Old Town Alexandria Tall Ship and Morning Walk

It had been a while since we last visited Old Town, Alexandria. If we aren’t in the neighborhood park it’s the second most frequent destination for our morning walks aside from DC. It was a bit warm and the air quality was not good, so we thought we would give it a go anyway. We usually park in the waterfront park and then meander along the Potomac River. There are always a lot of geese and ducks hanging about. And there are always a lot of boats in the docks. But one ship in particular has moved over to its new home. It’s called Providence and it is a tall ship that is used for tours and now is part of the Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center. There wasn’t a lot of foot traffic or activity this particular morning - quite unusual for Old Town. After checking the new site we headed to the historic neighborhood. We took the usual streets and made sure we stayed in the shade - zig zagging up and down and across and over to avoid the sun. Even the neighborhood felt quite desolate. No one wanted to venture out. We actually headed back to the car a lot earlier than usual since there is no point to being so uncomfortable. At least we got in a bit of a walk. It was still good to get out of the house and get moving. That’s generally the idea regardless of the weather. 

The Providence in Old Towne Alexandria

You could say it is in my blood. My dad loved the water and was in the Coast Guard for twenty one years, including WWII. He would love be to take us aboard docked ships. When I visited my cousin in Boston after graduating high school we spent a day sketching “Old Ironsides.” My family lived near water in New England and Florida, and thereafter I lived near Lake Michigan and the Potomac River. I’m not in to sailing or boating or even swimming. But I spent a lot of time on the gulf coast growing up. I even had a job one summer in college making boat molds out of fiber glass. It was hot and disgusting work! Seeing boats and ships and docks and smelling sea or river water seems so familiar, but it is not something I really know much about. When I read about The Providence tall ship being docked in Old Towne Alexandria we thought it might be a nice ride to check her out. She is a replica of John Paul Jones first command during the revolutionary war and will soon be open for tours and such. I have to say she seemed quite small, but her sails weren’t up and she was sitting at the end of the dock surrounded by modern water craft. I’m not sure I would have been so inclined to make passage on one of these things back in the day. And I admire anyone be who did and still does today.