By Bob Tagert Well here it is, the middle of the year. It seems like only yesterday that we were just getting over the shortest day of the year and anticipating the days getting longer. After June 21st the days will begin to get shorter. How does time pass so quickly…am I watching it too closely? I guess that at a certain age these dates become the mile markers in life. I need to remind myself to just stay in the present. Rather than reiterate what content lies within the issue – like I have for the last several years – I thought I would just let your fingers do the walking through the pages. I am very proud of the caliber of our contributing writers and their missives. It is hard to believe that we have six contributors that have been with us continuously for over 25 years – Steve Chaconas, Sarah Becker, Lenny Campello, Julie Reardon and Lori Welch Brown. That is dedication and along with all of our writers, our well rounded content reflects the “fruits of their labors”. Speaking of writers, our Take Photos and Leave Footprints columnist, Scott Dicken, is taking a hiatus for a few months starting in July. He is making a big move and will be back on board when his life gets back to some semblance of normalcy! One goes, another comes on board. Welcome to Glenn Morel as he pens the Let’s Eat column. Many of you have contacted us about the color in portions of the May issue. Our printer had a problem with the ink saturation and hopefully that will be corrected going forward. It was most apparent in the A Bit of History column penned by Sarah Becker – the oversaturation of the background of the column…
By Bob Tagert With the warm months coming early this year and you feel the need to celebrate, you might want to think about making a trek to Southern Delaware and the Boardwalk Plaza in Rehoboth before the season gets in full swing -see this month’s Road Trip column. If you are a planner, check out this month’s Caribbean Connection and learn the history of and how to make the perfect “Painkiller” and plan your winter getaway to Sandcastle and Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke. It is May so that means we are celebrating Mom. Doug Fabbioli thanks the women in his life of growing grapes and making wine, starting with his mother in Exploring VA Wines. Lani Gering interviewed Sarah Drewry of Sarah Drewry Photography in Business Profile. Sarah is a mom who, today, has a photography studio concentrating on mothers-to-be, infants and families. In Open Space, Lori Welch Brown remembers her mom…like it was yesterday. The arts and entertainment section features Lenny Campello’s Gallery Beat – see who first coined the phrase DMV and also learn about the regions up and coming female artists – , Ron Powers High Notes tells us why Cindi Lauper’s hit, Time after Time, is timeless; while Miriam Kramer give us her opinion of Ted Lasso in Last Word. Are bald eagles still on the endangered species list? In From the Bay we learn about the explosion of them over the last 50 years in the Chesapeake Bay region. Julie Reardon talks about the similarities between “faster horses, younger women and older whiskeys” in To the Blue Ridge. Grapevine finds Matthew Fitzsimmons sitting down with Luca Paschina of Barboursville Vineyards and discussing the future of Nebbiolo wine in Virginia while Tim Long recalls a bad experience with tequila in his youth and…
By Bob Tagert March came in like a lion and is going out like a lamb with above average temps and normal breezes. It looks like April will be our spring! Let’s take a look at some of what we have inside this issue: Join us on our Road Trip this month to the greening of the mountains, while Open Space Lori Welch Brown is confronted with April Showers and May Flowers. We celebrate Earth Day on the 22nd. You can read about this year’s theme in this month’s special feature and To the Blue Ridge Julie Reardon tells you how to Stop and Smell the Roses. Winemaker Doug Fabbioli takes a look at what locally grown wines might work for this spring in Exploring VA Wines and discover five new Virginia wineries with Matt Fitzsimmons in Grapevine. Keeping with the adult beverage category, Let’s Get Crafty Tim Long tells us his favorite place to take his growler. In High Notes Ron Powers goes retro with “She Drives Me Crazy”! With all of the hullabaloo about library censorship, Sarah Becker celebrates National Library Week in A Bit of History. Last Word’s Miriam Kramer meets the author and the subject of the book she read on her way to Table Mountain, South Africa –Trevor Noah. Scott Dicken takes us truck overlanding in Africa in his Take Photos, Leave Footprints column. It appears that spring is finally upon us. Outdoor dining in Old Town will get into full swing and the tourists will start pouring in. Hopefully folks driving through Old Town will slow down a bit and also quit drifting through stop signs and pedestrians need to look both ways when crossing a street and not at their cell phones. Let’s all be safe out there and remember to wear white…
