Alexandria Living Magazine - November/December 2024
Babs Beckwith, McEnearney Associate
Inova Health Center – Oakville
Our new, fully equipped outpatient health center serves the vibrant, fast-growing area in the City of Alexandria across from Potomac Yard and minutes from Crystal City.
One convenient location with a wide range of services
Emergency room
Our full-service emergency room will treat patients of all ages, in any emergency
Primary care and specialty services
Personalized care from trusted professionals including cardiology, gastroenterology, and more
Advanced diagnostic imaging
Equipped with the latest X-ray, CT, and ultrasound technology for precise diagnostics
Modern surgical care
Outpatient surgery center featuring the latest medical technology, supporting a wide range of procedures
7
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
It’s the holiday season! Don’t miss a thing. Be sure to check out our calendar of events to make plans this year with friends and family.
COMMUNITY
Local writer Linda Harvey brings us the story of two Alexandria sisters who made a cross-country bicycle trip after the death of their mother.
HOME & GARDEN
We take a look at one of the sublime historic homes that dates back to 1854 on Prince Street in Old Town Alexandria.
HISTORY
Did you know there used to be a golf course on the land where the George Washington Masonic National Memorial now sits? We didn’t either. Local writer Matt Lanark delves into the beginnings of Alexandria’s first golf course.
TRAVEL
It’s time to start dreaming up your next vacation! Is a Mediterranean cruise in your future? We tried our first cruise in September.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Most of us have heard that Inova is building a new hospital where Landmark Mall used to stand. Writer Grace Kenyon talked to Inova recently about its important work at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute.
FOOD & DINING
Our readers (and we agree!) love nothing more than to hear about new restaurants around town. We talk to the principals behind the new waterfront restaurant and gourmet market, Cooper Mill, opening soon.
FOOD & DINING
Looking to try a new recipe on a chilly night? Local writer Howie Southworth gets the scoop from Junction Bistro in an excerpt from his cookbook “A Taste of Alexandria.”
Mount Vernon
Yorktown, VA
Historic Home
18 COMMUNITY
Alexandria photographer Elijah Griffin, Sr. was there when Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles returned to his alma mater, Alexandria City High School
28
HOME & GARDEN
Alexandria is known for its Mom ’n Pop boutiques so it was a natural when Créme de la Créme moved in this year at 907 King St. We visited with owner Tara Wegdam about the business she has created with her husband Ben.
CONTACT US info@alexandrialivingmagazine.com or call 571-232-1310.
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A Letter from Our Founders
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
With the holidays fast approaching, we hope you’re making plans with family and friends to make for some memorable moments this season in our beautiful city. There is no shortage of special events taking place across Alexandria. Please take a look at our Calendar of Events starting on Page 7 and pencil in your plans!
Local writer Linda Harvey brings us the incredible story about two Alexandria sisters who made a trek across the country on their bicycles while grieving the passing of their mother. Read this heartfelt story starting on Page 12.
Next up on Page 18, are some joyful photos by local photographer Elijah Griffin Sr. who captured the excitement of Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles returning to his alma mater, Alexandria City High School after his big wins in Paris.
Alexandria is not short of beautiful homes filled with history. A sophisticated house on Prince Street that dates to 1854 fits the bill (on the lookout for new digs? The price tag is $7.4 million as we go to press). Read all about this fascinating abode on Page 22.
This time of year, Alexandria’s Mom ’n Pop boutiques and store windows are dressed up for the holidays and filled with all sorts of gems perfect for party hosts and gifts for that special someone. Créme de la Créme is one of those places we explore on Page 28. New to Old Town, stop by and welcome Tara and Ben Wegdam to the neighborhood this season and don’t miss their unique items handpicked from the South of France, Italy and more!
Local writer Matt Lanark uncovers the story behind the first golf course in Alexandria, which believe it or not once sat at Shuter’s Hill, the site of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. Read all about it starting on Page 32.
As the weather cools off, you might be dreaming of your vacation next year. We have a recommendation: A Mediterranean cruise! We tried it for the first time in September and here’s our story, starting on Page 34.
Most Alexandrians know about Inova’s plans for a brand-new hospital complex at the former Landmark Mall location but many may not have heard about the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, marking its fifth year. Writer Grace Kenyon finds out more about the Inova care model that gives reassurance to families during a cancer diagnosis and treatment on Page 38.
One of our most popular topics has got to be new restaurants opening, especially restaurants with a historic bent. You’ll find just that in Cooper Mill, opening soon near the waterfront. Read all about it on Page 39.
Speaking of dining, turn to Page 42 for local food writer Howie Southworth’s look at a perfect tomato soup recipe for a cold wintry day courtesy of Junction Bistro’s Brian Howe. (If you haven’t already, please make plans to purchase Howie’s new book, “A Taste of Alexandria,” which explores the city’s restaurants and culinary history.)
We hope you enjoy this holiday season! We’ll see you right back here when we welcome the New Year.
Mary Ann Barton and Beth Lawton Founders
Beth Lawton, publisher, and Mary Ann Barton, editor PHOTO BY MATT MENDELSOHN, AT VIRTUE FEED & GRAIN.
Share the joy of exploration and the beauty of the natural world this festive season. The AHS offers exceptional small group travel programs tailored for garden enthusiasts who love to discover cultural and horticultural wonders around the world. For everyone from solo travelers to couples and friends, our immersive trips provide an opportunity to connect with horticultural experts and fellow AHS travelers.
Registration is now open for 2025 programs in the Netherlands, Italy, Scotland, Norway, and South Africa. Join us and make the upcoming year exceptionally memorable for someone you love.
ahsgardening.org/travel
For more information, e-mail travel@ahsgardening.org, scan the QR code, or contact Mercedes Bryant at (703) 768-8801.
Clockwise from top: Amsterdam flower market; Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden; southern Italian coastline; Keukenhof; Norwegian flowers.
KATHERINE BARTON Contributor
Kate manages advertising, social media, and event planning for Alexandria Living.She grew up in Alexandria and enjoys highlighting new creators, businesses and events on social media. Kate loves creating unique partnerships with local businesses and finding opportunities for the Alexandria Living brand to grow. If you're interested in advertising with us, email kate@ alexandrialivingmagazine.com.
LINDA HARVEY
Contributor
Linda is a freelance writer/editor who loves living in the city of Alexandria and enjoys its small-town feel. She has called the Beverley Hills neighborhood home for more than 20 years, raising two daughters with her husband. She enjoys volunteering with many local non-profit organizations, exploring the sites of the DMV area and spending time with her Hokie daughters. She loves to find unique stories about local residents and share them with readers of Alexandria Living Magazine.
Our Team
AMY DAGLIANO
Graphic Designer
Amy is a graphic designer in Northern Virginia She has over 20 years of experience in print design, but also specializes in translation work and promotional and packaging design. She has a passion for building community and supporting small businesses. While at home, she loves to cook creatively and do abstract painting with her daughter, an activity she also once shared with her grandmother.
Grace lives with her husband in the Adirondack region of New York where she covers Lake Placid for a local daily newspaper, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, and a news weekly, the Lake Placid News. In May 2024, she graduated with a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She often visits Alexandria while visiting family in the area.
ELIJAH WALTER GRIFFIN SR.
Contributor
Elijah is a native Alexandrian and attended Alexandria City Public Schools. He is a proud alum of Saint Augustine’s College. Elijah owns and operates Griffin Vision Media and is a celebrity, corporate and professional NFL photographer/videographer. He has been recognized for his achievements in leadership and business by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 40 under 40 Award in 2022 and as speaker of the Leadership Alexandria class of 2024.
Contributor
Carol lives in Old Town Alexandria and has a passion for photography with a specialization in nature, landscapes and cityscapes. Her award-winning work has been exhibited in various juried shows in DC and Alexandria. Prints are available for purchase on her website caroljeanstalun.com and at the Alexandria Art League’s Gallery 75 at the Old Town Alexandria Torpedo Factory. A collection of her Alexandria photos will be on exhibit February-April 2025 at the Lee-Fendall House in Old Town Alexandria.
Howie Southworth is a longtime resident of Old Town Alexandria and a best-selling author. Amid a career in higher education, Howie attended culinary school, and eventually changed course to embrace life as a freelance creator in the food space. He is currently partnering with Alexandria Living Magazine on a cookbook, "A Taste of Alexandria," that delves into our city's restaurants and culinary history.
CAROL JEAN STALUN
GRACE KENYON Contributor
HOWIE SOUTHWORTH Contributor
Fall-o-Ween
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2
Don’t put away those Halloween costumes yet! Enjoy a spooky weekend at Alexandria’s Fall-O-Ween Fest in John Carlyle Park, including a costume parade, holiday arts and crafts, a pet costume parade, desserts and treats and more.
