Paper and Stone

Wow!  Two posts, two days in a row!  I'm on a roll!  Today, Diggory and I had the great pleasure of meeting two of my friends, and former graduate school classmates, for lunch in Old Town Alexandria.  They also just happen to be the director and curator at Carlyle House Historic Park, so we just had to take a tour!  Built in 1753, the house is one of the very few 18th century buildings still standing in Old Town.  It's a great house in itself, with great collections, but the story of the people who lived there and it's place in local history are even more fascinating.  Please, please go, if you've never been.  (Full disclosure, I interned here in 2007, so I'm a bit biased.)  

The house is big.  Diggory is tiny.

We parked in the garage under City Hall.  It's directly across the street from Carlyle House, but it's cash only.  It's $2.00 an hour, up to a maximum of $8.00 for a full day, so it's among the very cheapest parking arrangements in Old Town.  If I even remotely think I'll be more than two hours (the limit on the meters), I don't even bother with street parking and head straight to this garage.

Tours of Carlyle House are guided.  Our docent was excellent and very accommodating of the wriggling toddler on her tour.  (The docents at Carlyle House are the most dedicated and loyal crew I've ever seen.  They are the model that I've mentioned in all my museum jobs since my internship there five years ago.)  There's a small temporary exhibition gallery on the lower level, between the gift shop and the video room.  On view currently, Nurses, Spies and Soldiers: The Civil War at Carlyle House discusses the house's roll during this tumultuous period of American history.  Explore the exhibition before you watch the video and start your tour.  You'll cautiously climb the very narrow, and very steep servants' stairs to get up to the main floor.  Don't, under any circumstances, bring your stroller.  Carry the baby.  Also, there's no changing table, but one of the restrooms is big enough for a stroller, if you have it.  

We made it through the first floor of the house on our tour before Diggory became too much of a fussy distraction.  We exited out the front door and made our way around to the garden for some wandering.  The tour would have continued up to the second floor, the bedrooms and architectural room where you can actually see the horse hair in the mortar.  I used to work here, so I didn't think I was missing out...and Diggory was SO not paying attention by this point. 

Diggory perked back up into his happy self once we were in the garden, behind Carlyle House, free, and open to the public between 6am and 8pm.  If you're lucky, you  might even catch an impromptu wedding in the gazebo.  I've seen a few, and they are so cute!  It was a quick visit, but well worth it, and we'll definitely be back.  Check out their schedule of public programs and special events online here.  

Oh, and I should mention that I'm going to be out of town for a few weeks starting on Sunday.  No posts from me for a while, but I PROMISE that I'll have lots and lots to write about when we get back.  Wish me luck!  I'm taking a one year old to Vienna, Slovenia, Croatia, Venice, and Istanbul!  Should be quite the adventure!