Each year around the holidays, two of my best friends and I take a random day off from work together. We make fun, low-key, somewhat holiday-related plans, and just enjoy spending the day together. With all of the usual hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's nice to be able to take a break and relax, have fun with friends, and rediscover the joy and magic the season can bring! We've been going strong for five years now, and each year we pick a different place in the area to explore and take in the holiday décor. In years past, we've explored DC - the White House, the National Christmas Tree, fancy hotels in the city, the Library of Congress, and the botanical gardens (perhaps a post for another day!). We've also visited Old Town Alexandria, with classic décor on cobblestone streets (and you can read more about our latest trip there in this blog post). One year we went to Middleburg, Virginia for some small town Christmas charm (perhaps we'll do a blog post on this, too!). This year, we decided to keep the small town theme and explore a new (to us) place, in historic Old Town Warrenton, Virginia. Our plan was simple: afternoon tea, window shopping, drinks and merriment - all with a little historic flair - and Warrenton delivered! The town itself dates back to 1810, but the settlement in the area started in the 1700s and the first courthouse there was built in 1790. The area flourished with the addition of a railroad in the 1850s, then was in the midst of a number of nearby battles during the Civil War, during which its churches and schools were used as hospitals. I think overall the town offers a good mix of feeling traditional and charming (you can see some of the original buildings, like the Fauquier County Courthouse and the Old Jail), but with a modern flair (great restaurants and shops, and even a co-working space!). We started at Gateau Bakery & Tea Room for afternoon tea. The ambiance was perfect - cozy and classy - and the refreshments were delicious! We appreciated the many different menu options for those with food allergies - we were each able to choose an individual menu that worked for us, and they had both gluten free and vegan options. We also loved the attention to detail - like how the sandwiches on the "Christmas Tea" were cut into little trees! Unfortunately it looks like they’ve closed the tea room for now, but the bakery is still open! Based on the treats we had with our tea, we definitely recommend trying it. After tea, we took some time to explore the town and window shop at a few of the local stores. I really loved the eclectic mix of gifts at Latitudes Fair Trade store. They had some really pretty flowers made out of felt. I was tempted to buy a whole bouquet!
Overall, this town was a nice escape from city life, but still offered plenty of good options for food and fun - great for a day trip. Let us know if you check it out, and enjoy your adventure!
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Sometimes escaping the city is as simple as crossing the Potomac. If you're looking for some holiday magic with historic flair, head across the river to Old Town Alexandria. With centuries-old architecture, historic buildings and attractions, and great local stores and restaurants, it's a great place to spend a day. We walked up and down the neighborhood streets (some of them cobblestone!) to take in the decor - so many houses really go all out with decorations, in a very classic way. We eventually made our way to Market Square on King Street to see the giant Christmas tree. This square is also where the weekly Saturday morning farmer's market is held - which apparently has been running for 260 years! If you're lucky, you can even catch some live music. When we went, we were serenaded by the Alexandria Harmonizers, a men's a capella chorus founded in 1948. Hot tip: if you're having trouble finding street parking, there's a parking garage right under Market Square. Market Square is just down the street from the Carlyle House Historic Park - a great example of Georgian residential architecture completed in 1753. The museum offers a look inside life in the 18th century - the docents offer great tours, and the house has been restored and decorated beautifully. It has limited hours so check the website before you go, but it's worth a visit! There are so many nooks and crannies of the historic streets to explore - and a lot of interesting local shops. When you’re ready for a break from shopping, there are great restaurants to try! When the weather is nice, there is ample outdoor seating available at many of the restaurants along King Street. We stopped in at The Fish Market for a quick recharge. The clam chowder, crab dip, and apple cider mules did not disappoint! It was a refreshing stop, and great for people watching on a not-too-cold fall afternoon. A couple of our other favorite places in the same area: Sonoma Cellar, Virtue Feed and Grain. You can also walk down to the water - there are trails and parks along the river that are great for people (and boat!) watching. Two of our best friends even got married on the Cherry Blossom riverboat that docks right at the Old Town Alexandria Harbor! What are your favorite stops in Old Town? Let us know in the comments below!
