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An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.


"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

First People - The Legends. Cherokee Legend of Two Wolves. November 16, 2004. [accessed April 7, 2012].

Friday, August 03, 2012

What County and which State, exactly, is National Harbor in?

History Overlooking National Harbor - Yes in Prince George's County, Maryland - Oxon Hill  Manor

               What County and which State, exactly, is National Harbor in? A casual observer would have no idea that the 'gem' of Prince George's is actually in Prince George's County. A quick Google search turns up the following dismal result:  three times the number of Google hits for 'National Harbor Old Town' (3,760,000 results) than for 'National Harbor Prince George's' (1,650,000 results). Even Fodor's Travel web site for Prince George's County focuses on Virginia.
'The National Harbor sprawls across 300 acres of the previously abandoned banks of the Potomac River across from Old Town Alexandria. Although it is still in development and construction is to be expected, the location already offers world-class accommodations, dining, and water taxi tours to other hot spots on the Potomac."[1]

        The first few entries from a Google search today bring up the following dearth of any mention of Prince George's County?
  • ·       "In the Washington, D.C. area, Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor is a top vacation destination offering everything you need for an unforgettable family gateway."[2]
  • ·       "Gaylord National is the crown jewel of the newly developed National Harbor, a dynamic waterfront community in the Washington D.C. area / National Harbor, MD. A world-class hotel and convention center covering 41.7 acres, Gaylord National overlooks the monuments and skyline of our nation's capital. Ideally situated along the scenic shoreline of the historic Potomac River, Gaylord National is the largest combined hotel and convention center on the Eastern Seaboard."[3]
  • ·       " National Harbor combines urban energy and convenience with the timeless appeal of waterfront living. Directly across the Potomac from Old Town Alexandria, National Harbor residents enjoy spectacular river views, marina privileges, and concierge services, as well as a walkable world of restaurants, clubs, shopping, entertainment, offices, and hotels, crowned by the dazzling Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center."[4]
  • ·       " More than 70 enticing shops and restaurants, right on the river. Views of downtown D.C. and Old Town Alexandria. A new perspective on national history. These are all qualities that encourage an overnight stay—and National Harbor is more than happy to oblige. Six on-site hotels offer a range of accommodations and rates—each within easy walking distance of our signature waterfront wonders."[5]


               Is Prince George's County really so dreadful a place that our best and brightest economic development project disdains to mention us at all? The rebranding of location smacks of the University of Maryland, College Park, which continues to proudly dream of being in Montgomery County or, in its absence of action, any county but Prince George's.

               The really galling thing is the focus on the Historical attraction of old town Alexandria. Old town has history and retail in a small compact area - a place for visitors to spend their money not in Prince George's County. Prince George's County,  however, has history to spare and the capacity to get tourist there.  Erich Wagner of the Gazette reports that "Orlando Perry, who runs historic tours in northern and central Prince George’s and is involved in the effort to bring a Potomac River heritage trail to bear, said that given the proposed trail’s proximity to National Harbor, the project could potentially spur “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in economic development, via tour companies, bus rentals as well as food and shopping. “National Harbor’s there, but there’s a lot of money that’s not being spent in Prince George’s, but is being taken across the river [into Washington, D.C.], Perry said. “And if we get enough exposure for these historic sites, Park and Planning might be able to get grants to redo [and preserve] the properties they own." ewagner@gazette.net'[6]

               Let's take a little look at what Prince George's has in the way of history; Abraham Hall, College Park Airport and College Park Aviation Museum, Darnall's Chance House Museum, Dorsey Chapel, Marietta House Museum, Montpelier Mansion, Mount Calvert Historical & Archaelogical Park, Northampton Plantation Slave Quarters, Patuxent Rural Museums, Riversdale House Museum, Seabrook Schoolhouse, Surratt House Museum  and over 350 additional privately owned sites.

               And if that is not enough for National Harbor marketing folks, Prince George's County is the home to the following African American Historic Sites Statistics: 61 Historic Sites, 34 Historic Resources, 71 Documented Properties, 19 Historic Communities, 6 National Register Properties, and 2 National Register Districts. Is there some problem with taking advantage of this depth of history that I don't see?



[2] Extra Holidays® by Wyndham © 2012 | Reservations: 1-800-625-1649 | Email Us: info@extraholidays.com | Fla. Seller of Travel Reg. No. ST-35519 ]accessed August 3, 2012] http://www.extraholidays.com/washington-dc/wyndham-vacation-resorts-national-harbor.aspx?LID=GGL&gclid=CJXnzI24y7ECFYeo4AodMkkA0Q
[3] © Gaylord Hotels, All Rights Reserved. [accessed August 3, 2012] http://www.gaylordhotels.com/about-gaylord/index.html?intcmp=gh-pl=bNav-cid=GenL
[4] 165 Waterfront Street, Suite 300, National Harbor, MD 20745 | 301-703-9823 | 301-749-7333 MHBR # 5644 MHBR # 5861 MHBR # 5860 MHBR # 6443 [accessed August 3, 2012] http://nationalharborliving.aitrk.com/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc           
[5] Peterson Co. [accessed August 3, 2012] http://nationalharbor.com/experience/
[6] Erich Wagner. March 15, 2012. Proposed southern Prince George’s historic trail could be boon for region
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very well put, as always.

03 August, 2012 18:05

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