History, Art and More in Scenic Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria Virginia, located along the scenic Potomac River, is a great place to visit and people have been taking notice. The area has earned accolades from people like you and me who voted in the Conde Nast Travelers' Readers Choice Awards, naming it one of the Top 5 Best Small Cities in the USA for three years in a row now. 

Known for its rich history, walkability, top-flight restaurants, attractive architecture and flourishing arts scene, it's a place where many escape for an educational and enjoyable getaway.

My recent trip to the region was short--we stayed only two nights, but managed to see quite a bit while we were there, so this itinerary is perfect for a long weekend. If you have more time to experience the region, there's so much more to see and do.

Strolling through Our First President's Abode

George Washington's father Augustine built part of this house in 1734.

Augustine Washington, who was a leading planter and justice of the county court in the Mount Vernon area south of Alexandria, VA, built a one-and-a-half story house there in 1734. His son George began leasing it in 1754 and started executing his dramatic vision of what the place could be. Over the years, George added a story, along with north-and-south wings, a cupola and piazza, expanded the property to 8,000 acres and created four gardens on the estate. He inherited the property in 1761 and continued work on it for approximately 50 years. At approximately 11,000 square feet, with 21 rooms, the mansion is 10 times the size of the average home in colonial Virginia.

When guests arrive at the estate, they will check in at the Ford Orientation Center, to avail themselves of resources like maps, audio tours and other items to help them plan their visit. 

They will also see a miniature model of the mansion itself and a beautiful stained-glass mural highlighting five key moments in George Washington's life.

Mural located at the Ford Orientation Center features five highlights of Washington's life.

Guests will take a path leading from the orientation center to the mansion where they will wait for a guide to take them on a tour which lasts about a half hour. 

The first step on our tour inside Mount Vernon was the "New Room," which was the last addition to the mansion and served as a receiving area for visitors.

The "New Room," served as a receiving area for visitors.

The "Old Chamber"

Next we saw the "Old Chamber" where visitors slept, and the dining room which is painted in a striking bright green and was described by Washington as "grateful to the eye." 

George Washington's dining room, which is part of the original house.

George Washington liked the front parlor best.

The front parlor was considered by Washington to be the "best place in the house." Here the family gathered to read and play games. On rainy and cold days tea and coffee were served here.

The "Yellow Room," which features a fireplace and a window in the east wall.

Visitors are led up the stairs via a beautiful walnut staircase to view various bedrooms, like the one pictured above called the "Yellow Room," which features a corner fireplace and a window in the east wall. 

The bedroom pictured below, known as the "Chintz Room" was considered the finest of the six bedchambers. During that era, the public had a fascination with eastern culture and the furnishings reflect that.

The finest of the six primary bedchambers.

Guests will also be guided through the place where George Washington retreated from the public eye. This was his private area and no one was permitted in the room without his express permission. Could he have tired of being "on" all the time? He would wake up between 4 and 5 a.m. every day and retreat to his study via stairs that led from his bedchamber. Early to bed and early to rise, as his friend Benjamin Franklin said. It was here that he bathed, dressed and kept his clothes. He also wrote diary entries and managed his estate in the study.  A curious artifact is the item attached to the rocking chair, which is an early fan of sorts.

George Washington's man cave.

The final two stops on the mansion tour include the outdoor kitchen and the piazza, which overlooks the Potomac. Guests are invited to sit a spell and experience the same breezes that the Washingtons enjoyed while living there. 

The outdoor kitchen. 

The view from the piazza.

Mt. Vernon Outbuildings

Guests are invited to visit the various outbuildings that area also located on the property, like this "Clerk's Quarters." After Washington retired from the presidency, he hired a man named Albin Rawlins to provide clerical services. Rawlins, a bachelor, was said to find this space sufficient enough for his needs. I guess he preferred to remain a bachelor...

Also seen on the grounds is the smokehouse, the kitchen garden and the stables.

Tombs on the Property

When Washington died in 1799, he was interred in an old tomb that wasn't in the best shape. Being aware of this, he stipulated in his will that he and his family would later be interred in a tomb that would be built after his death. It took awhile, but eventually the new tomb was built in 1831 and is located south of the fruit garden. 

The old vault where Washington was initially interred.

Today's vault is much improved and a guide stands by to answer any questions. 

The "new tomb" where Washington rests today.

When visitors complete their tour, they take a path which leads to a small food court and a gift shop, which features lovely items, like home decor, giftware and more. 

A gift shop awaits at the end of the Mt. Vernon tour.

Also located on the way out is a restaurant, for those who feel like dining somewhere a little fancier than the food court. We didn't eat there, but I did manage to sneak in and snap a pic.

The Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant is located right next door.