The Outer Banks or 'OBX' of North Carolina is basically the Hamptons of the mid-Atlantic United States. The OBX offers a great mix of fun stuff to do, historic things to explore and delicious items to eat and drink. Each year for the last 13 years, my family has chosen to vacation in Hatteras Village for Thanksgiving. While a summer stay would certainly have its perks, fall in the OBX is beautiful, more affordable and less crowded. For the history lovers, visiting Fort Raleigh aka The Lost Colony on Roanoke Island near Manteo is a must stop. Open year round, the national park offers plenty of space to walk around and see the place where early British settlers lived long ago. If we know where the colony is, why is it lost? Great question. For those who might not know the story, colonists settled this area in the late 1500s, but vanished a few years later. Several theories exist about what happened to the settlement's inhabitants but definitive proof is lacking to fully resolve what happened. To learn more about the latest developments in what historians think likely happened, pick up a copy of The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island by Scott Dawson. Also visit the park, take a tour and explore one of America's earliest settlements. If you're lucky enough to be there for the holidays, there's also a great display of lights at the Elizabethan Gardens next to the colony. It's dog-friendly and all around beautiful. Hatteras Island, where my family vacations, is home to lots of history related to the Civil War, World War II and beyond. During the Civil War, Union forces maintained a fort on the island and a battle occurred in 1862 with Confederate forces. German U-boats also scanned up and down the coastline during World War II. Known as the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic,' OBX's coastline is also the final resting place for many ships that sank in the area over the last several centuries. To learn more the local maritime history, visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic museum, also open year round. For those that love to find fun places to stop, be sure to visit a few of the local hotspots including Buxton Books, Lee Robinson General Store, and Old Gray House Gifts. Hungry? The best spot to grab a bite is definitely Tavern on 12, but Orange Blossom Bakery and Cafe offers great morning treats and Gingerbread House Bakery makes tasty pizza! The best spot, however, is Fatty's eatery. Enhance your stay with a trip to Ocracoke Island. Accessible via ferry, (go early, the line gets pretty long, even in the fall), Ocracoke is home to adorable shops, great food spots and quality views. Always call ahead to ensure businesses are open - they are on island time after all. Plan to visit Ocracoke Coffee Co., Books to be Read and Zillie's Island Pantry - the best spot to enjoy an adult beverage on the island. If you're starving, eat at Jason's. Ocracoke is also home to the 1718 Brewery, who's name relates to the infamous pirate Blackbeard who was killed nearby in, you guessed it, 1718! Have a favorite spot we didn't mention? Include it below in a comment. If you've never been, book your stay early - affordable options for vacationing in the OBX fill up quick! We already booked our place out, a year in advance. Hope to see you there next year! Cheers.
They say 'there's no place like home for the holidays.' Sometimes escaping the craziness of Northern Virginia isn't really an option due to time constraints, other commitments, or whatever reason it may be. There are plenty of fun things to do in the local-ish area, especially near the holidays. Located just 45 minutes down Interstate 66, Reston offers a variety of enjoyable options beyond shopping. There's even a lake near by! Lane Anne is perfect for a waterfront stroll with a cup of coffee from the Lake Anne Coffee House. You can also often find us at Cooper Hawk enjoying the Almond Sparking wine.
For dinner, we headed to Barcelona Wine Bar right in the town center. There's also one of these in DC (and a few other locations around the country), but this one did not disappoint! It had a great atmosphere - a nice bar area with plenty of seating, and great high top and low top tables throughout the restaurant. We kept remarking that we loved the energy of the place, and the decor. It got a little noisy as the night went on, but overall we loved it. It was a perfect spot for a small group dinner - especially as the sangria starting flowing! I'm not exaggerating when I say we tried almost everything on the menu (we were hungry!), and we were not disappointed. Everything was so flavorful and we enjoyed trying some interesting combinations, like the chorizo with sweet and sour figs and balsamic reduction, the spinach and chickpea cazuela with cumin and roasted garlic, and of course, the classic bacon wrapped dates (always a favorite).
Whether you're heading to the town center with friends or solo to holiday shop, note there's plenty of low-cost paid parking garages. If the town center is a bit hectic in the holiday season, plan a return trip in the new year, it's well worth it! |
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