John Carlyle Park, 300 John Carlyle St.
Alexandria Fall Festival
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3
Now in its third year, the Alexandria Fall Festival at River Farm is filled with fun attractions for all ages, food, activities and entertainment. The annual event includes pony rides, bounce houses, face painting, a petting zoo and more for kids, a beer garden for adults, food trucks and more. Tickets are on sale at alexandriafallfest.com and must be purchased in advance. This event is sponsored by Alexandria Living Magazine, the Patterson Group, and several local businesses and organizations. River Farm, 7931 E. Boulevard Dr., alexandriafallfest.com
TOP PHOTO: CAROL JEAN STALUN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR-VISIT ALEXANDRIA
PHOTO: ANDREW WHITE
Downtown Alexandria
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Election Day
6 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5
Polls in Alexandria and in Fairfax County will be open from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. for you to cast your ballot for President of the United States and multiple state and local seats. Make your voice heard! For information on voting, visit alexandriava.gov/elections or fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.
Mount Vernon Veteran’s Day Activities
Monday, Nov. 11
Watch 18th-century military drills and more at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate on Veteran’s Day, visit Washington’s Tomb, write letters to veterans and more. Activities are included with general admission. Admission is free for all active duty, former, and retired military personnel on Veteran’s Day.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy.
Ice & Lights
Nov. 16-Feb. 23, 2025
The Winter Village at Cameron Run will be open all winter for a variety of activities.
The Winter Village portion opens Nov. 16, and ice skating starts Nov. 29. Ice & Lights offers a fun, outdoor family experience to explore unique light displays, snap family pictures or selfies, or take a spin on the outdoor ice rink. Tickets should be purchased in advance through novaparks. com/events/ice-lights.
Cameron Run Regional Park, 4001 Eisenhower Ave.
Alexandria Holiday Tree Lighting
6-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23
Join Mayor Justin Wilson and others to light the giant holiday tree at Market Square outside City Hall.
Market Square, 301 King St.
Old Town Cookie Crawl
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 23-24
Tickets go on sale for the Cookie Crawl on Nov. 2 through oldtownbusiness.org. Act fast, because this event typically sells out quickly! Participants will receive a commemorative tin, which allows them to stop by dozens of participating stores and receive a free pre-wrapped holiday cookie. Those with tins will be welcome to decorate a free sugar cookie at Made in ALX, 415 King St., on those days from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The Old Town Cookie Crawl is organized by Old Town Business, and it’s fun for all ages!
Alexandria Cider Festival
1-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23
Celebrate Virginia Cider Week with a special tasting event on the grounds of historic Lloyd House in Old Town Alexandria. Your event ticket includes cider tastings, live music, a tasting glass and a little history, too. This event will take place outdoors, and proceeds benefit the Historic Alexandria Museums. Tickets are $55 November 1-22, and $25 for designated drivers. Tickets should be purchased in advance through shop.alexandriava.gov.
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington St.
Del Ray Turkey Trot
9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28
Take a trot over 5 fast, flat miles through Del Ray before enjoying your Thanksgiving dinner. This popular Turkey Trot draws thousands of people from elite runners to joggers and walkers. Register in advance at alexandriaturkeytrot.com. This event also collects food for and supports ALIVE!
Plaid Friday
Friday, Nov. 29
Celebrate Black Friday, Old Town-style! Plaid Friday is Alexandria’s version of Black Friday, with local stores offering fun and unique specials for your holiday shopping. Shop small this year. Learn more about Plaid Friday events throughout Old Town, Del Ray and in other neighborhoods at visitalexandria.com/holidays/black-fridayalexandria.
Small Business
Saturday
Saturday, Nov. 30
Shop small! Hit the streets of Alexandria and support small, locallyowned businesses here in Alexandria. Information about special events, giveaways and more will be available in early November at visitalexandria. com/holidays/small-businesssaturday.
Holiday Makers’ Markets at Port City Brewing
Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30
Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15
Port City Brewing Co., in partnership with Made in ALX, is giving you two big sip-and-shop events this season, with two holiday artisan markets on Saturday, Nov. 30 and again Saturday, Dec. 15. Sip craft beer while shopping from more than 30 small, local crafters and artists. Plus, enjoy music, win prizes and more. These free events are kid-friendly and pet-friendly, too. For the Nov. 30 market only, Santa will stop by from 2 – 3 p.m. to say hi to children! Learn more at madeinalx.com.
Port City Brewing, 3950 Wheeler Ave.
PHOTO: VISIT ALEXANDRIA
PHOTO: VISIT ALEXANDRIA
December
Del Ray Artisans Holiday Market
Dec. 6-22
Shop from a variety of local artisans in Del Ray every weekend in December until Christmas. The Market offers unique handmade fine arts and fine crafts from local artists, with different artists participating each weekend. The market is open 6-9 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.
Held annually on the Friday before the Scottish Walk in Alexandria, this legendary holiday party features a comprehensive Scotch tasting menu, decadent catering, music, entertainment and more. This event benefits the Campagna Center and its highquality educational and social development programs. Tickets are available through campagnacenter.org.
The Scottish Walk
11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7
For more than 50 years, the Campagna Center has celebrated Alexandria’s Scottish heritage during the holiday season with a huge parade (Scottish Terriers included), this year with support from Visit Alexandria. The parade winds through the streets of Old Town Alexandria with bagpipes, local Scottish clans, Santa Claus, dance, music and more. Learn more at campagnacenter.org. The event is free and open to all.
Grinchmas
9:30-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7
Whimsical fun straight out of Who-ville! This annual event will include photos with the Grinch, food, and family-friendly activities, including a live reading of Dr. Seuss’ "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Registration is available through the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities at alexandriava.gov/rpca/rpca-communityactivities.
Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St.
Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
1-8
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7
Watch decked out boats parade up and down the Potomac River in this annual, unique event. Dockside activities for all ages will take place from 1-8 p.m., including special popup shopping and crafts. The boat parade usually takes place after dark, around 5:30 p.m.
A Christmas Carol
Dec. 7-21
From the first “bah humbug” to the final “wassail,” this timeless classic is sure to rekindle your holiday spirit. Join all your favorite Dickens characters at The Little Theatre as they bring you to Victorian England and remind everyone of the meaning of Christmas. Tickets go on sale Nov. 7 for this show, which runs for two weeks in December. Showtimes vary.
The Little Theatre, 600 Wolfe St.
Del Ray Holiday Season Kick Off
Sunday, Dec. 8
Enjoy a festive evening in Del Ray, with the Del Ray Tree & Menorah Lighting, music,
luminaries, hot chocolate and more. This is one of the region’s signature neighborhood events. Learn more at visitdelray.com.
Pat Miller Neighborhood Square, 2311 Mt. Vernon Ave.
A Very Merry Jazz Fest
7-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13
The enchanting sounds of jazz will fill the air at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial as the culmination of the ALX Jazz Fest 2024 season. This event will feature live music, art, and poetry. Musicians include George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr.
Shows
at The Birchmere
Check out some of the performances scheduled in November and December at The Birchmere. Check birchmere.com for the latest information and the full concert calendar. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary by show.
NOV. 3
Sixpence None the Richer
NOV. 5
Gaelic Storm
NOV. 8-9
Jeffrey Osborne
NOV. 15-16
After 7
NOV. 20
Eric Benet
NOV. 22-23
Paula Poundstone
NOV. 24
Marshall Crenshaw with James Mastro
DEC. 2
Shawn Colvin
DEC. 3-4
The Aimee Mann & Ted Leo Christmas Show
DEC. 6-7
Chris Botti
DEC. 12
Micky Dolenz of The Monkees
DEC. 13
Don McLean “A Starry Christmas”
DEC. 18
A John Waters Christmas DEC. 19-20
Carbon Leaf
PHOTO: EVAN MICHIO FOR VISIT ALEXANDRIA
PHOTO: JOY ASICO FOR VISIT ALEXANDRIA
Breakfast with Santa 10a.m.-noon Saturday, Dec. 14
Santa and his elves are making a stop at Mt. Vernon Recreation Center for a morning of holiday cheer and breakfast with children ages 1 to 7. Registration required ($25) in advance at alexandriava.gov/rpca/rpcacommunity-activities.
Mount Vernon Rec. Center, 2701 Commonwealth Ave.
Grown Folks on Skates
1-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14
Lace up your in-line or classic roller skates and glide to the beat, make new friends and have fun! Register for this event ($15, ages 40 and older are invited) through alexandriava. gov/rpca/rpca-community-activities.
Patrick Henry School, 4643 Taney Ave.
Candy
Cane Bar Crawl
12:30-6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14
Spend an afternoon sipping and shopping along Mt. Vernon Ave. in Del Ray, including special cocktails at local restaurants. Candy Cane Bar Crawl tickets will be available through visitdelray.com in November.
