Located just minutes from D.C., Alexandria is one of the best places to admire new waterfront public art, enjoy cherry blossom-themed events, tour historic homes and gardens and bring your four-legged friends to canine-themed happenings around the city. It’s also a gorgeous time to explore the stories and neighborhoods of Alexandria. So, whether you’re taking in the spring scenery while enjoying a pint at the region’s longest running brewery at Port City or dining al fresco in at the many eateries, you’ll find plenty of experiences to unlock this time of year in Alexandria. Cherry Blossom Season This is the time of year to soak in the pink and white wonders as you wander Alexandria’s red-brick sidewalks, or see the D.C. blossoms up close with bike tours. Beginning in March, take a water taxi from Old Town to The Wharf for a short 10-minute jaunt to the Tidal Basin to enjoy the cherry blossoms, or take the Cherry Blossom Cruise past the Tidal Basin blossoms and into Georgetown. Discover Alexandria’s Architectural Gems Any time of the year is a good time to get outside and stroll the city’s centuries-old streetscapes, but spring time takes on a special air in Old Town. On April 18th , participate in the annual Home and Garden tour that is a part of Historic Garden Week in Virginia. This easy walking tour includes private townhomes and secluded gardens located along the tree-lined streets of the historic district. In addition, the tour ticket includes admission to two Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects within a short driving distance of the tour area – the Gardens at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens as well as Green Spring Garden. Find more of Alexandria’s standout architectural spots to explore here – https://visitalexandria.com/things-to-do/architecture/. Explore a New Waterfront Art Exhibit New for the spring of 2026, a public art installation titled…
By © Sarah Becker 2026 “If we consider her as a citizen, as a member of a great nation, she must have the same rights as all other members.” Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1892 The American Equal Rights Association [1866-1869], an organization founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, worked hard to “secure Equal Rights to all American citizens, especially the right of suffrage, irrespective of race, color, or sex.” The AERA won the black man’s bondage battle, his right to vote [Amendment 15, Section 1, 1870], only to lose the war for women’s equality. Today’s woman values the vote. In June 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade 6-to-3. Since then, abortion has been on the ballot in seven States and each time anti-abortion advocates have lost the popular vote. Another of women’s articulated wants: Equal Pay! “Underpaying women and undervaluing their work not only hurts women and their families, it damages the entire U.S. economy,” the American Association of University Women [AAUW] said. “In 2021, when comparing full-time, year-round workers, women were paid just 84 cents for every dollar paid to men,” the AAUW continued. “When the calculation included all workers, the earnings discrepancy was substantially larger. Women took home only 77 cents on the dollar.” The data-aggregate “demonstrates that there is not just one pay gap, but rather many pay gaps—in earnings, benefits and wealth,” the AAUW concluded. Asian-American women, for example, earn 99 cents on the dollar; White women 82 cents, Black women 69 cents, Native American women 59 cents, and Latinas 57 cents. The AAUW’s solution: Congressional passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2023 [H.R. 17, S. 728], “an update which would strengthen the [61 year-old] Equal Pay Act of 1963.” The two bills were simultaneously introduced —in March…
By Lani Gering Alexandria’s own Ten Thousand Villages has changed its name and has re-branded itself as The World Crafted on King. I was reassured that it will continue its current role as an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to fair trade practices as it gets more involved with the community. They celebrated the Grand Re-Opening with a full weekend of activities on February 21st-23rd. The following information was gleaned from a press release they put out late last year and it pretty much outlines why they made the change: “Located at historic King Street, our store was opened in 1994 by a group of dedicated people with a passion for the mission of supporting fair trade practices. More than just a store, The World Crafted on King is a way to shop with intention, shop one’s values and connect with global villages. From communities throughout the world, every inspired design is crafted with love using local materials (usually natural or recycled) and time-honored skills by known makers. At The World Crafted on King, discover organic clothing and jewelry; home décor and hand knotted rugs; and specialty foods and beverages from over 45 countries. Each handmade purchase directly impacts the life and community of its maker, breaking the cycle of generational poverty and igniting social change. Alexandria’s store has been closely linked to the national Ten Thousand Villages organization since its Alexandria inception in 1994. While the Ten Thousand Villages undertakes a new business plan to focus exclusively on wholesale channels and online sales, independent stores like Alexandria’s, are seeking to rebrand under their own names. Alexandria’s The World Crafted on King store will continue to be affiliated with Ten Thousand Villages US as a fair-trade retailer, supporting the artisans around the world that Ten Thousand Villages US represents but will…
