For those of you who read us every month, you know that each month I visit a different area in our region as a road trip. However, each December I always write about our hometown, Old Town Alexandria. With the recent closing of the Robinson Terminal loading docks and the coal-fired power plant in north Alexandria, there has been a lot of activity as to what to do with the development of the waterfront. There is no doubt that change is coming, but for now, I am going to talk about December in Old Town Alexandria and the town itself. The first settlement was established in 1695, a half mile down the Potomac River at the mouth of Hunting Creek. The ground was not well suited as a harbor as the shoreline was very shallow, so the settlement was re-established at its present site where the channel came closer to shore. Oronoco and Duke streets extended into deep water, but between the two lay an arc of swampy flatland backed by bluffs. Beginning in 1759 the filling in of this marsh and flatland began and a wharf was eventually constructed. This was the beginning of Alexandria’s future as one of America’s leading seaports. Soon warehouses were built to store all of he commerce that was coming to, and leaving Alexandria. These same warehouses standing today make up the shops and restaurants of Old Town. By the end of the 18th century, Alexandria was among the ten busiest ports in America and had been designated an official port of entry. The town derives its Scottish heritage from Scottish merchants John Alexander, William Ramsay and John Carlyle. The celebration of that heritage continues today with the annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend and parade, which is held the first Saturday of every December. …