Waterskiing
Santa
Noon Tuesday, Dec. 24
A long-standing Christmas event, our local Waterskiing Santa will hit the Potomac River on Dec. 24 at noon in Old Town (weather permitting). Watch Santa and his friends escape from the Grinch and save Christmas on the Potomac River.
Christmas Illuminations
5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 20-22
Watch sparkling fireworks over the Potomac River at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, which will be decked out for the holidays. Plus, hear classic holiday music and learn about the holidays at the estate in George Washington’s Day. Visit with sutlers (vendors) that produce 18th-century wares and crafts, available for purchase at the 18th-century Winter Market, too. Tickets are available through mountvernon.org with special pricing for members.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mt. Vernon Memorial Hwy.
First Night Alexandria
2 p.m.-Midnight Tuesday, Dec. 31
First Night Alexandria is the largest familyfriendly, budget-friendly and alcohol-free New Year’s Eve event in the region. Enjoy performances and arts at dozens of coffee shops, retailers and venues across Alexandria all afternoon and into the evening. There’s a fireworks show over the Potomac River at midnight. Learn more and get tickets at firstnightalexandria.org.
PHOTO: MOUNT VERNON
PHOTO: CHRIS BRIDNER FOR VISIT ALEXANDRIA
2024 Alexandria Film Festival
Dark comedy, musical, animation and more will roll on screens across Alexandria this fall.
BY BETH LAWTON
Alocal marathoner, a potential zombie and sets of siblings take starring roles this fall in the wide mix of films at the Alexandria Film Festival.
The Alexandria Film Festival will screen almost 60 films starting Nov. 3 with a kick-off screening at Patagonia Old Town, and continuing Nov. 7-10, at the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Alexandria Campus Auditorium, The Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum and Charles E. Beatley Library.
“We are incredibly excited to support the premieres of dozens of really well-made films this year. The fact that filmmakers are clamoring to screen at the Alexandria Film Festival speaks to its geographic reach across the region and the City of Alexandria’s draw as an arts community,” said Chris Colligan, lead programmer for the Alexandria Film Festival.
The films present a variety of genres and focus on topics from serious social issues like immigration and racism to crowd-pleasers like drama, romance, animation, comedy and horror. More than 30 of the films are premieres, and more than 30 filmmakers will be in attendance for Q&A panels following their films.
Kicking off the festival, the documentary “Running Home: Michael Wardian’s Journey Across America” follows ultramarathoner Wardian as he runs 3,000 miles from California to Delaware. Sunday, Nov. 3, at Patagonia.
Other highlights
“In the Shadow of the Cypress,” a father and daughter, unable to connect with one another due to his PTSDinduced fits of rage, must deal with a stranger who suddenly enters their lives in this animated film.
In “CROOKEDFINGER,” Maria returns home following the death of her parents, and strange things start happening after the arrival of her volatile brother and his girlfriend.
“Out of My Comfort Zone,” a musical, tackles real teen issues like bully culture and the struggle for acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community and others who feel left out.
“Gloomy Roomie,” a suspense-thriller, follows Zola as she thinks she’s found the perfect apartment — except that one of her new roommates might actually be undead.
“District of Second Chances,” a documentary, shares the experiences of three formerly incarcerated men who, thanks to new laws in Washington, D.C., have the opportunity to change their lives in positive ways.
All films require tickets, except for the Salute to Service Members showcase/film block at Beatley Library on Nov. 9 which is free for active and retired service members and their guests. All-festival passes ($80) and showcase tickets ($15) are available for purchase online. Visit www.alexfilmfest. com for more information.
The Alexandria FIlm Festival is an all-volunteer nonprofit that showcases movies throughout the year with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, as well as the support of individual donors and corporate sponsors including Alexandria Living Magazine, Goodwin Living, Burke & Herbert Bank, Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen, Glory Days Grill, Jim Connolly, Realtor, Deborah Matthews, Esq., Cornelissen Brewery, Atlas Brew Works, Alexandria Hyundai, Hadeed Carpet Cleaning, Cheesetique, and Ted’s Montana Grill.
CREDIT: IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS
Two Sisters Take on a Cross-Country Bike Adventure
Coast to Coast — 84 Days, 3,129 Miles, 10 States and Six Flat Tires
BY LINDA HARVEY
Dorene Pickup and Beth Knotts high five each other in Yorktown, Virginia, the final destination of their three month bike ride (Day 84).
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BETH KNOTTS AND DORENE PICKUP
Looking back on her three months riding cross country on a bike, Dorene Pickup remembers struggling against headwinds, pedaling up challenging hills with tired legs and realizing 87.44 miles on one day was too much. But Pickup also is forever grateful that she and her younger sister, Beth Knotts, made this “crazy idea” happen.
“I’m a doer,” says Pickup, who has lived in Alexandria for more than 30 years and recently celebrated her 60th birthday. She admits she likes to keep busy and be active outside — she rows with Alexandria Community Rowing most mornings and has run the Marine Corps Marathon twice along with several half-marathons.
It’s no surprise when Pickup shares, “I’ve always been a big fan of ‘get out of your car.’ And more so after this trip.”
This personal mantra is what piqued her interest in the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, which runs from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia. The trail debuted in 1976 for an event called Bikecentennial ‘76, where more than 4,000 bicyclists traveled across the country riding through small towns and quiet rural roads. Today, the Adventure Cycling Association supports bikers who embark on this trail and other trails with bicycle-specific maps that share locations for hotels, campgrounds, grocery stores, restaurants, bike shops, rest stops and more.
Even though Pickup had traveled extensively, visiting 47 U.S. states out of 50, including those on the bike route, she thought seeing the country this way would be different and more of an adventure.
She brought up the idea of biking the TransAm Trail five years ago to Knotts, 56, who has lived in Las Vegas for the last 30 years. She knew Knotts was an avid biker, usually setting off on her bike each weekend. The sisters talked about the trip for a few years but got serious one year ago when Knotts realized she had built up enough time to take three months off of work.
Both sisters knew they worked well together and could be compatible partners on the road: Pickup, as the planner to map out their route, and Knotts as the bike expert.
“We spent 18 years sharing a bedroom together,” says Knotts. “We don’t hold onto things and if there was something, neither of us remembers it.” Pickup, understanding
they would be together 24/7, says her sister “is the super easiest person you’d ever know. She doesn’t have a lot of needs, and she doesn’t complain.”
Growing up near Los Angeles with two other sisters and a brother, Pickup recalls their family would travel regularly since her dad worked in the airline industry. Her love of travel, especially for visiting U.S. national parks, stems from this time.
Everyone in Pickup’s and Knotts’ families were supportive of their bike trip during the planning stages, as long as they brought pepper spray for protection (which they never needed). Pickup’s husband, Jim, also would monitor their location with a satellite tracker.
Yet it was their 90-year-old mother, Clarabelle Wolken, who encouraged them to do it “no matter what” despite entering hospice two weeks before their planned departure, says Pickup. Their mother passed away just a few days before they left.
After having an “open and honest” conversation with their siblings, Knotts says, both sisters understood that their mother would not want them to cancel their trip. They decided to continue with their plans and honor their mother during their journey.
“I’ve always been a big fan of ‘get out of your car.’ And more so after this trip.”
‘Not Seeking to Break Records’
When planning their trip, Pickup says they wanted to avoid hot summer days and be finished by July 4th. They started to work backwards from that date and realized that the northwest region of the country could be cold and snowy in late March. They decided to deviate from the TransAm Trail and start from the coast of California rather than Oregon.
They would bike east from Ventura, California, hitting Route 66 and more of the southwest — Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas (just 13.8 miles of that state) — and connect with the TransAm Trail in Missouri. Once on that route, they would continue on to Illinois and Kentucky and end in Virginia.
With the new route selected, Pickup and Knotts quickly agreed that their journey would be more of an adventure to see the country and not about racing or setting any records.
“We are going to be the tortoise,” Knotts says they told each other. “When we see things, we will stop and take a picture.”
She recalls their test bike run in St. George, Utah, in October 2023 when they saw a tortoise in the road and had to stop to take a look. That’s why they loved having Freddie, a pink stuffed toy turtle, as one of their trip’s mascots along with a wooden mouse called Ralph. Both mascots were attached to their handlebars as constant reminders of their goal to explore the country.
“We didn’t want to just bike,” Pickup explains, referring to some bikers who aim for 80 miles each day and breeze by the sights. She and her sister planned to “toodle” instead, she says, and soak in the experience, the people and the culture along the way.
“It was fun for us to just do it our way and to take our time,” Pickup says. “It’s just nice to have no pressure.”
Entering Virginia, their final and tenth state, Dorene (l) and Beth and take a selfie with mascots Freddie and Ralph (Day 70).
