Alexandria

Alexandria is a cute town right along the Potomoc River.   It has a lot of old historic houses.   I was excited to get she-crab soup again - very delicious.   We walked along the riverwalk and then explored the old houses in Old Town.   

We had to go past the tiny blue house they call the "Spite House".   The story goes it was built in the 1830s in the tiny 7' wide alley between 2 existing homes to stop the wagon and foot traffic from going between them.   Seems like a fence would have done the same job but what to I know?   I looked up why the houses were built so close together and there were a few reasons.   One - ease of keeping community and supplies close.  Two - there was a land tax so the least amount of ground the better.  Third - areas like this that grow quickly it is faster and easier to combine them for keeping costs of materials down with shared walls and roof.  Last - sometimes the family had a land grant and wanted to build on for their grown sons to stay close.  They didn't want to use any precious land that could be used in farming so they just 'added on' but built it as a separate home. 

I had to take a picture of the water taxi - common for folks from here but sure it is a different idea for us.  It is more like a water bus to move them quickly across the river to Washington.  Smart!  

The National Musuem of Inventions was very interesting - a lot of things we don't even think about the science behind them.  The invention of the jogging bra had its own section.  We would sure like to know who talked Lloyd Smith into trying out the first parachute!  

Bill has been a champ driving on these sometimes crazy roads - just an example of one area in the photo below.   Drivers seem to think they always have the right of way and shoulders along busy roads are their own personal path.  

On our way back we stopped at the National Harbor to see the man coming out of the sand statue - that statue is freaky!   I can imagine it scaring kids.  It is a monsterous silver man coming out of the sand - just parts of him are showing - like his face - arms and a foot.  He does NOT look happy!

November 2022