Meet a Founding Father at Gadsby’s Tavern

But order the west African food (the food is fairly meh but the west African food was not bad — the current cook is from there. I had jerk chicken and jollof rice). And take an easily embarrassed preteen with you (No preteens were harmed in writing this).

Gadsby’s Tavern is famous being one of the restaurants where the likes of George Washington ate. If you want that tourist experience, then go.

The actor who is dressed in period costume and makes his rounds speaking in “olde English” does a pretty good job of riffing in the moment (insert embarrassing comments to parents and preteen).

As Jeeves said, “It makes for light entertainment.”

Old Town Alexandria

If you want a small town feel, a historic old European city feel, and still be near a big city, then you will understand why Old Town Alexandria keeps getting voted as one of the best small towns in America. It is really cute. It has free busses and a free trolley from the subway stop. Also, it is on a subway line that connects to two airports.

I just like how quaint it is (oh, and I love the dairy sold at the farmers market — the market is from 1753 and is the oldest continuous farmers market in America. It is every Saturday from 7-noon). Several of the blocks in the heart of the waterfront area have been made pedestrian only. Many restaurants line these blocks and it is a pleasant place to eat, socialize, and people watch. The boardwalk/quay is nicely made and there are both toilets, drinking fountains, and benches all within easy reach.

If you visit, try going during the day and visit the Torpedo Factory, an old factory turned into artist studios and shops. There are also many tours of Old Town, covering history, food, and ghost.

The streets are tree lined and a few still have the original cobblestones. This is an old city so you may need to walk arm in arm on the uneven sidewalks.

Asheville is the Place to Live at the Grove Arcade

The fancy mall, Grove Arcade, has apartments upstairs.

Well it would be for me if I lived in Asheville, North Carolina. But I am a city person so I would not want to live in a cottage in the woods. But Asheville has it all. I can see why this is an attractive place to live. Go on a food tour with Asheville Food Tours to find out more about this city. The Grove Arcade is on the national register for historic places.

A view of the main street.

The airport is expanding too so I have a feeling this place will grow quickly. Asheville was Cherokee land until 500 years ago. There is a lot of history in this town, but as a tourist destination, there is also more than history.

A memorial to where the drovers would take their animals to market.