Alexandria, Virginia
With picture-perfect cobblestone streets and easy access to the wineries of northern Virginia, you didn’t think we’d skip the good ole’ US, did you? These days, the main reason people go is to confront its history with the legacy of the Confederacy.
And the Freedom House Museum has three exhibitions honoring those forcibly brought here. Meanwhile, the African American Heritage Trail follows the Potomac River.
It covers nearly 200 years of history at 11 stops, including the Torpedo Factory, where many men and women worked during World War II.
At Jones Point Park, you can learn about Benjamin Banneker, a mathematician, inventor, and free African American from Maryland who was a crucial person in the 1791 surveying team that defined the border of the new US capital of Washington, DC.
You can even take a deeper look at the city’s history by booking a tour with Manumission Tours while at this summer destination, which is operated by a fourth-generation Alexandrian.
