Can you
recommend a good hotel?
If you want a waterfront room,
the Annapolis Marriott Waterfront is the only hotel in the heart of
historic downtown Annapolis that faces the water. It’s located at the
intersection of St. Mary's
Street and Compromise Street. (Don’t
you love that name for a street – “Compromise”?) It’s kind
of
pricy, though; expect to spend a minimum of $300 for a water
view.
There’s a clutch of historic inns around the State House: The
Maryland Inn, the Robert Johnson Inn,
and the Governor Calvert
House.
Away from historic center, Annapolis has the usual chains –
Best Western, Courtyard, Days Inn,
Extended Stay, Hampton Inn,
Homestead, Radisson, Residence Inn, Sheraton
Since the Naval
Academy is in Annapolis, I’m guessing that the area is good for boating.
Can I get
to Annapolis by boat and use a mooring while I
visit?
Annapolis calls itself the "Sailing Capital of the World."
It is situated right on the banks of the Severn
River, which
feeds into the Chesapeake Bay, which is about 70 miles from the Atlantic
Ocean.
Unfortunately, within Annapolis itself, most of the
accesses to the river are controlled by private
yacht clubs or
private homes. There is a single public ramp on Spa Creek in Truxton Park.
(By the
way, “Spa” is an American corruption of the way the
English say the nautical term “spar.”)
Anchorage rules are
regulated by Title 33: Navigation and Navigable Waters, PART 110—
ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS, Subpart B—Anchorage Grounds. Among other
rules, the regs
state “No vessel shall anchor within 100 feet of
any wharf, marine railway, or other structure without
the
permission of the owner thereof.”
How’s the fishing around
Annapolis?
You can find Rockfish, (Striped
Bass), Black Drum, Trout, Croaker, Hardhead, Flounder, Spot
and
Perch from April through June, and September through
November.
Please tell me what Annapolis
looks like so I know if I want to spend some time
there.
First, Annapolis is
geographically small and architecturally short. It is the state capital of
Maryland,
and like most state capitals, it is not the biggest
city in the state. The town tourist like to visit is
referred to
as “Historic Annapolis.” Annapolis has more existing colonial buildings
than any other U.
S. city. People were short back then, so most
houses are no more than 2 or 3 stories tall. Walking
around the
town is like a trip back in time. Everything is small-scale. If you like
1700s architecture,
you’ll love this city.
Annapolis and
the surrounding areais chock-full of American colonial history. In 1694,
colonial
Maryland's governor, Francis Nicholson, decided to move
the capital from St. Mary's City in the
south to a more
convenient location. Nicholson named this new seat of power Annapolis—or
"Anne's city," after the then-heir to the Crown. The Maryland
State House is the oldest state capitol
still in continuous
legislative use.
The main traffic feature of the city’s layout are
two roundabouts. One is called Church Circle that
runs around St.
Anne’s Episcopal Church, and the other is called State Circle that runs
around the
State House. This was a deliberate plan as a way to
reinforce the Constitutional notion of the
separation of church
and state.
What’s fun in
Annapolis?
A fun place to sit to
people-watch is what the locals call “Ego Alley” on Annapolis Harbor.
Folks
with fancy, expensive boats like to show them off along the
public waterway. There are several
waterfront restaurants along
the Alley so you can eat and drink while you gawk.
I like taking
the water taxi tour of the Annapolis harbor. It takes about 40 minutes and
costs $6 per
adult. On foot, you can follow a walking tour or
historic sites offered by a commercial company that
I don’t want
to mention lest you think I’ve sold out. I’m sure your hotel will have a
brochure in the
lobby sponsored by them. On your own, you could
just grab the official Visitor’s Guide from the
Visitor’s Center
on West Street behind the Church Circle for a map with all the
highlights.
In October, Annapolis is host to the National Sailboat
Show, followed one week later by the
National Powerboat Show. If
you like boats, these are among the best boat shows in the
country.
As for fun nightlife, I confess I’m not able to help you
because I’m happily married and I stay home
with my significant
other. I suggest you hang out at one of the many restaurants or bars and
mingle
with the locals. We’re all very friendly here and we often
eavesdrop on our dinner neighbor’s
conversations. Don’t be
alarmed if a local jumps into your conversation to give you suggestions
about the menu. That’s you’re opening for a conversation about
the nightlife.
Can you recommend any good
seafood restaurants?
In Annapolis, they’re all good.
I’m not being lazy by not giving you names. I can’t favor one over
another because I’ve never had a bad meal in this town.
Really.
For other
Destinations, go to www.askaresident.com