Quaint little picturesque Old Town, Alexandria, located on the outskirts of Washington D.C., tends to feel like home for everyone visiting no matter what season it is. But the holiday season tends to be the most beautiful. The colonial townhouses all brightly decorated with colorful wreaths and the trees overhead along King Street all twinkling with golden lights. Realizing how magical my town looked and felt during the holiday season, I decided to shoot a video showcasing my favorite spots in Old Town Alexandria.

Top Things to Do in Old Town, Alexandria

• Browse twinkly lights and hand-made Christmas decorations year-round at the Christmas Attic
• Find local town gifts and celebrate Alexandria’s history and charm at the Old Town Shop
• Discover local art galleries and workshops at the large collection of working-artists’ open studios at the Torpedo Art Factory
• Visit Kilwin’s Chocolate Shop for the best chocolate truffles, caramel apples, ice-cream, and treats!
• Mixing a little bit of old with a little bit of new at Red Barn Mercantile – my favorite local shop for unique gifts and home decor.
• Misha’s Coffee Roasters has the best hot chocolate, coffee, and chocolate chip cookies! And the well-lit coffee shop is bustling with cool kids and freelancers working from their laptops. It beats Starbucks!
• For paper goods, unique greeting cards, and fellow pencil and pen-lovers, Penny Post is a new local shop that has the coolest notebooks and supplies!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24S-hCPnkW8&t=9s

This Christmas, my partner, Alex and I celebrated a few days earlier with small gifts under our travel-themed Christmas tree, a slice of Buche de Noel french cake from La Madeleine French bakery and cafe, and Fred Astaire tap dancing in Holiday Inn in the background. All of this while our 8 week old foster kitten, Timmy, following us loyally around the small apartment. When Christmas Day arrived, I woke up to our house alone with Timmy curled up next to me, purring loudly. After a bit of writing, my friend, Nick, stopped over and we celebrated Christmas with Italian food from Lena’s Woodfired Pizza and a stroll through the forest with the fading golden light in the distance. I brought my Canon 6D along and snapped a few shots!

For restaurant ideas in Old Town, check out my latest D.C. post here!