By Karen Udler When I was reading this piece, I was totally enamored with the whole concept and was all set to see if I could schedule a time to check this place out in person until…I got to the price tag info. At this point in my life, however, I would have to win the lottery to be able to spend a weekend here. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized that there are several people in the Old Town Crier’s distribution realm that could easily afford to splurge on this adventure. In fact, I have a few close friends who fall into this category. Maybe they would take me along just because. For now, enjoy the authors description of what you can expect to experience at the Mayakoba. – Lani Gering These Overwater Suites at Rosewood Mayakoba Have Emerald Lagoon Views, Butler Service, and Heated Private Plunge Pools
By the Gastronomes March is a grand time to visit Old Town’s two wonderful Irish Restaurants – Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub and Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant & Bar. We featured them both in this space a few years ago but wanted to show them some extra love again this year. Even though this article is in our Dining Out Column, the approach will be different. I wanted to write about the opening of each and my thoughts. Some of you might not agree with me, but I feel that Murphy’s is more of neighborhood “Cheers” kind of place while O’Connell’s is more upscale with “Old World” charm. You can’t deny, however, that they are both Irish to the core. Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub & Restaurant 713 King Street I moved to Old Town in 1977. This beautiful destination was not anywhere as big or popular back then. Actually, only Alexandrians knew much about Old Town. Old Town proper back then extended from the Potomac River to the 700 block of King Street, one block on the other side of Washington Street. Almost all of the action was down on the waterfront with restaurants and shops occupying old seaport warehouses. In fact, the revitalization of the wharf area had only begun that decade. Back in the 60’s, Old Town was just a thought. I met a guy, David Stasko, at the Fish Market Restaurant in the Brass bar and we became lifelong friends. Dave grew up in Alexandria and knew everything and everyone. He invited me to come play rugby with West Potomac Rugby and I accepted. This was my entree to Old Town. We would meet with other new friends every day at one of the bars on lower King Street. The now defunct Ireland’s Own was the only established…
By Doug Fabbioli As the snow piles are melting down and we are seeing the ground again, I feel like we are hitting a fresh season with better luck happening ahead. Maybe it’s just spring, maybe it’s that Luck O’ the Irish thing or just that we’ve been down so long that it all looks up from here. For whatever reason, the Virginia Wine industry has a lot of positive things happening in 2026 and we want all you folks to visit, imbibe, enjoy, and bring home the tastes that we grow for you! From the vineyard side, as cold as it was in January and February, the reports from our state entomologists, or bug specialists, is that this extended period of cold will kill off a significant amount of the eggs for the spotted lantern flies. Also, although many vineyard sites are still in a drought situation, growers have developed ways to manage their vines better through soil improvements, irrigation and pruning techniques. We have learned more about the symbiotic relationship between the soil nutrients, the microbes in the soil and the plants. Through this learning we have used less chemicals, improved our biodiversity in our vineyard rows, increased our nutrient availability by using more organics and compost. In the cellar, our wines are tasting terrific! In my style as a pretty traditional winemaker, barrel aged, hearty reds is what I do, what I want our customers to enjoy. But I have learned over the years that sparkling wines, sweeter styled wines, and even wine cocktails are pretty popular with our customers. Although I have tendencies to just stay in my lane, I am willing to learn other wines in order to stay fresh, relevant, and frankly to stay selling wines. Speaking of selling wines, there are more efforts…
By Carl Trevison and Stephen Bearce Market volatility, painful as it can be, can actually provide an important lesson for investors about why it’s important to stick to the fundamentals, such as having an asset allocation strategy and reviewing your plan. With that in mind, here are suggestions for turbulent times that may help you turn today’s worries into tomorrow’s good habits. Remembering asset allocation When market volatility occurs, investors have the opportunity to get back to fundamentals they may have forgotten. This is especially true for asset allocation — the strategy financial professionals return to time and again when investors want help dealing with volatile markets. At its most basic level, asset allocation is how you diversify your investments across different asset classes (stocks, bonds, cash alternatives, etc.). This varies based on a number of factors, primarily: What you want your investments to help you achieve (objectives) How comfortable you are with market volatility (risk tolerance) How long it will be before you will need to access your investments (time horizon) The asset allocation model that best suits any given investor depends on where they land in regard to these three factors. It’s important to remember that asset allocation offers investors a trade-off. During good times, a diversified portfolio’s return will lag the best performing asset class. On the other hand, during down periods, it will do better than the worst performing asset class. It’s up to each investor to decide what’s more important — participating more in the good times by holding more stock or avoiding the worst of the bad by holding less. Reviewing your plan regularly If you have an asset allocation plan and still find yourself lying awake at night, volatility is a chance to revisit your plan for possible adjustments. It’s possible you overestimated…
