Historic Annapolis Maryland…

Annapolis Maryland had always been a place I wanted to visit.  The reasons were the Naval Academy and my love of ocean side towns.  This dream was realized while we were staying with our dear friends Jerry and Kathleen in the Shenandoah Valley. Their location made our visit to Annapolis a relatively easy day trip.

Once in the city I was immediately awed by its charm and historic feel.  The layout made for an easy walkabout and there was plenty of free parking once off the main thoroughfares.  We certainly did not get very far very fast because every turn is picture worthy. I slowed John down for sure as I seemingly snapped pictures at every turn.  Our first stop was the Naval Academy football stadium.  It is actually much smaller than our Kyle Field at Texas A&M but a thrill to see nonetheless.  I had only previously seen this stadium on TV at the famed Army/Navy game.  It was awesome to see the blue and gold stadium and imagine the excitement that is there on game day.

Next we meandered into the downtown area soaking in the charm of all the beautiful historic buildings and narrow roadways from days gone by.  The Maryland State House presides over the town and was a joy to visit.  It is the site where General George Washington resigned from military service and there are wonderful exhibits depicting this historic moment.  The State House was also our original Nation's Capital and the structure is amazing considering it has been in use since the 1700's.  Man, they knew how to build back then!

 

From the State House it is an easy walk downtown.  The many shops and businesses were booming as this happened to be move in day for the Naval Academy Students.  Our friends recommended we make a special stop at another 1700's structure, the Middleton Tavern and it did not disappoint. The bar inside was magnificent but it was a little too early in the day to partake in the oyster shooter our friend recommended!

I was so surprised to find that just beyond the tavern is the entrance to the Naval Academy.  We loved the harbor views there as well as watching the male and female students unpacking and moving in.  A real highlight was the Chapel.  What a beautiful sanctuary it was and I would have loved to have attended a service there. 

After the Naval Academy we made our way to St Mary's Catholic Church adjacent to where our friend Kathleen grew up.  She told us that it has a series of tunnels beneath it that slaves used as escape routes.  How interesting!  Down the street we crossed the Eastport Bridge to make our way to Kathleen's favorite tavern, Davis Pub.  She said we had to have a beer and crab cakes there, so we did (and they were divine).  What an awesome place it was and a perfect ending to a dream-come-true day!  Annapolis is a place I could live.  It was wonderful and I cannot wait to experience it again one day in the future!