Michael Bergin, Alexandria, VA Specialist

The third part of our day in the Virginia countryside - Orange, VA to be exact - was a tour of Montpelier, the recently renovated home of our fourth president, James Madison.

After a late morning arrival at the Fiber Festival, an easy lunch from local vendors, and a few good hours watching the sheepdog trials, we headed across the road and onto the 2,650 acres that make up today’s Montpelier. Deeded to Madison’s grandfather in 1723, Montpelier was the lifelong home of James Madison and remained in the family until 1844 when Dolly Madison sold the property.

At the time of the sale the property had decreased dramatically from the original acreage of 4,675 - thanks in no small part to the gambling debts of Dolly’s ne’er do well son.

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A Day in the Virginia Countryside - Part Three

Ft. Belvoir in southern Fairfax County is already a very busy place. But with more than $4 billion in construction set to provide office space that will rival the Pentagon, a 120 bed hospital, a wounded warriors transition center and the headquarters for several military and intelligence agencies, it will truly become Northern Virginia’s next small city.

The main post, off I-95 near Mt. Vernon, is also the proposed site for the long planned National Museum of the Army which is expected to draw a million visitors a year.

While some fear the massive growth will further clog the area’s highway system - always a legitimate fear - other optimistic voices see it as a ray of light in the current economic downturn.

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Ft. Belvoir Set to Become Northern Virginia’s Next “Small City” - Part 1

Whew, Halloween is a busy time around here! And while Old Town Alexandria has its Lee Street Block Party, Del Ray pulls out all the stops with its annual Halloween Parade. Here are more photos from that memorable affair:

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Del Ray Halloween Parade Photos, Part II

In a city almost consumed by the final days of the 2008 election, residents of Lee Street in Old Town Alexandria put aside all thoughts of Nov. 4 to concentrate on Halloween. Six blocks of Lee Street, from King Street south, were blocked off for several hours to create the ultimate in trick or treating.

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Halloween in Old Town Alexandria