Looking for an historic vacation? Look no further than a bit down Northern Virginia's Route 1. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has included Alexandria on its annual list of distinctive destinations.
The group says the city's unique historical restaurants and stores offer people a chance to go back in time. Old Town Alexandria, running along King Street to the Potomac River, was laid out in 1749.
Many original 18th- and 19th-century buildings are still standing, including the same tavern where Thomas Jefferson celebrated his presidential inauguration, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee's childhood home.
Every year, the Dozen Distinctive Destination program chooses cities that have "thriving downtowns, cultural diversity and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and revitalization."
The other cities chosen are:
- Chapel Hill, N.C.
- Colorado Springs
- Eureka, Calif.
- Sonoma, Calif.
- New Bedford, Mass.
- St. Paul, Minn.
- Paducah, Ky.
- San Angelo, Texas
- Sheridan, Wyo.
- Dandridge, Tenn.
- Muskogee, Okla.