Coast to Coast Adventures
Here’s a sampling of their experiences:
• Enjoyed an "over-the-top" roadside dinner in the Mojave Desert at Peggy Sue's Diner in Yermo, California.
• Stood on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, taking a selfie with a bronze statue named “Easy” and flatbed truck nearby.
• Took a side trip via train to visit the Grand Canyon since “it never disappoints,” according to Pickup.
• Biked an extra long route to ride through The Petrified Forest National Park inside the stunning Painted Desert.
‘Give Me the Granny Gears’
Knotts and Pickup also did it their own way when selecting bikes and tires. “We had the exact same bike, so that if anything went wrong, we only had one set of issues to deal with,” explains Pickup.
Knotts found the Trek FX Sport 6 to be the best match for their needs. It’s a road bike good for gravel or pavement; not a sleek touring bike geared for racing. The sisters also customized their bikes to add additional low gears or “granny gears,” as Pickup calls them, for getting up steep inclines.
When researching tires, Knotts selected a heavier tire to avoid flat tire changes as much as possible. Unfortunately, Knotts’ most frustrating time was when she had several flat tires over the course of two days on top of torrential rain for 10 miles. After they crossed the Mississippi River, they found a diligent bike shop in Illinois that discovered the leak, caused by a tiny wire from a shredded truck tire.
“I only had one flat tire the whole time,” exclaims Pickup, compared to her sister’s experience. “That’s pretty amazing to get across the country with one flat tire.”
• Visited the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma.
• Met up with Knotts’ son, Jeremiah, in Tulsa to celebrate her birthday and enjoy a Drillers minor league baseball game .
• Made a pit stop at the popular travel chain, Buc-ee’s, the only one on Route 66.
• Relaxed in cabins at the Wilderness Lodge Resort in Missouri’s Ozarks over Mother’s Day weekend, where they hiked three miles.
Even with toodling and “wind-induced rest days,” Pickup and Knotts biked 63 days during their 84 day journey, which started on March 22 and ended on June 13. They averaged about 10 to 15 miles an hour depending on the terrain and the weather, trying to keep their rides within the 65-mile range or less. Even with their “Slow and Steady Freddie Days,” they still had a schedule to maintain because of planned stops along the way to meet people.
A Little Help from Friends and Family
Even though Pickup and Knotts didn’t train too much beforehand since they’re both active and exercise regularly, they knew they’d need assistance during their three months on the road.
Since Pickup’s husband, Jim, could track them via satellite, he made some of their overnight reservations at motels or Airbnbs along the route. If not, Pickup searched her phone for places. “I’m too old to camp,” she explains. “I just didn’t think, physically, I could recover enough that way. I needed to have a bed and a warm shower.”
Facing the logistics of biking cross country, Jim also met them three times during the middle of their trip — in New Mexico, Missouri and Kentucky. They could do laundry and exchange clothes as the temperature warmed, restock supplies using his rented car, or head to bike shops for any needed maintenance on their well-ridden bikes.
• Explored Chester, Illinois, the home of Popeye’s creator, where they saw colorful murals and statues of the comic strip characters.
• Absorbed presidential history at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Charlottesville, Virginia.
• Visited “The Cookie Lady” or “The Bike House” museum in Charlottesville, where its owner offered water, lodging and cookies to cyclists passing through for more than 35 years. During his first stay with them through Albuquerque, Madrid and Santa Fe, Jim took their bags to ease the 20-plus pounds it added to the back of their bikes. “We were hoping to be able to get rid of all of our cold stuff in Santa Fe,” Pickup explains. “That did not happen. We ended up carrying that all the way to Kentucky.” Pickup and Knotts appreciated “the support teams” who met up with them along the way, including good friends and family who cheered them on those first days, others who provided a base camp and home-cooked meals, and finally sister Lori, brother Tim, and others who were with them for some final rides in Virginia.
Their blog on Polarsteps, a travel app that tracked their trip, was another way to stay in touch with friends and family. Pickup posted recaps and pictures from their days riding or exploring. The comments on these posts were especially helpful after tough rides, she says. They didn’t feel as alone on the road during quiet stretches in less populated rural areas.
Their Polarsteps site, called Dorene’s and Beth’s Transcontinental Adventure, also lists the number of miles they road each day and the steep climbs they faced — including a 6,485 ft. climb on a 70-mile day in Kentucky. It also provides an overview map of their route across the United States and each stop they made.
“When we see things, we will stop and take a picture.”
‘So Much Beauty to Experience’
Looking back, Knotts continues to appreciate her time biking across the country with her sister and all that they saw. She gets reminded each day since her computer screen features a slide show of her favorite pictures.
“There was so much beauty to experience and to look around at, compared to looking out the window [of a car],” she explains. “You could smell the trees, hear the frogs, birds, even prairie dogs. It was enveloping since you were more a part of it.”
Pickup agrees, “After you’ve ridden a bike like that, driving feels flat because you’re only seeing, you’re not hearing, you’re not feeling the air, you’re not smelling things.”
Both sisters discovered that every state was breathtaking in its own way — the southwest’s brown desert landscapes, the flatness and tall grasses of the Great Plains, the hills of the Ozarks, the sweeping lawns of Kentucky, and finally the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
“I thought it was interesting that every state really does sort of have a personality,” says Pickup. They loved seeing unique roadside attractions, such as the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. Yet they were also saddened to see some “heartbreaking, depressed small towns” with not much going on through stretches of rural areas, especially in Texas.
Finding clean restrooms and roadside restaurants could be challenging at times. They found Route 66 rest stops clean and reliable compared to other locations, especially in Virginia, where they “learned to make peace with gas station bathrooms,” Pickup shares. Referring to themselves as “city folks,” they were surprised to find restaurants closed on Sunday evenings in rural areas. They’d scramble to find “convenience store” dinners and aimed to get to towns earlier on those days. They did enjoy different types of BBQ along the way, even at surprising places.
‘We Are Really Doing This’
They found that most people were kind, encouraging, and wished them the best, even though many thought they were crazy, laughs Knotts. She could see their point and remembers telling herself, “This is really happening, we are really doing this.”
They’d wave to other bikers heading west on Route 66, everyone cheering each other on as they passed in different directions. They biked by a German ultra runner, Hubert Karl, who was running Route 66 in 66 days for his 66th birthday, explains Pickup, when recalling interesting people. They ended up meeting a biker whose blog they followed called, Crazy Guy on a Bike. Another biker told them about his trek from national park to national park.
“I would say the truck drivers on average were extremely courteous,” describes Pickup when they biked on the shoulder of Route 66. “Even when there was plenty of room for us, they’d still move over to the other lane because you do get a drag off of them.”
Not every state allowed biking on the highway, and their route would accommodate that. They were careful biking on city streets, says Pickup, and preferred bike trails and country roads. They each had a whistle in case something happened to alert the other one. On all of the rides, Knotts was the lead and Pickup followed behind.
When they were away from city streets or loud highways, they could sometimes bike side by side and chat, but they also spent time listening to The New York Times , podcasts, playlists or books on tape. Each had a device that allowed them to do this safely.
The hours on the road could also be meditative —“It was nice to have time for that because we lost my mother right before we left,” shares Pickup.
‘Get
Out of Your Car’
If others are inspired by their crosscountry bike adventure, Pickup simply says, ”Just do it. Don’t wait.”
However, both sisters encourage fellow bikers to start small and experience shorter routes if they can’t spend months or weeks away from home. For fellow
A quiet, rainy ride through Danville, Kentucky (Day 64).
RT. 66 ATTRACTION, MOJAVE DESERT, CA DAY 4
VENTURA, CA DAY 1
FENNER, CA WINSLOW, AZ
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
TURQUOISE TRAIL, NM DAY 22
Virginians, Pickup loved riding on the “stunningly beautiful” Blue Ridge Parkway with wild flowers in full bloom. One of her favorite days was biking from Radford to Blacksburg.
Here are other rides in Pickup’s beloved home state:
• Virginia Capital Trail — 50-plus miles between Williamsburg and Richmond.
• Virginia Creeper Trail — 34 miles from White Top Station to Abingdon.
• Mount Vernon Trail — 18 miles trail from Mount Vernon to Theodore Roosevelt Island (30 miles to Pickup’s house in her Alexandria neighborhood).
RT. 66 MIDWAY POINT DAY 27
VIRGIE, KY DAY 68
OWENSBORO, KY VIRGIE, KY BELSCHES, VA YORKTOWN, VA DAY 84 EMINENCE, MO
MIAMI, OK
VEGA, TX EL RENO, OK
HISTORIC RT. 66 CONOCO TOWER STATION, TX DAY 32
LAST DAY OF TOUR, VA DAY 84
Leaving New Mexico behind, Beth (l) and Dorene pass the midway point of Route 66 and enter Texas (Day 27).
