Last weekend I attended an event at National Harbor, but without photos or the chance to visit the village, could not do it justice for you. Well, I liked National Harbor so much, that I went back to get a sense of it so you could hear more about it, and see photos as well. First of all, the website tries to make you think that "National Harbor" is a city for an address. It isn't. No GPS will have the city listed as such -- its Oxon Hill, Maryland. You can drive there and park, which is $3 / hour, or take the pricey ferry from Alexandria, which is $8 one way, $16 round-trip.
The National Harbor, a new gem that is essentially south of Washington DC, across the Potomac from Alexandria and Mount Vernon, is still developing. It is, however, developing into a cross between Reston Town Center and Shirlington -- but on the water, with restaurants and even condos that have a view. Cute and hip, National Harbor has sit-down restaurants and a Pot Belly, Ben & Jerry's and a gelato place, a Majorga coffee shop (thank God not another Starbucks) and a Fossil store. It has a cute pet shop, a hotel right there, an established event area, and is down the road from Gaylord. Today, the event area had a lobsterfest!
New and clean, National Harbor is a place to go on a sunny day for a bike ride, a meal, and a stroll. For the stroll, I can recommend walking between National Harbor's "downtown" area and Gaylord. It really is a beautiful area, and this time I have photos to prove it!
