browsing through the shops on King Street, walking down to the water, and stopping by the visitor center and other historical buildings, we decided to stop for lunch.  There are so many great restaurants in Old Town, but when we spotted Gadsby's Tavern, we knew we couldn't pass up the opportunity to "eat where George ate."

Our lunch at Gadsby's Tavern was definitely the highlight of our day in Alexandria!  It's unbelievable to me that places like this still exist today.  The interior of the restaurant looked unchanged from its eighteenth century condition.  Talk about a place that has the power to transport you back in time!  We sat in old wooden chairs next to a window overlooking City Hall.  The waitresses were dressed in period costumes, and our food was even served on pewter chargers, alongside antique crystal and china.  They definitely didn't overlook a single detail!  Brandon ordered fried cod and I had cock-a-leeky pie, (a sort of chicken stew with topped with puff pastry.) Pretty colonial...

Once we'd finished our walk down King Street, we decided to head home just in time to beat the DC commute traffic.  Thank you, Alexandria, for a wonderfully refreshing day!