This weather is so crazy, I don’t know what month it is. It is definitely going to be an early year for the Cherry Blossoms to bloom. Among the nearly 4,000 Yoshino cherry trees near the Tidal Basin, there is one that consistently flowers a week to ten days before the others. It is so reliable, National Park Service officials call it the “indicator tree,” and use it to predict when the rest of the trees will bloom. The 200 Okame cherry trees lining the shoreline of National Harbor are already in bloom. Read about the in the National Harbor column. Spring is on the way folks. Lots of good stuff in this first edition of spring. If you are looking for an excuse to head to the islands this June, check out Rum Week in the Caribbean Connection. If Rum isn’t your thing, Matt Fitzsimmons went exploring the wineries of the Northern Neck in Virginia in his Grapevine column. Ingleside Vineyards is one of the wineries visited and the first winery we wrote about 36 years ago. Owner Doug Flemer has been a good friend for many years. In Exploring VA Wines, Doug Fabbioli laments on the challenges of warm weather for the farmer while winter weather might not be all gone. In Let’s Get Crafty, Tim Long asks if you are Irish – I think we all have a bit of Irish in our souls. In From the Bay, Molly Winans explains her reluctance to burn her socks at the Annual Eastport Sock Burning – a ritual celebrating the vernal equinox. In To the Blue Ridge, Julie Reardon brings us the spring guide to hunt country steeplechase racing. Gallery Beat author Lenny Campello explains the true value of the Trawick Prize. Lori Welch Brown coaches us on how…
By Bob Tagert Here we are in February of 2023 celebrating the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras and President’s Day. It is also the start of Six Nations Rugby – way more important to me than American football. You can check out all of the action in real time at O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant and Bar in Old Town – see their ad in the Dining Out Section. If you have never watched rugby before, no worries, there will be a fan there who will be happy to explain the game to you. Fascinating sport. Lots of great “stuff” in this month’s issue. Doug Fabbioli writes about life on the land in Exploring VA Wines. In Grapevine, Matt Fitzsimmons explains the art of chocolate and wine pairings. Our Dining Out column features a visit to Via Veneto Italian Restaurant, a hidden gem off of Fort Hunt Road. Alexander Britell writes about a new way to own a vacation home on St. John for less in Caribbean Connection. In Business Profile Lani Gering visits the Freedom House Museum on Duke Street. Tim Wheeler tells us about an innovative Oyster Co-op in southern Maryland in From the Bay while Julie Reardon discusses the absence of a cell tower in a wealthy part of Virginia in To the Blue Ridge. In Gallery Beat Lenny Campello explains why he thinks the Compass Atelier is the best artist school in the DMV. Sarah Becker takes a historical look at immigration and emigration in her popular History column. In High Notes, Ron Powers revisits AC/DC’s “Through the mists of Time”. To enhance your Super Bowl experience this year, Tim Long suggests a bourbon tasting as well as a nice cigar pairing in his Let’s Get Crafty space. Lori Welch Brown laments about being single, dating and…
By Bob Tagert 1988 – Present With the printing of this issue we celebrate our 35th year in print and our 27th year of being both in print and online. Little did we know when I secured “oldtowncrier.com” it would be such a sought after moniker. We did find out that there are quite a few Old Town Criers out there in the “world” that we beat to the url registration punch. We have come a long way since my late partner David Underwood and I started out. Thirty five years ago Old Town Alexandria pretty much ended at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub in the 700 block of King Street. There was no metro then and the west end of King Street was abandoned warehouses, odd car dealerships and a hub for hookers on the corner of King and Henry. The footprint was quite different then and when we distributed our very first issue in January 1988 it was a couple hour process not a 2-3 day one. We distributed to the shops and galleries in Old Town as well as the bars and restaurants. Many of those businesses are gone now, but what a grand time it was back then. Parking was easy to find and everything was in a short walk. While I remain nostalgic for “back in the day”, Lani welcomes the renewed vibrance of the waterfront and the energy that it is bringing to Old Town with open arms – parking be damned. As we developed the OTC into the early 90’s, we became a Regional publication when we expanded our content as well as our distribution to cover destinations into the Blue Ridge and near the Chesapeake Bay. These new markets gave us the opportunity to market Old Town – our Heart and Soul –…
By Bob Tagert As I write the December Publishers Notes the outside temperature is 62 degrees and sunny. It looks like we may be in for a mild winter but I do have my fingers crossed for some snowflakes on Christmas. Only time will tell. As we do every December, we bring our Road Trip “Home for the Holidays”. My hope is that you will take some time and read it and catch up with what is in our own backyard. This is really valuable information for you readers who live in our distribution area outside of Alexandria. Come visit. We are the center of “From the Bay to the Blue Ridge.” For this Christmas season we are sharing a very poignant piece that delves into the history of a holiday favorite – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. This was an eye-opener for me and definitely worth the read. In keeping with the season, Lani Gering made the trip out to Mount Vernon to visit our old friend Aladdin – the Christmas Camel – for Personality Profile. This camel is quite a character and definitely has a unique personality. Visit him this holiday season. This weather is perfect for spending the day at one of Virginia’s fine wineries. Some of the best advertise in the Old Town Crier. Visit them for some good wine and a good time. In Exploring Virginia Wines this month, Doug Fabbioli teaches us what it takes to be a wine judge. Grapevine was penned by our former columnist, Nancy Bauer, and she lets us know where to find some holiday fun and some good deals at the wineries this winter. Tim Long pontificates about the nuances of “Holiday Beer” in Let’s Get Crafty. If Virginia wines and holiday beers don’t take the stress out of…
