About Alexandria City County, VA

The Fourth of July, Iceland and the Chesapeake Bay may seem like disparate elements for family memories so let me give you a bit of background.

Element #1 - After my father retired from the military he and my mother moved to Scientist’s Cliffs, a small private community on the Chesapeake Bay. The community is composed of some 300 cabins and sits on 276 acres of the Calvert Cliffs, which rim 25 miles of the Bay’s western shore.

Element #2 - My mother was from Iceland. She and my father met and married when he was stationed in Reykjavik and my brother and I were born there. (Yes, I have dual citizenship.) My sister, who came a bit later, was born in Richmond, VA.

Element #3 - My mother was born on the Fourth of July!

Now, put those three things together - plus my mother’s unabashed love of this country - and you have the beginning of a long, wonderful family memory.

For as many years as I can remember, the entire family gathered at Scientist’s Cliffs every Fourth of July to celebrate my mother’s birthday and the official birthday of the United States of America. The day started early with games - sack races, an egg toss, turtle races, softball - and ended with the all important scavenger hunt. It should be noted that the Bergin family took first place in the hunt at least 6 years in a row.

After lunch it was off to the beach or, if the jelly fish were too bad, straight to the swimming pool. But the main event, and the one everyone waited for, was dinner that night.

Sitting on the back deck overlooking a glen filled with azaleas, rhododendrons and towering trees, the picnic table spread with newspaper, we tucked into bushels and bushels of steamed blue crabs. It didn’t matter what else we had, the crabs were all anyone cared about. It didn’t matter how hot it was or how annoying the mosquitoes, the crabs were irresistible and we picked until the last one was gone.

By then it was dark and it was time for sparklers, birthday cake, tucking little ones into bed and talking long into the night. Even today, with family scattered to California, North and South Carolina and even Europe, the memory of our very special Fourth of July’s lives on.

Thanks to my daughter Taite, who with a simple entry on her Facebook page, sparked the reminder of what we all shared. If I left anything out, or if any of you have spent time at Scientist’s Cliff, I’d love to hear from you.

Celebrate, enjoy and be thankful,

Michael

Tonight’s First Thursday (July) was all about celebrating “Main Street” in Del Ray. Visit Del Ray has adopted the theme “Where Main Street Still Exists” to promote Del Ray and we think it’s the perfect slogan for the neighborhood we call home.

Of course for us, “Main Street” is actually Mt. Vernon Avenue. Local businesses - restaurants, ice cream shops, a UPS store, coffee shops, art galleries, clothing stores, a pharmacy, dry cleaner, post office, hardware store, hair salon, yoga studio, plant nursery, and more, lots more - are all contained within about a 10 block radius.

It’s the perfect neighborhood for walking and First Thursday is a great way to explore.

“Winchester” makes his first appearance at “First Thursday” with Anne and Zac from Nelson Avenue.

for lots more pictures, visit us at:

July’s First Thursday Celebrates “Main Street” in Del Ray

Summer concerts are found all over Northern Virginia and it's just one of the many benefits of life inside and near the Beltway. Keep in mind that outdoor concerts may be canceled in the event of inclement weather and subject to change without notice.

City of Alexandria

In the City of Alexandria, concerts are coordinated by the City's Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities Special Events Office. Although Alexandria has many parking garages and lots, the City of Alexandria encourages visitors to historic Old Town to use the Metro rail. Both the Yellow and Blue metro lines stop at the King Street Station in Old Town. From there, visitors can hop on a Metro or DASH bus, but the King Street Trolley is free and fun. Alexandria offers:

The Lunch Brunch Concerts

These concerts are at Canal Plaza in Alexandria VA which is located at 44 Canal Center Plaza. Music starts at noon.

• June 24, 2009 La Tanya Mari (Jazz Vocal)
• July 8, 2009 Legend of Lummy Hallin (Original & Classic Pop/Rock)
• July 22, 2009 2nd Story Band Duo (World Beat Blues)
• August 5, 2009 Chemistry (Jazz)

For up-to-date information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686.

Music At Twilight Concerts

Music at Twilight is at Fort Ward Park Amphitheater. Fort Ward Park is located at 4301 West Braddock Rd. Music usually begins at at 7:30 pm.

• July 16, 2009 Ebenezer Baptist Church Evangelical Women’s Choir (Choral)
• July 23, 2009 Alexandria Harmonizers (Barbershop)
• July 30, 2009 Irish Breakfast Band (Traditional Irish) Music starts at 7 pm.
• August 6, 2009 All Scottish Night featuring the No.Va. Branch, Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and the Alexandria Pipes & Drums (Traditional Scottish) Music starts at 7 pm.
  

For up-to-date information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686.

Ben Brenman Park Concerts

The concerts begin at 7 pm at Ben Brenman Park at the amphitheater. Ben Brenman Park is located near Cameron Station at 4800 Brenman Park Dr. Alexandria VA.

• July 15, 2009 Wes Tucker & the Skillets (Folk Rock)
• July 29, 2009 Steve Smith & the Meteors (Original Blues)

For up-to-date information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686.

For information about concerts in Arlington or Fairfax County, check here.

Having a video about an Army Ranger competition on a real estate blog may not make much sense - at first. But for those who know me and know how much pride I take in having served as a Ranger and a Ranger instructor it makes all the sense in the world.

Ranger training is tough, it’s competitive and it gives new meaning to the word challenging. According to the National Ranger Association, the mission of Ranger training is to “develop leadership skills, confidence and competence . . . to perform effectively . . . in tactically realistic environments. The course is designed to further develop leaders who are physically and mentally tough and self-disciplined and challenges them to think, act and react effectively in stress approaching that found in combat.”

To see a video of the Best Ranger Competition, please visit us at:

The 2009 Best Ranger Competition Makes This Northern Virginia Realtor Proud