NOAH LYLES: Olympic Champion Returns Home
BY ALEXANDRIA LIVING MAGAZINE STAFF
The 27-year-old also wants to be known as an influencer, advocate and community member.
Alexandria celebrated the world’s fastest man, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) alumnus Noah Lyles, as the community came together on Sept. 22 at Chinquapin Park and the Alexandria City High School (ACHS) gymnasium.
The event was an opportunity for the community to honor Lyle’s achievements at the Olympics in Paris this summer and to reflect on the power of dreams and hard work.
“I just hope that as they look at me they realize that they can do whatever they set their mind to, that they don’t have to follow my path, but they can make their own path,” Lyles acknowledged.
Among the distinguished guests were Alexandria City Mayor Justin Wilson, ACPS Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt, Alexandria City Council members and Alexandria City School Board members. ACPS also paid tribute to late assistant track and field coach Rashawn Jackson, who had coached Noah and his brother Josephus, and sadly passed away earlier this year.
Also present for this momentous occasion was the ACHS track and field team as well as the high school’s band and cheerleaders. In the spirit of giving back
to the community, a winter coat collection for Alexandrians in need, organized by the Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation, was also a part of the celebration.
“It is truly an honor to recognize the great works of Noah Lyles and what his foundation has done for youth across this nation,” said Dr. Kay-Wyatt. Addressing the rally for the Olympic runner, Mayor Wilson stated, “Every one of you in this room remembers where they were on that day in August when this man became the fastest man in the world.”
Lyles brought home the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 100-meter and a bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter event at the 2024 Olympics, both of which represent Noah’s perseverance and his attitude of never giving up. He actually came from behind to win the 100-meter race and the Olympic gold medal and earned the bronze medal in the 200-meter run, despite being ill with COVID-19.
Lyles won a bronze medal in the 200-meter race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is also a 2019 and 2022 World Champion. He has set a goal for himself to break Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200-meter race. According to world championship records, Lyles is the third-fastest man in history. Just a year younger than his brother, Josephus is also an elite sprinter and member of the 2022 U.S World Championships Team.
On Oct. 10, 2022, Noah and Josephus were inducted into the Alexandria City High School Hall of Fame for their athletic achievements in a ceremony at the Wiley
Mitchell, Jr. Pavilion at City Hall Market Square. The Lyles brothers graduated ACHS in 2016.
"Noah and Josephus may be known first and foremost for their athletic achievements,” Mayor Justin Wilson said. “But in the City of Alexandria, these young men are as committed to their community as they are to leaving it all on the track.”
The Lyles brothers’ great passion for athletics extends into their community work. The mayor called attention to Noah’s interview at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics following his bronze medal win, one of the most-watched Olympic segments in history, in which Noah openly spoke about his struggle with anxiety and depression. After being presented the Key to the City, Noah affirmed he and his brother’s commitment to mental health advocacy.
“During that interview, they told me that I was the only male athlete on the international stage who was speaking on mental health,” Lyles said then. “I took a minute and realized the person was right. I don’t want to be Noah Lyles, the athlete. I wanted to be Noah Lyles, the influencer, the advocate, the community member.”
Affirming that commitment, Noah and Josephus founded The Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation, empowering youth through the advancement of health and wellness in the community. In addition to financial support, the foundation shares information about mental health, college preparation, anti-bullying, and stress management for athletes and those who support them.
F.
A Prince of a Home in Old Town
BY ALEXANDRIA LIVING MAGAZINE STAFF
ALL PHOTOS BY SEAN SHANAHAN
Built in 1854, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom Bayne-Fowle House in Old Town Alexandria was built for William Bayne, a commission merchant and grocer who had purchased the lot in 1849.
In 1855, William Fowle, a merchant, bought the home. During the Civil War, while the family relocated to Richmond, the 8,600-square-foot house was occupied by Union troops and was briefly used as a Civil War hospital and graffiti from that time is preserved under plexiglass in the home.
After the family left for Richmond, the house was seized and they fought to get it back. It was returned to the Fowle family in a landmark Supreme Court case in 1870.
According to the state Department of Historic Resources, it is one of the few buildings in Old Town Alexandria with a stone façade, although the brown sandstone has been painted for many years. Of particular interest is the richly appointed suite of reception rooms comprising one of the grandest mid-Victorian interiors in the state.
The rooms retain their 1870s gasoliers, early pier mirrors and window cornices. The parlors are separated by a pendant arcade, the only example of this architectural device in the state.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, while it was occupied by homeowners Bernard “Bud” and Patricia Fensterwald, Jr., according to the nomination form.
This home is set on a double lot with walled gardens, several patios and a garage. Approaching the home, a
sandstone staircase with wrought iron gas lamps and railings complements the elegant window-lined facade and adjacent garden with a secondary entrance.
The living room, dining room and family room showcase period plaster cornices adorning the 12’ ceiling ands marble fireplace mantles. Full-length windows with original interior folding shutters and a pair of original gilt pier mirrors, which are original to the home, reflect the expansive floor plan.
Pocket doors between these areas provide the option for creating intimate spaces or joining the multiple rooms for a more open floor plan. Triple Niermann Weeks chandeliers unite the three rooms. A breakfast room, conservatory and a newly renovated kitchen provide views of the landscaped walled gardens.
Adjacent to the kitchen is a lovely breakfast room with 14’ ceilings and expansive bay windows. The breakfast room opens to a window-lined conservatory with scalloped window shelves, thought to be original to the home, and arched glass window paned doors opening to the garden area.
A charming office with custom-fitted cabinetry and a painted geometric pattern floor provides access to the garden’s
private courtyard. An elevator and a French-inspired powder room with stone basin and floor complete this level.
The second level offers three large bedrooms with ensuite fireplaces and stunning window treatments. In addition, there are two full bathrooms and a spacious laundry room with ample storage.
A window-lined sitting area with views of the historic homes facing 811 Prince provides a welcome to the owner’s suite. The suite offers a luxurious bedroom with garden views as well as a painted mural of the Potomac River and a marble fireplace.
The elegant bath offers double vanities, a marble fireplace, a spa tub with marble backdrop, a glass enclosed shower and a private water closet. The primary bedroom opens to a dressing room where a Niermann Weeks chandelier delicately illuminates the marble topped center island and the beautifully designed custom cabinetry with inset mirrors.
An additional laundry room is conveniently located adjacent to the primary suite. A staircase to the uppermost level
leads to an additional large finished room with exposed brick walls and recessed lighting. In the unfinished area one can see the top of the historic oculus skylight and graffiti on the wall believed to have been written by Civil War soldiers.
The residence's lower level offers a handsome second family room or entertaining space with a work out area, a 1,600-bottle temperature-controlled wine room and a full bath.
(Above): XXX.
Créme de la Créme: A Dash of Europe in Old Town
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARY ANN BARTON
Walking into Créme de la Créme at 907 King St., in Old Town Alexandria is like walking into a European boutique in a century-old village. You’ll find all sorts of unique home-decor, gift and tabletop treasures from sophisticated Italian brands (such as Vietri vases) to whimsical ceramic Guinea Hens crafted in the South of France.
Owned and managed by Tara and Ben Wegdam, residents of Marshall, Va. just outside of Middleburg, the Alexandria store location, formerly home to Mackie’s restaurant and bar, opened after renovations in the spring and held its grand opening in July. It joins its sister locations in Middleburg, Leesburg, Richmond and Frederick, Maryland.
Tara and Ben met years ago as students when Tara, a student at Hollins University in Roanoke, was studying French in Paris. After graduating, she rejoined Ben in The Hague in the Netherlands and eventually opened The French Shop, which got its name from her great-grandparents’ shop of the same name in Murfreesboro, Tenn., where Tara grew up.
All in the family
“When I was a little girl they would do these things for Christmas, they would have a xylophone, and play that every Christmas and we would twirl around in the window like we were mannequins,” she said.
Tara’s mother, Karen, had a shop upstairs at The French Shop called The College Shop. “She’s got great taste in clothes,” Tara said. “She branched out on her own and opened her own shop called The Village Square, catering to the college crowd.”
So when Tara decided, when she was 25 living in The Hague, to open a shop, “I just thought ‘That’s what you do.’ It started out as The French Shop, since Tara often traveled to Provence with her mother looking for items for the boutique and “drove things back to Holland. I had a lot of
American customers. A lot of them are only there for three years and they want to get all of the European stuff before they leave.”
Expanding the business
After adding items from Norway and Italy, The French Shop became Créme de la Créme - because they also sold items from Italy and Norway. “Even though the name is French, it could be anything,” she explained.
