After wanting to go ever since I was a kid and first discovered the strange tale about the grave of a woman known only as the Female Stranger in Alexandria, VA, I've wanted to go. A man and a sick woman, presumably his wife, get off a ship and find lodging above Gadsby's Tavern. She dies and is buried, the gravestone carved into a table marking her final resting place, and surrounded by a wrought iron fence. See my earlier blog entry about the subject for more details.
Finally, this year as a late birthday present for us both, my long-time friend Penny took us on 22 August 2018. It was a gray day. Foggy with a drizzling rain. Penny's GPS took us into the cemetery, along a grassy path, and right to the easily recognizable grave marker.
Finally, this year as a late birthday present for us both, my long-time friend Penny took us on 22 August 2018. It was a gray day. Foggy with a drizzling rain. Penny's GPS took us into the cemetery, along a grassy path, and right to the easily recognizable grave marker.
As an offering, we both placed some change on top the table, as so many others before have done and as so many after us will most likely do. In the concrete surrounding the grave, you can see the remnants of the wrought iron fence that used to surround the grave; it was sawed off, scavenged during World War I.
The cemetery was eerily quiet this rainy day. In fact, other than Penny and myself, there was only one other person in the entire cemetery--a single caretaker who was cutting grass in the rain. Every once in a while, there would be a strike of lightning and a clap of thunder. Creepy. Like I was supposed to be there on that day.
Having waited nearly my whole life to visit, it was well worth the trip, even in the weather.
We had a moment of silence for the woman whose identity no one knew, except for the man with whom she'd gotten off the shop, and then spent some time wandering through the huge, old cemetery in the rain, discovering a lot of other pretty cool gravestones.
Penny decided, instead of heading straight back home after visiting Gadsby's Tavern, we should have lunch there and then visit the old hotel part and see the room where the Female Stranger lay ill and ultimately died. Lunch was tasty. They made me a huge salad with mixed greens, peanuts, grapes, onions, tomatoes, and fresh cut fries that were as crispy as I like them, and also made me a dressing. And then Penny and I went over to the hotel part where they took us on a tour, all the way up to the mysterious and infamous room! I've heard stories where people have claimed to see the spirit of the Female Stranger looking out the window upstairs, but I have to tell you, I didn't feel her presence at all. I like to think she found peace and moved Beyond the Veil.
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Our waiter asked if we wanted him to take a picture of us in the dining room of the historic tavern.
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Finally, we were shown to Room 8 and the tour guide left us alone to take pictures and just hang out for awhile.
We had a great time, on par with our visit to Point Pleasant, WV, to see Mothman a few years back. We want to make a return visit either next summer or the following.
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