By Bob Tagert

Summer has arrived and the 4^th of July is just around the corner. Time to fire up the grill, throw on some burgers and dogs and relax with the cold one as we say Happy Birthday to the USA and our very own Alexandria! Our fair city turns 273 years old this month – see the calendar for information on the celebration taking place on the 9^th. The fireworks are not to be missed. They do a great job every year.

I plan on spending some quality time on my sailboat this month. I see some fun cruises up the Patuxent River on the horizon. I hope you all have some summertime adventures planned in your future. Speaking of which, you might want to put a trek to one of our very favorite parts of “Charm City” aka Baltimore on your calendar. Our Road Trip took us to the cool little enclave of Fells Point on the southeast corner of the city. There is a lot of fun to be had in this little waterfront neighborhood. We also want to thank David Sites for the image of the Pride of Baltimore that graces the cover. She is a must see in the Inner Harbor.

If the waterside isn’t to your liking, head into the mountains to Rappahannock County and check out Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, pick up a bottle of their award winning spirits and head over Thornton Gap into the Shenandoah’s and stay at the Mimslyn Inn in Luray – see their ad in the Blue Ridge Section.

Also in this issue, Doug Fabbioli explains the secrets of growing good grapevines in Exploring VA Wines while Matt Fitzsimmons reveals the future of Spain’s signature grape – Albarino – in the Commonwealth in his Grapevine column. In Gallery Beat, Lenny Campello tells us of the Glen Echo Park’s Gallery show in July of the images of the “Masters of the Darkroom.” Let’s Get Crafty’s Tim Long talks about the steamy relationship between oysters and beer. Bob Curley tells us how St. John (one of our favorite places) is “Back in a Big Way!” in Caribbean Connection. Be sure to check out Lori Welch Brown’s Open Space as she reflects on our freedoms and her take on the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial. All of this and more awaits you in these pages.

Wishing you and yours a fun-filled and patriotic 4^th of July! Stay cool out there!