By Bob Tagert As I write this on the last Thursday of October the temperature is 66 degrees and a bright sunny day. Days like this are perfect for grape harvest in Virginia’s wine industry and they should be pretty much done by the time the issue comes out. Read in Exploring VA Wines by Doug Fabbioli how this year’s harvest is turning out. In Grapevine, Matthew Fitzsimmons shares the results of the 2022 Loudoun Wine Awards. As the weather gets colder, your thoughts may turn toward the Caribbean. In Caribbean Connection, we learn that St. Maarten has removed testing and vaccination rules. Our Road Trip took us to the beautiful Swanendele Inn in Ridge, Maryland with a stop at the True Chesapeake Oyster Company. My new favorite bivalve is the Skinny Dipper. In Gallery Beat Lenny Campello gives a shout out to “Support your local Artists’’ Sunday on the 27th! In High Notes, Ron Powers Flashback article is about Devo. Miriam Kramer explores the “family” Bridgerton in Last Word. Let’s Get Crafty’s Tim Long takes you through religion on his way to a good bourbon and cigar and we checked into the hype of “Pizza by the Slice” in Dining Out at Old Town Alexandria’s newest slice hot spots – Handover By The Slice and Andy’s Pizza. Sarah Becker lets you know what you didn’t know about Thanksgiving in her History column while Open Space columnist Lori Welch Brown talks about “An Act of (Self) Gratitude”. If you don’t live in Old Town and/or shop at the Social Safeway on Royal Street or never played volley ball at the court on South Union Street, you probably aren’t familiar with the image on this month’s cover. This tunnel is only four blocks south of King Street and most folks who…
By Bob Tagert As I write this on September 21st the temperature today is 86 degrees and beautiful. A cold front comes through tomorrow and the high for the 23rd is to be 69. By the time you read this we will be in the comfortable 70’s every day. Fall is here. October is Virginia Wine Month so take a drive to one of over 300 wineries in the state. Have a glass or a bottle and take a case home with you. Check out how to Celebrate Virginia Wine Month in our Virginia Wine section. In this month’s History column Sarah Becker takes a break from her hard hitting articles and explores Whiskey, Wine & Beer. Dining Out found us remembering when and living young at The Light Horse Restaurant & Bar. In Grapevine, Matthew Fitzsimmons will give you a chill with Haunted Wineries and Ghost Tours. In Take Photographs, Leave Footprints Scott Dicken visits the Temples of Taipei. In Get Crafty, Tim Long goes down the path of IPA. With fall upon us and leaves changing color, join us on the Potomac Eagle in Road Trip. After going back in time with his reviews, Ron Powers brings us up to date with Alchemy of Earth in High Notes. Sailing is a passion and in From the Bay it is “Show Time”. In Go Fish, local angler Steve Chaconas teaches us that “Fishing is Better with Kids”. Lori Welch Brown laments about her childhood home in Open Space. This has been a brutal summer and hopes are for a pleasant fall. Chances are good that winter may be tolerable as well because global warming is real. I can remember ice skating on the Potomac River in the early 60’s. In recent memory I can think of a thin sheet…
Thank the Lord that the month of August spared us the intense heat that July did. As I write this at 11 a.m. on August 23 it is a very nice 81 degrees outside. Might just be able to get a day of sailing in this weekend before September distribution starts on the 30th. Let’s see what’s in store for you in this issue. With Virginia Wine Month on the horizon (October), in Exploring VA Wines, Doug Fabbioli talks about the fine balance between the wineries and the many vineyards that count on the wineries buying their fruit every year. In Grapevine Matthew Fitzsimmons writes a great article about Greenhill Winery (formerly Swedenburg) and mentions how my late friend Juanita Swedenburg went to the Supreme Court to secure out of state shipping for Virginia wineries. He goes on to explore the quality of the present day Greenhill. In History Sarah Becker reveals the gauze that lawmakers use to protect us from military style guns and the damage they do. On a lighter note in Take Photos/Leave Footprints, Scott Dicken takes us on a tour of the Piedmont Region in Northern Italy. In From the Trainer, Ryan Unverzagt reminds us of the value of Bodyweight Training and Open Space’s Lori Welch Brown, not just a pretty face, reminisces about XXL on her birthday/anniversary month. Our Road Trip this month took us to Spacious Skies Campground in the Shenandoah’s near Luray, Virginia for a “Glamping” experience. A bit of a drive but with a stop at Pearmund Cellars on the way out and a stop at Barrel Oak Winery on the way back, it made the drive very pleasant. In and Out of Town: if you are hanging in Old Town make sure you check out the balcony at Chadwicks. Great craft…
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