Staycation: Alexandria
/I’m staycation obsessed. For people that want to travel but don’t want to leave the area because of COVID, staycations are such a great option. Since my home has become my home office, staying in a hotel provides the perfect change of scenery. For Galentine’s Day, I took the metro to Old Town Alexandria and had a 4-day weekend.
The Alexandrian
Stay
I couldn’t decide between two hotels so I ended up splitting my time between them. The Alexandrian was by far my favorite experience. The staff are amazing and they have a restaurant, King & Rye. I also stayed at the Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria and they have spacious rooms for a great price. The Kimpton Lorien is another nice hotel nearby.
Eat
I ate way too much during this trip and everything was delicious. Here are a few of my favorites (shoutout to Sydni for the recommendations).
Baked Crab dip, Chart House
Chart House — the service, the view, and the food are all outstanding
Virtue Grain & Feed — great mix of American and Mexican inspired dishes
Hank & Mitzi’s — cute neighborhood pizza spot
Haute Dog & Fries — Black owned paradise for hot dog lovers/Glizzy gang members
Pop's Old Fashion Ice Cream Co. — the quintessential neighborhood ice cream shop
Drink
During my trip I was searching high and low for the perfect cocktail. I finally had the best cocktail ever, the Pomegranate Mojito, at Chart House. Other honorable mentions for some drunk fun are Port City Brewing Company and Sonoma Cellar. If you don’t want to go out to a bar, you can get a cocktail to-go or delivered to your hotel. I did this and while it was fun to make my own drink…it was also nasty so make sure you order something that you know you’ll like.
Go
We are still in a panoramic so I recommend staying away from people that aren’t in your quarantine bubble. If you want to venture out, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is a must-see. During the weekends, some artists are in the studios working on their art and answering questions from visitors. Other than that, Alexandria is great for shopping at unique boutiques or name brand stores.
$$$
This is such an affordable getaway! I spent my time at two hotels and each nightly rate but under $100. I expected a spike in prices because it was Valentine’s day weekend but everything was affordable. I definitely recommend if you want to stay in a walkable, quaint town for a weekend.
