Gotta go to a convention at the Gaylord Conv Ctr Apr 17-19th. Geesh guess I won’t sleep there at $450 a night !!! I’d rather spend my money at tack shops. They charge a SUBstantial fee for smoking, wonder what they would charge for the smell of kennel on my shoes. Any ideas of where to stay cheep and where to go plunder the used tweeds and hunt crops with the extra money? I don’t know anything about this “national harbor” area and I don’t know if driving to-from ConvCenter is practical -but I would I’d love to have suggestions from my hunt buddies!
I don’t know of much to do in Alexandria, horsey-wise… (are there any tack shops even left there?)
If you want to browse used hunt clothing, you need to come west a bit, to Middleburg… it’s easy to get to from Alexandria, as long as its not rush hour (if it’s rush hour, forget it, you’ll want to strangle yourself with the traffic…). You’ll just take I-66 west to Rte 50, and take rte 50 into Middleburg. There, you can visit the Middleburg Tack Exchange, drive 15 min south to The Old Habit in Marshall, and drive 15 minutes back east along rte. 66 to the huge Saddlery Liquidators in Haymarket. (FYI, all close by 5 PM)
Hope that helps!
Hot Dog!
Hot Dog, SSRider, this is JUST what I am looking for! Yes to all of them! I am only obligated from about 3-4 Friday and will be in town Thurs thru Sat. I’d LUV for you to suggest a close place to stay (motel 6 will do) where I could feasibly drive a rent a car without chancing getting lost or a traffic jam. I’ll take my waffle house breakfast to go 
on the itinerary you suggest! If I am going to drive a rent a wreck, should I fly into DC or somewhere else (ie richmond)?
[QUOTE=stp;2994824]
Hot Dog, SSRider, this is JUST what I am looking for! Yes to all of them! I am only obligated from about 3-4 Friday and will be in town Thurs thru Sat. I’d LUV for you to suggest a close place to stay (motel 6 will do) where I could feasibly drive a rent a car without chancing getting lost or a traffic jam. I’ll take my waffle house breakfast to go on the itinerary you suggest! If I am going to drive a rent a wreck, should I fly into DC or somewhere else (ie richmond)?[/QUOTE]
Fly into Dulles and stay in Chantilly. It’s not far from Middleburg, they have several reasonably priced places to say there to choose from, and it’s easy to get where you need to be from there.
Old Town Alexandria is a lovely town… the Harbor is still under construction though…Lots of nice shops and good restaraunts in Old Town!
I agree with driving to Middleburg and scouting out the tack shops!
If you are flying into Dulles, there are lots of hotels to stay in near there. From Dulles it is just a couple of miles south to Route 50. West on 50 about 5? miles to Dover Saddlery, continue another 15? to Middleburg. About 6 miles before Middleburg, Rt 15 crosses 50. 10 miles south on 15 to Haymarket Saddlery Liquidators (you will pass my farm 
).
To get to the Convention center, you can either go east on 50 to 66, or stay south on 28 to Rt 66. 66 East to 495 Beltway. Not sure from there. On the way home, you can stay west on 66 past 28 to Route 15 (about 1/2 mile north of Saddlery Liquidators).
For the Old Habit (used tack and Hunt clothes) stay west on 66 past 15 to Marshall.
It is a square - 28 (N/S), 66 (E/W), 15 (N/S), 50 (E/W)
For cheaper accommdations, Manassas is on 66 between 28 and 15. Then to go to the Convention, 66 is right there for an easy commute (although SLOW traffic, but that is EVERYWHERE) Manassas (234 & 66) has many hotels within 1/2 a mile, and a Shoneys for breakfast.
Middleburg Spring Hunt Races at Glenwood Park on the 19th
Going to saddle shops if you’re in NOVA is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but as long as you’re in Alexandria, let’s not just leave it at saddle shops. There’s so much more to do. Alexandria is a beautiful and historic small city and you should take the time to walk around it. You can tour Gadsby’s Tavern, where George Washington used to dine and dance, and you too can have a candle-lit game dinner there. Walk up and down the brick sidewalks and admire the eighteenth-century houses; stop at Christ Church (ca. 1752) where Washington worshipped and Lee was baptised; visit the antique shops on St. Asaph Street.
Visit the antique shops in Middleburg and have brunch at the fireside of the Red Fox Inn. After you hit the tack shops there, drive west out Rt 50 through the holy ground of Upperville, then on to adorable tiny Paris where the Ashby Inn offers splendid food and a view of the Blue Ridge and Ashby’s Gap. Turn left on Route 17 and you can visit Mount Bleak, a historic house with spectacular views down one of the most beautiful and imperiled viewsheds in the US. Drive south from there to Delaplane where Stonewall Jackson embarked for First Manassas, and you can get back on the road for Warrenton, home of the excellent if pricey Horse Country.
Oh, you’re going to have so much fun! I wish I were taking you on a tour.
No tack shops in Alexandria. I think the only horses you might see are the carriage ones on the weekend (and I don’t think they are running this time of year). That said, I’d stay close to Alexandria, because it’s not so bad driving away from here, but it’s heck trying to commute here in the morning! 66 and 50 are NOT ideal in the morning to be heading towards Alexandria.
There are plenty of hotels and local transportation (Metro and Dashbus) that can take you to the Conv Center. There are a couple hotels randomly located around town, some further out from Old Town than others.
And I agree with others, you must go out to the Tack Exchange, Tack Box, Old Habit, Horse Country…all amazing! (though some more so than others)
If you have any other questions about Alexandria, let me know. I live just outside of Old Town.
Also, fly into whichever is cheapest. National is WAY closer, and you get get to Alexandria via Metro from National, but Dulles is definitely closer to Middleburg, et al.
i agree with ashby you dont want to miss alexandria i grew up there and in the 80’s had a show stable that is gone now, there was even a tack shop in the city called the black fox saddlery, gone now too, alexandria even had steeplechases way back when eons ago, but all the horse activity worth going to is in middleburg/warrenton area but if you really want somewhere nice to stay go to hunters rest bed and breakfast of Betsy Parker, writer for the Faqueir Democrat and 45 mins from Alexandria as I used to ride there and she has lovely horses to hack out on the Virginia countryside and a gorgeous meadow and woods and stream to cross, you wont want to miss riding in Virginia if you have the chance, google her and have fun
Actually, there are tack shops in Alexandria… as well as horses and boarding barns!!!
I would not recommend the Alexandria tack stores… just because they are pretty small/boring/standard and quite overpriced.
Great area and an easy drive to Middleburg! Enjoy your stay!! 
You Guys
You guys are absolutely great. It makes me feel mushy inside to read the warm replies and know that the advice is given to a complete stranger! You all may have lost a lot of countryside in VA but the country hospitality hasn’t left you!
Horse Country in Warrenton!!!
You have got to go there!!! Tack, clothing, everything for the country life!!! And…hold on to your wallet!! I love it.
[QUOTE=stp;2994699]
Gotta go to a convention at the Gaylord Conv Ctr Apr 17-19th. Geesh guess I won’t sleep there at $450 a night !!! I’d rather spend my money at tack shops. They charge a SUBstantial fee for smoking, wonder what they would charge for the smell of kennel on my shoes. Any ideas of where to stay cheep and where to go plunder the used tweeds and hunt crops with the extra money? I don’t know anything about this “national harbor” area and I don’t know if driving to-from ConvCenter is practical -but I would I’d love to have suggestions from my hunt buddies![/QUOTE]
Has no one suggested where you might come for a nice hack out in Virginia horse country???! Shopping = fun. Riding out = more fun.
And make sure to go to the races Saturday. Glenwood Park is a gem.