Eventually, Ben and Tara returned stateside, where Ben continued working for a Dutch conglomerate. About 15 years ago, he joined Tara to help run the business and open new locations.
“I love Alexandria, I’ve always loved Alexandria since we came here for the first time when we were first visiting,” Tara said.
“Ben is the only reason these multiple concepts are possible,” she said. “He’s a great manager of the business. I would only have one or two if it was just me.”
“When I was a little girl they would do these things for Christmas, they would have a xylophone, and play that every Christmas and we would twirl around in the window like we were mannequins,”
Holiday shopping
There are plenty of tableware and gift options at a variety of price points. “Some of my favorite things cost $10, like we have these little wine cork safes,” Tara pointed out.
For a hostess looking to change up a holiday table or add to it, you’ll find full sets of unique dishes and full sets of glasses. “You can get 18 glasses today of the same glass,” she said. “That’s something you cannot do online immediately, if you want something special.”
The boutique’s best-selling item is the Créme de la Créme Large Signature Candle in a variety of scents including Fresh Cut Fir.
“The reason they like them is they really fill a room with scent and it lingers,” Tara said. "That is very popular during Christmas.”
The Short History of Alexandria's First Golf Course
Shuter's Hill, the home of the George Washington Masonic Memorial, was once a golf course.
BY MATT LANARK
At the turn of the 20th century, baseball had already been crowned America’s pastime, but a peculiar sport from Scotland called golf started growing in popularity across certain pockets of the country. The most renowned clubs were on Long Island (Shinnecock Hills Golf Club), suburban Chicago (Chicago Golf Club) and outside of Boston (The Country Club).
Today, greater Washington, D.C. is home to some of the most famous golf courses in the country, with many hosting elite professional events. Congressional Country Club in Bethesda has held major championships, TPC Potomac partnered closely with the PGA Tour over the years and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club just concluded a successful 2024 Solheim Cup.
But at the turn of the 20th century, the DMV was essentially a golf desert — at least compared to its northeastern neighbors. Because so much land was required to build new courses, the sport was initially slow to take off. Nevertheless, a handful of golf-obsessed architects began building courses across the country and opening up the sport to the American public — or at least the American public with money to spare.
In early 1900, northern Virginia had little golf to speak of, and even Maryland and D.C. had few places to play. Moreover, the
Washington Golf Club in Arlington was already one of the most expensive clubs in the region. Given the limited options, a group of residents banded together to start the Alexandria Golf Club (AGC). In October 1900, the group formally met at Peabody Hall to select its leadership and conduct its first order of business — finding and building a course. At the time, there were only a handful of celebrated designers in America worth hiring. Most local clubs would build courses with rudimentary planning and little forethought, often lacking the resources and knowledge to design a quality layout. But the members of AGC wanted to build their golf course the right way, so they contracted with Robert W. White from Cincinnati, one of the bestknown golf course architects in the country.
White was born in Scotland and moved to the United States to study agronomy at the University of Wisconsin. Over time, his love for golf grew, and he decided to dedicate his life to its study. White began working as a golf pro at a club in Massachusetts, bringing a scientific rigor to golf course maintenance. In his spare time, he would plot out courses for newly formed clubs, charging $25 for each set of nine holes.
In those days, design was not the methodical months to years-long process it is today. White would stroll across a property for a few days, drawing green layouts
and optimal bunker locations. But that was about it. Designing more than 100 courses throughout his life, White remained involved in golf and briefly served as the first president of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA).
Though Alexandria Golf Club was not one of White’s most notable or long-lasting designs, it was not his only work in the DMV. He helped build East Potomac years later and eventually consulted with President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the design for the first White House putting green.
About a week after the club was formed, White arrived to survey the area, looking for the ideal location for a course. One of the first locations he observed was Shuter’s Hill (where the George Washington Masonic National Memorial now sits). It had long played home to the Dulaney Mansion and served as a weapons depot during the Civil War. The sprawling mound overlooked the urban-most areas of the City at the time, and White believed it would serve as the best location for a new course.
According to newspaper accounts at the time, White spent several weeks in and out of Alexandria, planning the course with the club members — a more involved effort than many of his other designs. On top of his architectural work, White also provided lessons to the new club members, many
of whom were beginners at the sport. By mid-November, the club formalized White’s plan and leased a home near the property that required renovation to serve as the clubhouse.
The new clubhouse property opened in 1902, serving as the preeminent event space for the area. It hosted shows, teas and other gatherings weekly. The entrance fee at the time ($5 for men and $3 for women) would make modern golfers faint. The nine-hole golf course was built quickly but also praised for its great condition. And the hazards were all natural to the property. Through its first few years, AGC members participated in tournaments across the region, and while they were not as successful as their northern peers, the region at least began garnering recognition for its courses and players.
However, all good things must come to an end. Despite the growing popularity of golf across the United States and the apparent success of AGC, better offers for the prime real estate soon arrived. Developers bought the property on Shuter’s Hill in 1907 to subdivide it and build homes. At the same time, a proposal to construct a monument to George Washington was proposed, alongside a park. AGC would have to disband.
The golf club continued for the next year or so, continuing to host events and other functions, but by February 1909, the members met a final time to agree on the sale of all remaining property. To add insult to injury, in 1911 the clubhouse that members spent so much time and money renovating burned down. The course fell into disrepair and was eventually leveled to make room for homes, a park and the grand monument that now rests atop Shuter’s Hill.
And so, after less than a decade, Alexandria’s first and only golf club fell by the wayside and into the annals of golf history. This connection to one of the sport’s most prominent early figures is oft-forgotten. While other DMV courses have gained mass notoriety and fame in the intervening century, and while golf continues to thrive in the region today, it is worth remembering the brief but wondrous life of Alexandria’s first golf club.
PHOTO: COLLECTION OF THE LYCEUM.
ALEXANDRIA GOLF CLUB, 1907
A First-Timer’s Take on Cruising the Mediterranean
Norwegian Cruise Lines' Escape is 1,069 feet long and holds 4,266 passengers and 1,733 crew members.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARY ANN BARTON
Beautiful views, historic sites and the fun of discovering something new was all part of a recent honeymoon cruise on the Mediterranean I took with my husband Buz.
We decided on a cruise leaving out of Barcelona after talking with friends who recommended Norwegian Cruise Lines. The cruise we took on the Norwegian Escape offers a nice variety of locations (Cannes, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Naples, Sardinia, Palma and Ibiza) over a 10-day trip.
“Shoulder season” (our trip was in September) after the summer rush is a good decision if you want to enjoy nice weather and less-crowded conditions. In addition to sunny skies and temperatures in the high 70s/low 80s (there was one day in Florence when it was overly warm during an excursion and one day when it drizzled in the morning in Palma), most of our forays into port cities were not overly crowded other than a visit to The Vatican.
The ship, the Escape, holds 4,266 passengers and has been cruising the seas since 2015. It sounds like it would be crowded, but we never waited in lines or for a table at a restaurant and we easily found chaise lounges and umbrellas when we hit the adults-only Spice H20. (Elevators were sometimes a bit of a wait but we also used the stairs quite a bit.)
Spice H20 is a great spot to hang out, also offering a bar, hot tubs and a grotto with waterfalls as an alternative to the ship’s pools. It was a great place to lie in the sun or under an umbrella with a novel (which I found in the ship’s extensive library).
Getting there
Although Norwegian offers discounted airfare, it’s not booked right away and we did not want to deal with the uncertainty of not getting information about our flights until quite late in the planning process. We got a lot of information from fellow travelers on a Norwegian Escape Facebook page geared to our specific cruise and almost everyone said they were glad they had booked their own airfares.
Once we made the decision to skip the Norwegian-booked airfare, we took a direct flight on United out of Dulles that left at about 6:30 p.m. and arrived at 8:30 a.m. Barcelona time. We decided on United Premium Plus so we could stretch out and sleep on the long flight. Premium Plus offers free checked bags, footrests, individual monitors for movies, blankets, noise-cancelling headphones, as well as a full dinner and breakfast. Premium Plus was very comfortable (and is less expensive than flying first class).
Once we arrived in Barcelona, we headed to our hotel and left our luggage to go in search of lunch and the Montjuic Cable Car. It’s a great way to see the city and visit the Montjuic Castle atop a summit that has been home to lookouts since the 11th century.
The next morning, we caught a cab from our hotel to the port where there were plenty of ship staff on hand to help us with our bags and point us in the right direction. Before boarding, we were photographed for our passenger ID cards that served as entry into restaurants and other activities on board.
A view of the sea from the town of Sant Agusti des Vedra in Sant Josep de sa Talaia on the island of Ibiza, Spain.
The author and her husband, Buz, pause for a photo at the Parc Guell in Barcelona.
