Alexandria, Virginia, often thought of as merely a suburb of Washington, D.C., is actually one of the most historic towns in the United States.  The town, founded in 1749, predates the nation’s capital and the nation itself.  While most towns and cities (such as Charleston, Philadelphia, New York or Boston to name a few) set aside museums, parks, and houses where George Washington may have spent an evening or had a meal, Alexandria, Virginia has the distinction of being Washington’s hometown.  Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, is only nine miles south of Alexandria.  Washington literally helped survey and lay out the very streets of the town in 1748.  Washington spent a considerable amount of time of his life with friends and family at Alexandria and became a leading citizen in the town.