Did you and your family stay home or travel for the holidays? With our daughter being out of school for 2 weeks for her winter break, it was the perfect time to plan for a quick getaway. On Christmas morning, after opening presents, we took a road trip from Raleigh, NC to Alexandria, VA. It took us less than 4 hours and was an easy drive especially since not many were on the road! After visiting family in MD, we checked into our hotel Wednesday night and our mini family vacay began.

STAY | Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria

Looking to visit Alexandria,VA soon? My #HeighPartyof3 enjoyed a three nights stay at Embassy Suites by Hilton Old Town Alexandria. It was comfortable, convenient, clean and you can choose to start the day off right with an omelet made just the way you like! That’s what makes a hotel stay at Embassy Suites Alexandria Old Town unique! Since we enjoyed our previous stay, it was nice to come back to this familiar property and all of it’s wonderful offerings like:
• SPACIOUS two-room suites
• FREE drinks & snacks at Evening Reception every night from 5:30p-7:30pm
• Complimentary made to order breakfast

👀 WATCH this YouTube video for a tour of the hotel room and more!

SobeSavvy Dining Tip: We love having a Whole Foods within walking distance from the hotel. If you love ramen noodle soup, I recommend ordering from Genji Ramen. My daughter and I shared the featured ramen noodle soup: Truffle Butter Miso and it was delicious! She gave it the #outandaboutAva 👍🏾 thumbs up!

Day 1 -Thursday | Visit Alexandria

During our last visit to Alexandria, VA , we kept seeing The King Street Trolley and vowed we would ride it next time. Well this time we had a chance to get aboard and enjoy this free system of trolleys that run every 15 minutes with stops throughout Old Town. Stop 1 for anyone planning a trip to Alexandria, VA should be a stop by Visit Alexandria, located at the Ramsey House at 221 King St. for info, maps, deals and more! The employees are very helpful with tips and suggestions. That’s where I learned about the Key To The City Museum Pass.

Did you know you can save money on admission to museums and purchase a “Key To The City Museum Pass“. Purchasing this booklet gives you access to 9 historic Alexandria museum sites and also you get a 40% admission discount if you chose to travel to Mt Vernon. This $44 value will only cost you $15. We had time to enjoy two museums: Gadsby’s Tavern and Stabler Leadbeater Apothecary Museum. Both of these showed different parts of colonial Virginia life and learned quite a bit of history after going to some of the museums and historical sites. We attempted to go to George Washington Masonic Masonic National Memorial Observation Deck but it was closed for the holidays. However, it was still quite a wonderful view of Alexandria from the steps of this attraction.

👀 WATCH this YouTube video for some highlights of our day exploring Old Town Alexandria!

SobeSavvy Dining Tip: Our niece, whose husband used to live in Alexandria, gave us the recommendation to eat at Mai Thai. So when I saw the menu also on the wall in the dining section at the visitor’s center, I was like, that’s a sign! We were sold and everything from the cocktails to the appetizers to the flavorful entrees. If you live Thai food, check out this restaurant.

Day 2 – Friday | Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac at National Harbor

A day of fun was on the agenda when me and my HeighPartyof3 spent the day at Gaylord National’s Christmas on The Potamac– OPEN November 15 – December 30, 2019. Alexandria,VA is just across the bridge and National Harbor is just 6 miles from the hotel! It only took ten minutes by car to get there.

What is Christmas on the Potomac?

A holiday tradition where every year National Harbor and the Gaylord National Resort transform into a Christmas Village complete with holiday decorations and activities like:

▪︎ Feast with the Grinch

▪︎ Reindeer Rush

▪︎ Gingerbread Decorating

▪︎ Cirque Dreams Unwrapped

▪︎ Christmas Village

▪︎ Winter Square

▪︎ ICE! – Featuring Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
..and more !

SobeSavvy Tip: Everyone who goes to the ticketed ICE! exhibit must be ready for fun in 9 degree temperatures! Bring hats & gloves and be ready to see the amazing skill and artistry put into this ice exhibit. Everyone from infants to adults received a heavy #BlueParka to wear before going in the exhibit.

👀 WATCH this YouTube video for some highlights of our fun day at Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac!

We had hoped to unlock more of Alexandria’s history and visit more museums but we checked out on Saturday because the one thing that sometimes comes with winter travel is catching a cold! We all got some bug and picked up some meds from a nearby CVS (which is also walking distance from the hotel) before getting back on the road. Although our visit was short and sweet, we know we will be back to stay in this area and explore more of Alexandria, VA!

Have you ever visited Alexandria, VA before? Please share with me a place I should check out during my next visit.

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