After finding our room, we were pleasantly surprised at the amount of space we had and glad we opted for a room with a balcony to enjoy the views and sea breezes. A tip here: We brought magnetic hooks and placed them on the wall near the front door where we hung our ID cards (we purchased lanyards for them in the ship gift shop). We also used the hooks for my purse and our swimsuits.
Each time we returned to our room in the late afternoon, our room was tidied up and the ship left welcoming notes, chocolates or appetizers. Another tip if you decide to try Norwegian: Make use of a “special” on laundry where you can pay one price for a large bag of laundry mid-way (or in our case almost all the way) through your trip, much less expensive than sending laundry out bit by bit.
Dining on Board
The rate you pay for your cruise will get you all of your meals — a full breakfast, lunch and dinner and you’ll have several options — buffet dining or seated white tablecloth dining; you can also upgrade to certain upper-end restaurants. If we were in a hurry, we headed to the breakfast buffet; if we weren’t in a rush, we tried the fine dining restaurants for breakfast. A perk at the buffet was filling up our water bottles at the beverage station.
We thoroughly enjoyed the “free” restaurants that were included in our rate. They all offered a large variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts (we loved that they offered a different sugar-free dessert each night). We also liked that the portions were not unnecessarily large for the appetizers and entrees. The service
Residents and tourists stroll the streets of Valldemossa in Mallorca, Spain.
The village of Valldemossa on the island of Mallorca comes into view on a September day.
at all of the restaurants was excellent. We especially enjoyed The Manhattan Room, where you might also hear a band or other entertainment during dinner.
We chose two restaurant upgrades that were part of our rate — to a steakhouse and a Japanese restaurant. Although the food was great at the Japanese restaurant, too much food was cooked and went to waste and it was an extremely loud dining experience (the chefs keep up a running patter with a circle of patrons while making dinner) although we did enjoy chatting with a couple from Scotland and a mother and daughter from the United States.
Other dining options on board - you can stop and get a Starbucks at a bakery and grab a gelato and of course there are plenty of bars open throughout the ship. The bakery and gelato you pay for on your own or put them on your “tab.”
Port excursions
We opted for excursions into each of our ports except for one. As cruise “newbies,” we were cautious about trying any tour operators who were not officially affiliated with the ship. I think if we go again we’ll likely try smaller operators to avoid trying to keep up with a large tour group. Although we loved sight-seeing, it got a little dizzying hearing about the dozens of statues, buildings, artworks and paintings. I think I would have enjoyed more of a big-picture overview in a smaller group.
Another change we would make is to try to go on shorter excursions that leave time for a leisurely lunch (who doesn’t want to try amazing new foods and people watch at outdoor cafes?). Too many times we were rushed through a 30-minute lunch in order to meet the group or if we had lunch it was somewhat formulaic (everyone getting the same menu item).
One of our favorite stops was Monaco, where we enjoyed strolling through the Jardin des Pecheurs (Fishermans Garden),
watching the changing of the guard at the Prince’s Palace and getting our passports stamped at city hall (Mairie de Monaco).
Another great stop was in Florence, where we got a nice walk in visiting various town squares with beautiful statues and fountains, visited a leather shop, Michelangelo, where they will stamp your initials on your purchase and enjoyed a lasagna lunch with the group.
Our favorite spot during the cruise was the charming village of Valldemosa on the island of Mallorca in Spain. A monastery from the 13th century sits on the village hilltop and is a spot where composer Frederic Chopin spent time trying to improve his health. We got a chance to stroll around town, have some lunch and do some shopping for Mallorca pearls at a shop called Orquidea.
The cruise took us in a big circle back to Barcelona and we’re glad we decided to spend two nights when we returned so we didn’t have to rush to the airport. Our hotel Kimpton Vividora Barcelona was a wonderful way to segue back to “real life.” After disembarking, we relaxed at the rooftop pool then headed out to tour Casa Batilo, designed by architect Antoni Gaudi. That night we took the hotel concierge’s advice for fresh fish and visited Carballeira, a restaurant that has been around since the 1940s.
On our last day, we visited several more works by Gaudi — Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. We also didn’t want to leave Barcelona until trying some paella. We found an oceanfront restaurant, Agua, that fit the bill.
We hope to return someday and hope this article gives you some good ideas for your next adventure!
Sunlight streams through stained-glass windows at Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
The Royal Carthusian Monastery in Valldemossa dates to the 1300s. It was a royal residence and later a monastery. Composer Frederic Chopin lived there for a time and today it is a museum.
The Kimpton Vividora Barcelona lobby.
Inova Continues Expansion of Holistic Cancer Care
Inova Schar Cancer Institute integrates new treatments with triedand-true patient support services.
BY GRACE KENYON
All too often, cancer patients are given the worst news of their lives, handed a list of doctors and left to figure out the next steps. When this happens, patients can experience undue stress and treatment can be delayed. This is exactly what the Inova Schar Cancer Institute (ISCI) works to avoid.
Now in its fifth year, ISCI integrates new treatments with tried-and-true patient support services. According to Jennifer Bires, executive director of Life with Cancer and Patient Experience at ISCI, what sets Inova apart is the breadth of services that they offer to everyone in the community, not just patients.
The Inova care model relies on a few key principles. Each patient receives a nurse navigator and patient coordinator who helps them make decisions about next steps. In addition, the system is designed to have physicians — including the numerous specialists who are often involved in cancer treatment — in close proximity in order to minimize stress and the need to travel.
Dr. John Deeken, President of ISCI
Jennifer Bires, Executive Director at ISCI
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF INOVA
48,000 Unique cancer patients
106,095 Clinic visits
received excellent medical care, there was a lack of support for the family enduring pain and stress alongside her. Bires became a social worker with the goal of supporting patients and families like hers.
Now, she leads the Life with Cancer program, which has existed at Inova for 30 years. In her work, she aims to meet patients where they are. Patients don’t exist in a vacuum, Bires says, and physicians need to understand what matters to their patients.
Clinic visit growth compared to 2022
49 New studies
$20.5M Philanthropy funds raised
$25M Financial assistance
“We also have a high focus on clinical research and offering new treatments that are becoming available by the month and by the day,” said Dr. John Deeken, president of ISCI and medical director for the Inova Schar Head and Neck Cancer Program. Deeken came to Inova from Georgetown 11 years ago and has been a part of planning the ISCI care model from the beginning.
Life with Cancer: Meeting Every Need
However, medical treatment is only one part of the cancer care equation. As a young child, Bires watched her mother battle cancer. Although her mother
“Patients are whole people and they bring so much richness with them,” Bires said. “And if we treat a person like cancer or like a broken arm or whatever it is that they are coming in to see us, we really miss out on so much.”
The Life with Cancer program has physical locations within each branch of Inova and all of its components are available throughout the system. This includes everything from counseling and support groups to exercise classes, massages and acupuncture. In other health systems, these kinds of programs tend to be spread thin, but thanks to strong philanthropic support, Inova’s Life with Cancer program is able to maintain relatively high staff ratios.
For Bires, patient-centered care means that the health care system should not add to the trauma that patients are experiencing. The system should recognize that patients are not merely defined by their disease and should aim to improve people’s quality of life, not just keep illness at bay.
This can mean any number of things, like taking a patient’s schedule into account to make sure that they can get treatment and still go to their kid’s baseball games. Or it can mean original art in the treatment facilities, or a volunteer playing violin in the lobby.
“Nobody says, ‘Hey, let me go hang out at the cancer center,’” Bires said. “But because you have to be here, we can add to your quality of life.” For example,
behavioral health therapists can help patients learn anxiety-coping skills that can help them navigate their cancer diagnosis and the rest of their lives.
Looking to the Future
In its first five years, ISCI has grown in ways that surpassed Deeken’s expectations. That means that they have needed to add hours and find creative ways to use space — and they look forward to expanding their services with the Inova Alexandria Hospital at Landmark, which is scheduled to open in 2028.
The Life with Cancer program continues to receive generous funding from the Peterson family, longtime Inova donors who helped establish the program. The family announced another $20 million gift in April, the bulk of which will go to the Life with Cancer program. The program will be renamed Inova Peterson Life with Cancer.
A major challenge in cancer treatment is screening and prevention, and it is a big part of the ISCI initiative moving forward. They have worked with community groups to recruit patients and host screenings. At a recent event in May, they had more than 700 attendees who received colon cancer screenings, skin checks and more. The team at ISCI continues to look for ways to grow, but as they reflect on five years that ended up being more tumultuous than they bargained for, there’s a lot to celebrate, too.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team and the resilience we showed,” Deekend said, “the compassion, empathy and energy we showed to patients who were going through not only their worst news of having cancer, but then trying to do it during COVID.”