By Genevieve LeFranc Let’s face it gals, it’s a tough world out there and who couldn’t benefit from a few tricks and tools that make our beauty routines (and lives) easier. We all want to look our best and be able to rely on tools that get the job done quickly and effectively. With a beauty arsenal of reliable weapons, you can face each day with confidence knowing you possess the must-haves to pull off any great look. Tweezers You may think there is little difference between the drug store tweezer you discovered in the back of a messy drawer and the precision options praised by beauty editors. But quality makes all the difference. Tweezerman is the Cadillac of tweezers and relatively inexpensive when you consider its unmatched performance and precision. Its sharp steel tips are hand-filed and grab the hair every time. It comes in different shapes, sizes and styles, some with fun patterns to complement your style. And here’s a bonus – Tweezerman will sharpen your tweezer when it becomes dulled from everyday use at no cost! This coveted favorite pays for itself, so invest! Nothing frames your face better than a set of neatly groomed, excellently manicured brows. Eyelash Curler Short of a solid eight hours in dreamland, nothing makes you look more awake or bright-eyed than curled eyelashes. Even if you have absolutely no time to throw on makeup, curling your eyelashes takes seconds and gives you a flirtatious look that lasts all day. Don’t feel like swiping on the mascara? No problem—a pair of curled lashes makes your peepers pop. Invest in a quality tool to make your curl last. The brand adored by makeup artists and professionals is Shu Uemura. It yields a perfect curl with unmatched precision, accentuating even the smallest lashes. This…
By Nicole Flanagan Spring is in the air and so is the pitter pat of beginning runners of all ages hitting the roads and trails across the country. Similar to the masses of new gym goers in January excited by New Year’s resolutions to become fitter, beginning runners often hit the road at the first sign of warmer weather with similar aspirations. Many new runners head out with good intentions and admirable goals, but often find themselves overwhelmed or unenthused with the progress of their new activity. Why is that? Running is often the first choice of new fitness enthusiasts because of the low start-up costs, the fact that you can do it just about anywhere, and there are no long term dues or fees associated with running. Because of the low cost and ease of access, many new runners aren’t prepared mentally or physically for the new demands they’re about to put on their bodies and well as the time investment needed. All good things come in time and running is definitely one of those “good things.” Here are 10 tips to help ensure success with your new adventure into running. Get Fitted: Pay a visit to your local independent running store. Often these smaller stores have more knowledgeable staff than the big box retails stores. Many provide a gait analysis that reveals your foot strike pattern. Knowing this will help in selecting the best shoe for your foot type. Don’t skimp on your shoes. Be prepared to pay $80 to $100 for a good pair of running shoes. Get Technical: Invest a little in some technical fabric running shorts, tops, and socks. Technical fabric can be made of a variety of fibers including natural and synthetic materials. Avoid 100 percent cotton. It tends to retain sweat causing chaffing,…
The Boys from left to right – Andy Fegley, Michael Lange, Tommy Guay and Kevin Brooks. By Lani Gering It is hard to believe that our absolute favorite Chesapeake based musical group, the Eastport Oyster Boys are embarking on their 30th year. We were introduced to them in January of 1998 at the inauguration of the Maritime Republic of Eastport when it seceded from Annapolis in one of the best marketing schemes to keep business flowing while the Spa Creek Bridge was repaired. Being part of that coup as Ambassadors to the Commonwealth, we were flattered to be in the thick of it. Aptly appointed the Musical Goodwill Ambassadors by the City of Annapolis and the Maritime Republic of Eastport, the Eastport Oyster Boys love to share their musical celebration and stories of life on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Over these last 30 years, the Eastport Oyster Boys have educated, amused, and delighted thousands with their wit, wisdom, and special message of stewardship and appreciation for the Bay and its unique maritime culture and history. The Oyster Boys’ simple philosophy is wrapped up in the three basic necessities of life: “a good hat, a good dog and a good boat.” These words comprise the lyrics of one of my favorite songs of theirs – obviously – Good Hat, Good Dog, Good Boat. The Eastport Oyster Boys are known for their engaging and interactive presence with audiences. Along with their original music and songs of the area, The Boys often engage in an abbreviated and sometimes ever so slightly modified history of the Bay, its unique culture and characters and allude to some inside anecdotes that oft times inspire The Oyster Boys’ material. Most of all, audiences remember the good fun they had and go home with a bit…
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