A Ride to Old Town Alexandria

It was an odd morning. My husband had to get blood drawn so the usual walk schedule was interrupted. Since it was boiling hot the option was to take a ride to Old Town Alexandria. Since we walk every day we could afford to skip it this once. So we drove off down the George Washington memorial parkway along the Potomac River, passing by DC, and on to Mount Vernon, then turned around and checked out Alexandria. It’s been quite a while since we were last there. We miss the couple of restaurants we frequented and decided against pick up because it’s such a hassle to disinfect all the containers. Everything looks worn down and empty - the weeds are winning by overtaking the streets - but the hydrangea trees are in full bloom. The charming architecture remains. King Street is blocked off by the waterfront area so the restaurants can put out a few tables for diners. There weren’t a lot of takers in the 90 degree heat. There looked to be a wedding ceremony or at least a photographer getting engagement or wedding photos in front of the Carlyle house. Most people are wearing masks. The town square was eerily quiet except for the water fountain flowing. This atmosphere is starting to take its toll on a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Nothing looks the same and probably never will again. 

A Second Ride With Uber

We used Uber one time last year to take us to the free Billy Joel concert at the DAR auditorium. Since it was the first ride we got ten dollars off - and it was cheap. We thought we would use it again to get to Ford's Theatre for a matinee with our neighbors who were visiting from Wisconsin. Luckily I checked the credit card information and updated it before we started out. Still a little confused at how it works, a driver responded within a few seconds to our request. We needed a vehicle for four so the Camry would do. The driver was very polite and we all had an interesting conversation about where he was from, and he made his way to tenth street. If it was a nicer day we could have walked. In the end the trip cost less than eight dollars. We took the bus back home and the fare for four cost more than Uber. Our neighbors were impressed with the ride and the cost and may end up using it on their travels. Although it has only been two experiences, both times we used the service were great. It offers an alternative to the bus, traditional taxi, metro, and personal car. Now I'm waiting for the driverless vehicle. That would be a real experience.