PHOTO
Cooper Mill to Bring Exciting Dining Concept to Waterfront
BY MARY ANN BARTON
Housed in a brick building that once served as a mess hall and commissary during the Civil War, Cooper Mill will open its doors in December along Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront. The tavern and gourmet market will be open seven days a week.
The name is a referral to the former mill there that created barrels for the Alexandria Flour Company.
The warehouse is two stories and 6,400 sq. ft. It will have a market at the back of the building, a casual tavern on the first floor and a private event space on the second floor. The market will feature grab-and-go breakfast foods and coffee, sandwiches, soups, prepared foods, fresh breads, and baked goods from Landini’s various venues, as well as beer, wine and other items.
One of the last remaining waterfront warehouses in Old Town, the building at 10 Duke St., was restored by Murray Bonitt of Bonitt Builders, who has restored other historic buildings in the area including one that houses Virtue Feed & Grain restaurant just down the street.
“It was an unsound building,” Bonitt said. “I went to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and told them I wanted to save the building.” The City Council, Planning Commission and others were also on board.
The building’s original bricks as well as the roof’s trusses and rafters were taken apart, cleaned and put back piece by piece. “It was pretty tedious but it was such a cool process. We worked with great craftsman, carpenters and masons.”
“There’s not another event space like it,” Bonitt said.
The restaurant is a team effort with Bonitt, restaurateur Noe Landini and building and real estate executive Larry Nicholson. Bonitt and Landini weren’t sure how long they’ve known each other but “it seems like forever,” Landini said. “Murray is just like the mayor of Old Town.”
“Don’t say that,” Bonitt retorted with a laugh. “I don’t want people getting mad at me. What’s he’s saying is I’m the oldest.”
“We impressed one another,” he said. “We both have a passion for what we do” he said of Landini who is also owner of Fish Market, Landini Brothers, Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, Junction Bistro and CXIIRex, a private club.
The unique second-floor event space will also be used for speakers and live music. Landini plans to bring musicians from Nashville, where he owns a private club, and have them perform at Cooper Mill. “We really want it to be a hub of the community,” he said.
Another interesting aspect of the restaurant — Landini noted that there will be walk-up window where patrons can stop and place orders including for pizza by the slice as well as baked clams and eggplant parmigiana. The eatery will be able to bake or cook at four different temperatures in a European four-deck oven.
“The fundamentals are the same,” Landini said, “but it’s a different approach.”
“It was an unsound building,” Bonitt said. “I went to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and told them I wanted to save the building.”
“We really want it to be a hub of the community,”
Cozy Supper: Tomato Rosé Soup
BY HOWIE SOUTHWORTH
Located amid the historical crossroads of some of the nation’s first rail lines running from Alexandria to D.C. and the Shenandoah, Junction Bistro, Bar & Bakery has been serving the Del Ray community since 2016.
Noe Landini and his partners initially established the eatery and commissary to both fill a morning-fuel void at Monroe and Mount Vernon avenues, and provide their growing group of restaurants with freshly baked goods.
It was a unique expansion of his Rex Management brand from lower King Street (Landini Brothers, Fish Market, Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream). Junction quickly and “definitely evolved into a neighborhood spot” for every meal, according to Jesse Maas, Landini’s Director of Operations across the properties.
A distinction among all-day kitchens and a priority of Jesse’s is to remain highly seasonal with their offerings. “Our window [painting] changes four times a year. We want our customers to feel like they’re in
the time of the calendar. We want them to live it, feel it, and eat it,” says Jesse.
With menu additions taking cues from the weather and the community, Junction prides itself on their timely highlights: a mojito “cruffin” ahead of Memorial Day, pot roast and mash to usher in “flannel shirt” weather, and the “fungi Philly,” to serve a vegetarian hankering for the classic sandwich. Moreover, says Jesse, “We are a bolder version of what an American bistro can be,” serving dishes that truly “hit home” for customers. Items that surprise and delight are the overarching aim.
Notably, on their Tomato Rosé Soup, he beams, “You always have things on your menu that people seem to flock to… The fact that we make our own breads [and] grilled cheese sandwiches, that’s the soup.”
And that soup happens to sit at the junction of Alexandria food and history. Specifically, tomato soup that also involves wine exemplifies a confluence of many ideas from our past.
From the turn of the 19th century forward, tomatoes were a popular fruit, as they were easy to grow in the mid-Atlantic region and publications abound inspired their use. English cook Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy (its first American printing was in Alexandria in 1805), and local luminary Mary Randolph’s 1824 cookbook, The Virginia Housewife, applied tomatoes in a variety of ways.
Both authors leaned heavily on Spanish methods and recipes to use the tomato, mostly in stews and sauces. This made perfect sense, as the Spanish were the first to “meet” the fruit during the Columbian
Exchange and test its culinary limits. And, any guess from whence a young Alexandria was receiving much of her wine? Also Spain. Perhaps we should just call this dish Sopa de Tomate y Vino Rosado.
Tomato Rosé Soup
Recipe adapted from Chef Brian Rowe from Junction Bistro, Bar & Bakery at 1508 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
SERVES: 3-5 as an appetizer
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 28-oz can of San Marzano tomatoes
¾ cup dry rosé wine
¾ cup heavy cream
1½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
1½ Tbsp cold butter
2-3 Tbsp thinly sliced chives for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Add olive oil to a pot over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add celery, carrot, onion, and salt, and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Add tomatoes and wine, bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to medium-low. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by a quarter.
Add cream, and stock, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by one quarter.
Pre-order "A Taste of Alexandria" cookbook today!
Remove from the heat and add butter. Use an immersion or counter-top blender to smoothly purée the mixture. Distribute into bowls, garnish with chives and serve on its own, or with a bread of choice.
The is an excerpt from A Taste of Alexandria, a new cookbook that honors Alexandria’s culinary history and adapts more than 50 local restaurant recipes for the home kitchen. You can order the cookbook online at alexandrialivingmagazine. com/atasteofalexandria.
Maximizing Impact: Why You Should Consider Charitable Giving Strategies and Donor-Advised Funds
For many, charitable giving is a meaningful way to support causes they care about and leave a lasting legacy. However, without a well-thought-out strategy, the impact of your donations may not reach their full potential. As a financial planner, I often recommend charitable giving strategies—especially using a donor-advised fund (DAF)—to help clients maximize the personal and financial benefits of their philanthropy. Today, I will explain what a donor-advised fund is and why you might want to consider establishing one.
What is a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)?
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is an account established through a sponsoring charity, often an organization established to provide this planned giving vehicle. The donor makes an irrevocable gift to an account owned by that sponsoring organization and can recommend charitable disbursements to charities of their choice afterward.
How DAFs Work
Because the sponsoring organization of a DAF is a charity in and of itself, donors are eligible for an immediate upfront charitable deduction when they fund the account. Many DAF administrators do not require grants, so donors can grow these assets and make gifts to their favorite organizations over time. Assets also grow tax-free.
To ensure that gifts to the DAF sponsoring organization are completed for the purposes of the charitable deduction, the DAF sponsoring organization is not required to honor grant requests but, in almost every case, will—provided it can verify the organization's public charity status.
Key Benefits of Charitable Giving Strategies and DAFs
• Tax Efficiency: Charitable giving strategies, particularly through DAFs, offer significant tax advantages. By contributing cash, stocks, or other appreciated
assets to a DAF, you can receive an immediate income tax deduction for the value of the donation.
• Simplified Giving: Managing charitable donations across multiple organizations can be complex. A DAF simplifies this by consolidating your giving into one account. You can contribute to your DAF once, take the tax deduction that year, and then distribute funds to various charities over time.
• Strategic Timing: DAFs allow you to separate the timing of your tax deduction from your charitable donations. This is particularly useful in high-income years, as you can make a large donation to your DAF and claim the full deduction, even if you plan to disburse the funds to charities over time gradually.
• Family Involvement: Many donors use DAFs to engage family members in philanthropy, creating a lasting tradition of giving. You can involve your children or heirs in the decision-making process, allowing them to recommend grants to charities and teach them the importance of giving back.
Is a Donor-Advised Fund Right for You?
While DAFs aren’t the right solution for every client, they offer a flexible, tax-efficient way to organize your charitable giving and maximize the impact of your contributions. A DAF might be an excellent option to explore if you're passionate about philanthropy and want to simplify the process while enjoying tax advantages.
CTA: If you think a DAF is right for you, you don’t have to go it alone. I can help you connect with DAF administrators who can help you realize your charitable vision. If you have questions and would like to learn more, schedule a call with me here.
This material has been provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute either tax or legal advice. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a tax preparer, professional tax advisor, or lawyer. Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Fixed insurance products and services are separate from and are not offered through Commonwealth Financial Network. The Harvey Group & Alexandria Living Magazine are separate and unaffiliated entities.expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly into an index.
