Annapolis, with its charm, waterfront, and midshipmen, is a picturesque town and one of my favorite destinations. I can’t explain why it took me this long in the trip to see it, nor why I have not been to visit in the decade I have lived in the DC area. A family member once lived on the campus of the Naval Academy, so it was part of my universe for a time. I actually thought about living there and commuting to work in DC when I first arrived. And then I got caught up in other charms and neglected Annapolis.
On this very hot day, my priority was to see the Banneker-Douglass Museum. Named for Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass, it is Maryland’s official museum of the African-American experience. I was very excited to see it and delighted to find nearby parking, only to discover that it was closed. The website had not been so clear. I decided my next highest priority was historic homes district, so I plugged an address into my navigational device and parallel parked the car at a spot nearby, only to discover as I got out that I was at the doors of the US Naval Academy. Obviously, it was not my first visit–that had included the official tour and predated my family’s connection to it. But I figured it was the best way to start in the town since I was at its doorstep. All their buildings were closed to the public because of the pandemic, but I walked around the grounds and took in the water despite the heat and humidity.
Once back out on the sidewalk, I wandered down to the harbor. Much of it was closed to enable outside dining. I was starving, so I bought lunch (and dinner) at Mission Barbeque and then headed to a trolley for a guided, air conditioned tour of the city. I was the only passenger, so Debbie the tour guide chatted away with facts about Annapolis’ history for an hour. We passed a number of historic homes worth visiting when they reopen, then drove down the street that borders both the Naval Academy and St. John’s College. I had once imagined myself on faculty at St. John’s, living in that picturesque town and reading Great Books for a living. We crossed over the Severn River to the World War II Memorial where I took pictures of the city. Then we navigated back to the capitol area and she recommended a place for afternoon tea. She explained the history of Maryland settlement and establishment of a capitol at Annapolis, then directed me to the shopping district. Just as I was about to leave, I learned that she is an 1971 alumna of my alma mater, the University of Dayton. No wonder she was so nice and good at her job.
I was worried about getting a parking ticket, but it did not stop me from buying some ice cream. I decided to take Debbie’s advice and headed to the tea place to park, and found I was near the Banneker-Douglass Museum again, so I promised myself a tea stop when I come back to see the museum. Instead, I walked around Church Circle then up and down Baltimore Street, the shopping district. I passed on buying crab cakes because I had so much food already and, although the crowds were likely less than in normal years, they were bigger than anything I had experienced since the start of the pandemic.
It was still early, but I was tired and overheated. I decided not to explore further into the Eastern Shore and headed back home for a quiet evening.