A Visit to the Gadsby Tavern

A private dining area in Gadsby's Tavern Museum

In keeping with the history theme, we continued on to Gadsby's Tavern Museum in Old Town Alexandria, where old-time hospitality comes in to view.

The great Gadsby.

The site is comprised of two buildings, a 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Hotel. Named for John Gadsby, who leased and operated the buildings from 1796 until 1808, the tavern and hotel played a large part in the political and social life in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Presidents who visited were John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and George Washington, who wrote in his diary that he ate there in 1786. This particular establishment catered to upper and middle class white men, who used the tavern as a place to build their political and economic influence in Alexandria.

White tablecloths, which, at the time, took skill and experience to clean, were a symbol of refinement. Printed menus didn't exist back then, but guests would given a choice of food that was in season, or preserved. 

Alcohol was part of daily life as a substitute for water, which was associated with causing illness. Cider and beer were cheap and easy to make and cocktails, like punch, toddies, flips and grogs were also served, along with coffee and tea.

The inventory at Gadsby's Tavern in 1802 included the following: 43 beds, 186 pieces of china, 50 dish covers, 14 sleeping rooms, 20 looking glasses and 36 silver tea spoons.

The ballroom at the museum.

Two rooms on site.

My husband and I had the opportunity to grab a lunch at the Tavern and the food was not only reasonably priced for the area, but also delicious.

The tavern, which is in operation today. I recommend the meatloaf.

Art that's "Da Bomb"

The Torpedo Factory is located along the Potomac Riverfront.

Located along Alexandria's scenic Potomac Riverfront is an old munitions plant that found a new purpose beginning in 1974, when it was transformed into the Torpedo Factory Art Center, which touts itself as home to the nation's largest collection of working artists' open studios under one roof (more than 165).

Admission is free and guests can wander the three-story building at their leisure and perhaps purchase a few pieces to take home. Often the artists are on site to answer questions and offer the curious insight into their inspiration. 

Art at the Athenaeum

The Athenaeum was once the Bank of the Old Dominion.

Another art venue located in Old Town Alexandria is The Athenaeum. Housed in a Greek Revival building that belonged to William Fairfax and was constructed between 1851 and 1852, it served as the office of the Bank of the Old Dominion, where Robert E. Lee had an account. The bank operated on the site until the Civil War when Alexandria was occupied by the Union forces and the building became the home of the U.S. Commissary Quartermaster. 

Today it is owned by the Northern Virginia Fine arts Association and is used primarily for exhibitions. When we visited, Robert Schultz's "Memorial Leaves" exhibit was there, memorializing Civil War combatants and those who mourned them, using leaves that grew from the ground that was once soaked by the blood of soldiers.

Alexandria isn't only about art and history--the shopping is on point, with blocks and blocks of shops lining the central thoroughfare on King street. Restaurants are also plentiful, with something for everyone. One in particular that we enjoyed was a French bistro called Bastille, which offered delicious food and stellar service. 

Bastille Brasserie and Bar 

I'm also pleased to say that people seem to be out and about again, so make sure you call ahead to make reservations.

These few suggestions just scratch the surface when it comes to enjoying everything Alexandria has to offer and one can spend days there exploring and enjoying. 

Stepping Back in Time in the Schuylkill County Coal Region

Last Saturday, I was up for a change of scenery, minus a long car ride, so I decided to spend a jam-packed Saturday afternoon in the Pottsville area, which is located about an hour away from where I live. It's something I had never done before, so everything in this blog was new to me. 

Since my husband loves kielbasa, our first stop was at a well-known area kielbasa shop. That was followed by a trip down history lane where we enjoyed tours of the Schuylkill County Historical Society, the Yuengling Brewery and Jerry's Automobile Museum. That was followed by a trip to the beautiful Hope Hill Lavendar Farm and dinner at a railroad station-turned restaurant in Tamaqua. 

A Destination Fit for Foodies

No coal region visit is complete without visiting a kielbasy place. (I'm going with their spelling now.) My husband, who is wild for the stuff, was like a kid in a candy store when he entered Kowalonek's in Shenandoah. The small shop started out as a grocery store in 1911 at Chestnut and Chester Street in Shenandoah and later moved to its current location on 332 S. Main Street. You can learn more about the place from the video below.

Shoppers visit the beloved institution for everything kielbasy: fresh or smoked keilbasy, dried kielbasy, kielbasy cabbage bake, kielbasy bacon bombs (pieces of kielbasy wrapped in bacon and finished with a mustard glaze), kielbasy burgers, kielbasy lunch meat and more. Also for sale are meatballs, crab cakes, hot bologna, hot dogs, slab bacon and pierogies, to name just a few. Be sure to take a cooler along; we did.

Learning about History at the Schuylkill County Historical Society

The Schuylkill County Historical Society is located in what was once the Centre Street 
Grammar School.

