Michael Bergin, Northern Virginia Real Estate

The City of Alexandria maintains a series of 14 waterfront parks along the Potomac River.

Each is relatively small but together they form a linear line some two miles in length and are anchored by the Mt. Vernon Bike Trail. Each one carries a marker denoting its hours, size and historical identity. Today we will visit Tide Lock Park.

Tide Lock Park

Tide Lock Park consists of 6.70 acres that are completely accessible to the waterfront and takes its name from an old canal that existed in the 1800's.

The remains of the canal were discovered during the construction of an office building and were incorporated into the design.

These artificial waterways were used to move goods and materials to and from sea going ships. The goods were then transported by canal barges up and down the canal which were controlled by huge wooden locks. The last of the Alexandria canals were destroyed by floods in the early 1820's and were never re-built because the railroads were beginning to take over.

Today there is a replica of the lock and canal which uses many of original canal wall stones and is an integral part of the landscape for the Trans Potomac Canal Center/Savage Fogarty which maintains this property with permanent public access.

Tide Lock Park also includes quiet spots for sitting, an outdoor amphitheater, water features and examples of Greco Roman sculpture. Truly a tiny gem, Tide Lock is a green respite for workers, visitors and residents and one of the things that makes Alexandria a great place to live.

Just like folks have destination weddings, trick or treat hopefuls have destination Halloween locations.  And in Old Town Alexandria that means only one thing - Lee Street.

An old fashioned block party in the best sense of the word, the Lee Street Halloween extravaganza stretches for six blocks between Gibbon and King.

With cooperation from the Alexandria police, the street is open only to foot traffic.  The party starts as early as 5:00pm, for the little ones, and goes as late as 10:00pm.

What makes Halloween on Lee Street so much fun is that every one gets in on the act.  Houses are decorated, costumed homeowners are waiting on the doorstep (no having to ring the doorbell here) and adults, children and dogs join in on the party.

Of course some of the adults have secret liquid "potions" that they only share with other adults!

No small venture, one Old Town resident told us they have to buy so much candy - some 3000+ pieces - that they order it online to get the best price!

Like we said, Halloween on Lee Street in Old Town Alexandria is a destination spot and folks come from miles around.

Edgar Allen Poe first visited Alexandria in 1849. One hundred and sixty years later, he will make a return visit - thanks to actor David Keltz - on Halloween.

Appearing at the Lyceum in Old Town, Keltz will recreate the magic of Poe's visit to Alexandria with readings from "The Raven," "Annabelle," and "The Tell-Tale Heart" among other Poe favorites.

Click here for tickets and more information. What better way to spend Halloween than with the master of suspense - Edgar Allen Poe.

Let me tell you right off the bat that this is a feel good kind of story. The kind of story that makes you think about being kinder, a bit more patient, and perhaps seeing your neighbors in a whole new light. This is how a pot of chili made all the difference.

Our block in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood hosts a chili "cook off" every year. It is very informal, open to all and operates primarily by word of mouth. Some years it's a grand, busting at the seams affair, other times, it's small and just an excuse to get together.

From our neighbor and uber chili organzier, Laura Fries:

"Yesterday was the Chili Cook-Off. Yes, the day with the driving rain and wind coming down hardest just when the cook-off was supposed to start. The host families were talking of canceling - we had given it a good shot but the weather, for a second weekend in a row, wasn't cooperating.

The we looked out into the yard and there, huddled under the tent, were at least half a dozen residents of the group home from the next block. They had made a pot of chili. They weren't leaving. Some had walkers, others were in wheelchairs and, despite trying to stay under the tent, they were getting soaked.

It was clear the show had to go on. We put on rain coats and boots, grabbed some umbrellas and brought out our pot of chili. We figured that even if there were just two or three entires to taste, it would make the group home people happy. Then something really amazing happened.

People started showing up. Lots of them. They came with different umbrellas, pots of chili and corn bread, cakes and pies. People went from tent to tent tasting eight different kinds of chili - two vegetarian and one with duck and rabbit! Nobody seemd to care about the rain and a few neighbors new to the experience couldn't stop raving.

There was something happening here. As he does every year, the Sherriff of Alexandria, Dana Lawhorne, came by to count the ballots. (Yes, we have official ballots and everything.) It had stopped raining by then and we lit a fire and sat around on hay bales waiting for the announcement, the moment of truth had come.

Turns out, the Wicked Wizards, the group home contestants who ran their wheelchairs through the mud and hung out all day in the rain, won first prize for their pot of chili. I cannot adequately express their joy. The supervisor of the group home accepted the homemade award on their behalf and it almost brought the whole crowd to tears. He talked about how people with physical and mental challenges always feel on the outside of everything and that today they were winners and a true part of the neighborhood. It was one of the best cook off's ever."

And that my friends, is how a pot of chili made all the difference.

.

With the Mayor, most of Alexandria's City Council and U.S. Representative Jim Moran in attendance, the 2009 Del Ray Halloween Parade showed off under crisp blue skies only slightly behind schedule and with a record crowd.

A true home grown event, the Del Ray Halloween Parade is a chance for everyone  - dogs, parents, babies, etc.  - to put on a costume, or at least a funny hat, and make their way down Mt. Vernon Avenue.

And if you didn't want to "parade" it was perfectly acceptable to simply observe.

The really smart folks grabbed every available table at outdoor dining spots along the parade route which made it a great day for all of Del Ray's businesses.

Capping the night off - the Spooky Bean Halloween sponsored by Bean Creative on Mt. Vernon Avenue.

A special shout out to Gayle Reuter, the driving force behind the Del Ray Halloween Parade.  It wouldn't get done without you!