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Oprah Magazine names Alexandria 1 of the most magical Christmas destinations

There are many destinations that galvanize the holiday spirit. One in particular can be found in the D.C. area, according to Oprah Magazine.

Old Town Alexandria in Northern Virginia was recently named one of the 19 most magical Christmas towns and villages within the world, by O, The Oprah Magazine.

Old Town ranks No. 7 on the list, followed by Santa Claus, Indiana and Mont Tremblant, Quebec.

The magazine described Alexandria as full of “good cheer each December.”

You can view the full list online.

School bus emergency? Fairfax County students have a plan to handle it

This story is part of WTOP’s 2026 Back to School coverage. The wheels on the bus will soon be going round and round again in Fairfax County, Virginia, and some of its young riders are learning what to do if there’s an emergency on the way to school. The annual Safety Patrol Training Camp, hosted by Fairfax County Public Schools' Office of Transportation Services, combined hands-on exercises with classroom lessons to teach students how to keep calm during emergencies on buses. The training can feel remarkably realistic, with overturned school buses on their side or completely upside down in the middle of the county bus depot. Other buses, right side up, fill with smoke that is water-based but mimics the intensity of a bus overheating.
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