The next stop on our visit was the Schuylkill County Historical Society at 305 N. Centre Street. For $5, you can take the official tour through the handsome, two-story building, which was once the location of the Centre Street Grammar School constructed during the Civil War. My friend Susan Dellock is a volunteer there and arranged for Jay Zane, President of the Board of Directors of the Schuylkill County Historical Society, to lead us through the building, explaining exhibits along the way.

Exhibits at the Schuylkill County Historical Society.

Guests who take the tour will begin by learning about the Native Americans that initially inhabited the area and afterwards, the coal miners who worked long, hard hours to support their families. A fun fact about coal and its relationship to Schuylkill County: despite two centuries of active mining, the county's 783 square miles still boasts the largest accessible reserves of hard coal known in the world.

Another interesting tidbit about the area is that the famous Dorsey brothers hailed from Shenandoah. Jimmy Dorsey released "Tangerine" in January of 1942, a song written by another Schuylkill County native, Victor Schertringer (of Mahanoy City). The record remained at the top of the charts for 15 weeks. Another song made famous by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with vocalist Frank Sinatra, was "I'll Never Smile Again."  In 1996, the post office released a stamp celebrating the dynamic due and their influence on popular music. The clip below is Sinatra and the Dorsey Brothers in Las Vegas Nights (1941). 

Also featured at the historical society is the story of an unsung hero of technology, John Walson (1913-1993), who is responsible for creating the first cable TV system. Walson owned an appliance story in Mahanoy City and set his mind to fixing the pesky problem of the mountains blocking the signal from Philadelphia television stations. In 1948, he erected an antenna tower on top of a nearby mountain and ran army surplus wire from the mountan to his store, connecting homes along the way. In 1979, Congress and the National Cable Television Association recognized him as "the founder of the cable television industry."

John Walson, of Mahanoy City, is recognized today as the "founder of the cable television industry."

Another famous Schuylkill resident featured at the society is Pottsville author John O'Hara. You may be aware of his many works like Appointment in Samarra, Pal Joey, A Family Party and The Big Laugh.  He was said to have modeled his characters after 1920s Pottsville socialites, renaming Pottsville Gibbstown--a topic I'll touch upon later in this blog.

Author John O'Hara hails from Pottsville.

As guests are led to the second floor, they will learn more about famous individuals who were born in the area, like four-star Army General George Joulwan (RET), who served our country for 36 years and finished his military career as the Commander-in-Chief United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander in 1997. The Joulwan exhibit  shows how the son of an immigrant family from rural Pottsville rose to the highest pinnacle in the United States Military. Visitors will see many of Joulwan's personal items, starting with his days at Pottsville High School and West Point, then proceeding through the phases of his career.

There is an extensive Civil War exhibit on the same floor in which a great many native sons who served are profiled.

The Historical Society also features Pottsville natives who were not so upstanding, like a few members of the Molly McGuires. Visitors will learn more about these notorious individuals who met their demise at the end of a rope.

These are but a few of the enlightening stories that unfold at the Schuylkill County Historical Society. The society is open Wednesday-Friday from 10-4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10-2 p.m.

To learn more, visit their website by clicking here.

A Visit to America's Oldest Operating Brewery

The exterior of America's oldest operating brewery.

Next on the list was a visit to the Yuengling Brewery. Free tours are held from 10:30 to 3:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday. During our visit, we learned that Yuengling was established in 1829 and is the oldest operating brewery. It is currently run by Richard L. Yuengling and his four daughters, who are the sixth generation and will be taking over the brewery when he steps down.

Guests are led through the underground caves where they used to fill the barrels of beer. Word has it that about a half dozen workers would congregate there every morning and they'd bring their coffee cups to fill them with beer before starting work. 

During our tour, much of the Brewhaus was closed due to Covid restrictions, but we did have the opportunity to view the bottling room and the breakroom, otherwise known as the Rathskellar, where the workers could relax and unwind with a cold brew before heading back to work. Perhaps I picked the wrong places to work! Astonishingly, it wasn't until the 1990's that the permissive practice was prohibited. 

The Rathskellar, or breakroom, where workers unwound with a beer before heading back to work.

Other interesting facts: Yuengling sources their hops from Washington State and each barrel is aged 21 days.  The brewery makes 16,208 cases a day and taxes are, not surprisingly, rather hefty. Currently, the state takes $2.48 a barrel and the feds get an $18 cut.  The company had to pivot to making ice cream during prohibition, but people could still order their Porter for medicinal purposes.

Yuengling Porter was accessible via prescription for "medicinal purposes." I wonder how many politicians suffered ailments requiring these prescriptions during that era.

At the end of the tour, we were treated to two large beer samples. On tap were Yuengling Porter, Yuengling Lager, their oldest product known as Lord Chesterfield Ale, their light beer known as Flight and Oktoberfest.

My friends Sue and Paul enjoying a beer with my husband Mike.

Guests depart through the gift shop, which features tee-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other Yuengling memorabilia, along with various types of beer, available by the case.

A Trip Down Memory Lane at Jerry's Classic Cars & Collectibles Museum

Jerry's Classic Cars & Collectibles, located at 394 S. Centre Street, is ranked as the #2 attraction in Pottsville on TripAdvisor. Guests will see a collection of not only classic cars, but other items that are designed to transport visitors back in time to a simpler era.

 

Jerry Enders and his wife Janet opened the museum in 1994, after spending many hours transforming  the Morgan Studebaker dealership from the 1900s, into what it is today. Guests can admire classic cars in both of the two showrooms on the first floor, then climb the stairs to the second floor to see a millinery, a soda shop, a kitchen, an auto parts store, a barbershop and more--all dating back to the 1950's era.

Scenes from the second floor of Jerry's Classic Cars & Collectibles.

Remember when I mentioned author O'Hara earlier in this post? Well, I stopped to read a newspaper article focused on John O'Hara and posted on a window on the second floor of the museum. The title read, "How much of Gibbsville is Pottsville, Balitas asks?" In the article, Dr. Vincent Balitas gave a lecture on this very topic. Balitas said that when O'Hara visited Pottsville after Samarra was published in 1934, people he barely knew approached him on the street and took him to task for allegedly putting them in his book. It goes on to say that the book's sexual frankness and depiction of corruption in Gibbsville's upper classes made it taboo in Pottsville for several years. 

What struck me as interesting about the article is that Edith Patterson, the city's librarian, refused to put it on the shelves. "He brought a farm vocabulary to our people, one that they never had," she said. It's things like this that visitors may miss if they hurry through the museum, so be sure to take the time and take things in and you may be surprised at the interesting tidbits you'll encounter.

Jerry's Classic Cars & Collectibles is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. from May through October. 

Enjoying the Sights and Smells at Hope Hill Lavendar Farm

Wendy and Troy Jochems owned two horses and wanted to take charge of their boarding, so they did the obvious thing—they purchased a farm. “We bought a 33-acre Christmas tree farm in Pottsville, and after the trees were all harvested, we decided to put in lavender,” says Wendy, adding that it was her husband’s idea. The pair bought the plants as plugs, then grew them in a greenhouse in four-inch pots before planting all 1500 of them on Memorial Day weekend in 2011.

The public responded well to the business, inspiring the couple to expand operations. They now tend to  approximately 3,000 plants. The duo also sells lavender items online and in a farm store located on site where they also carry works from local artists and Made in USA products. “We dry our lavender and use it for bouquets, sachets, and culinary lavender. We also distill essential oils for soaps, lotions, cremes, eye masks and neck wraps, and every Mother’s Day weekend we host a plant sale as well,” said Wendy.

Staci Keen from Mohnton is a regular customer. “I teach massage. Our group visits to learn how to make essential oils, and the farm is just beautiful,” she says. Keen also likes the skincare products that the couple sells, including the lavender toner and moisturizer. 

Wendy says what she enjoys most about the business is interacting with customers like Keen. “What I like about lavender is that it is so versatile. It’s not only a lot of fun, but we also make friends with our customers. That might be the best part of what we do,” says Wendy.

Hope Hill Lavender Farm is located at 2375 Panther Road, Pottsville.

Good Eats! 

If you, like me, are fascinated with repurposed destinations, you'll love what's been done to the Tamaqua Railroad Station. John Ross and his wife opened the restaurant in 2016, using a photo from when the railroad opened in 1874 as a guide to map out the new decor. I think they did quite the job, wouldn't you say?

A shot of the Tamaqua railroad station circa 1874.

The Tamaqua Station Restaurant today.

Selections include appetizers like potstickers and crab-stuffed mushrooms, soups and salads and burgers and sandwiches. Entrees include steaks, salmon, swordfish and even old-school dishes like liver and onions. The restaurant offers a variety of craft cocktails as well,  like mules, martinis and mojitos.

And last, but not least, is the Sunday brunch, where customers can order items like crabcakes, lobster omelettes, prime rib, filet mignon and lobster tail and more.

If that has you salivating, you can learn more about the Tamaqua Station Restaurant here.

Schuylkill County is like stepping back in time in so many ways, from the old-school storefronts, to the people who are friendly and will still smile and offer greetings when they pass you in the street. One thing that causes me to chuckle is the inexplicable profusion of bars that seem to be housed inside residences, but that's another thing that makes this area unique.

There's more to do in Schuylkill County, but I thought this might give readers an idea of a few ways to make the most of their day if they decide to visit this interesting and eclectic neck of the woods.