Visiting Annapolis, Maryland USA - Annapolis - General Tips & Advice Reviews

Since I live in Annapolis, and it seems to be a tourist destination, even though I don’t see it that way, until all the tourist show up and screw up traffic, I figured I should write a bit about this historic little city. Now I’m not much of a writer, so I hope my ramblings don’t bore anyone.

Annapolis, Maryland is located on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay between The Severn River and The South River, almost center of the state, if the state was a square, which it is definitely not. Annapolis is a 30 minute drive South of Baltimore, Maryland and a 45 minute drive East of Washington D.C. Also, living in Annapolis, we are only a 2 to 2-1/2 hour drive from the Atlantic Ocean to our East, or a 2 to 3 hour drive to the Blue Ridge or Appalachian Mountains to the North West. If you want to visit and see all Maryland has to offer, stay in the Annapolis area and you can do many day trips to all of the different sites.

Let’s start with the historic aspect of our state capital.
Annapolis, Maryland was founded in 1649 and was originally called "Providence" when settled by the Puritans. It was later called "Anne Arundel's Towne" after the wife of Lord Baltimore, who owned the proprietary colony. It wasn't until a Royal Governor, Sir Francis Nicholson, moved the capital here from St. Mary's City that Annapolis received its present name.
Annapolis was also the country's capital when the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, was signed here. All four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence had impressive homes in Annapolis, which still stand today. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other U.S. historical figures visited and spent much time in Annapolis and you can still eat and drink in some of the same taverns as they did back in the 18th century. Today, Annapolis has more of these original 18th century structures still standing than any other city in the United States. Many are open to the public, where their beauty and architectural style is a major attraction. Historic Annapolis Foundation operates the William Paca house as a museum, and also has lots of information about many of the other historical treasures. You can visit their web site at: http://www.annapolis.org/index.asp?pageid=42

Annapolis is also famous for being the home of the United States Naval Academy. However, this world famous institution isn't the oldest college in town. That distinction belongs to St. John's College, founded in 1696 as King William's School, and is the third oldest college in the United States (after Harvard and William and Mary). Every spring, the students of the Naval Academy and St. John’s College engage in a spirited game of croquet on the front lawn of St.John's campus. The U.S. Naval Academy is also open to visitors, but because this is a military base, you can not drive into the academy. You can however park in the many parking garages down town and take a short walk to the academy. All you need is a photo I.D, such as a driver’s license or a passport, to enter the academy grounds to visit the many historical buildings and museums there. Also remember, this is a school and during certain times of the year, or depending on what is going on in the world, access may be restricted. Graduation for the academy is in May and this is one of the busiest times of the year for Annapolis. The families of the graduating students are in town, and it gets very crowded here. Also, the Navy’s Blue Angles do a show here. The Blue Angles are the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. They have a practice flight the day before the show, and then the next day they perform. Getting around the Annapolis area during these shows can be very difficult. So if you want to watch the show and you are not familiar with the area, hook up with a local that can take you to the good spots for an unobstructed view. It seems the entire city takes the day off, or at least an extended lunch, to watch these amazing pilots as they fly their F/A-18 Hornets across the skies of Annapolis. The team demonstrates choreographed graceful aerobatic maneuvers, along with fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo Pilots. Finally, the team illustrates the pinnacle of precision flying, performing maneuvers locked as a unit in the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation. From giant loops, to almost standing still in mid air, this is a must see! For more information on the Blue Angles, visit: http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/

Now for the shops, restaurants and bars in the area. The area we locals call the City Dock, or Downtown, is where all the touristy shops are located. There are lots of shops and stores selling every thing you can imagine a tourist shop would sell. There are also many restaurants and bars here. If you drive downtown, pay heed to any and all parking regulations. The City of Annapolis hires some of the best parking enforcement officers in the state, and they will not hesitate to write a ticket at the first opportunity. Park in one of the parking garages and walk. Everything is close and you don’t have to worry about the time. Some restaurants are very good, and some, well, let me make a better suggestion. During the day, you can get a bite to eat or something to drink, and sit outside by the water watching the boats and people go by. At night, the bars fill up with locals and visitors for dancing, or just a drink. Some of the bars will have live music, and some just a DJ. What ever music style you’re into, I’m sure you can find it here.

On to the food, my favorite part! I’ll try and cover the major food groups with this one. I haven’t been to every restaurant in town, or will I ever, but I’ve been to a few, and this is just my own opinion, so if you visit one of my suggestions and you don’t like it, you must have bad taste…just kidding! I told you before, the city dock has many places to eat, and some are very good, but some of the best are not in town. There are many small local restaurants tucked away in the neighborhoods that only the locals know how to find them.

On course Maryland is known for crabs, Blue Crabs that is, and if you want to eat Maryland Blue Crabs, the only place I go is Cantlers Riverside Inn. This is a typical crab house style restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, covered and uncovered, right on the water. If you’re eating crabs, the picnic style tables are covered with heavy brown paper, and the crabs are dumped right in the center for you to pick and enjoy. This is how it’s done Maryland style! Some of the other seafood restaurants we enjoy are Deep Creek Restaurant, Yellow Fin, and Fishermans Inn. Deep Creek is a small local place on the water, very cozy and comfortable. The staff is very friendly and seems to know almost everyone that eats there. The food is very good, the crab soup is excellent, and the crap dip is to die for! You could almost make a meal just out of that. Yellow fin is much bigger, and fancier than Cantlers or Deep Creek, and a suit and tie is not uncommon, but you can still go in shorts and a t-shirt as if you just came from a day on the boat. Yellow fin has a great wine list, excellent food and a key lime pie that taste like it’s right from the Florida Keys! The water views from the window seats are also very nice. Fishermans Inn is located just over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Maryland's Eastern Shore. This is a cozy, family run place and has been around since 1930. It includes a 30-seat sophisticated indoor dining area, a seafood market, and, of course, the popular summertime dining destination, the Crab Deck, complete with indoor and outdoor picnic tables-perfect for eating those famous Maryland Blue Crabs!

If you’re looking for Italian, there is only one place we go, Maria's Sicilian Ristorante at the City Dock. The food here is superb and authentic! Great wine, atmosphere, and the view from the upstairs window seats are excellent! You do not need a reservation, but make one for upstairs by a window and enjoy! This is where I asked Lena to marry me, so it has a special place in our hearts.

If you want to eat where George Washington ate and drank, Middleton Tavern at the City Dock. This is a great place for lunch or a light dinner. They serve steak and seafood in this colonial era tavern. We’ve had lunch a few times here and the crab cake sandwich is excellent.

Are you in the mood for ribs? You must try Adams Ribs in Eastport/Bay Ridge. There are three Adams Ribs in the Annapolis area, but the one in Eastport, in my opinion, is the best! These ribs just melt off the bone, with a wet sauce that is just right. This is definitely the only place to go to for ribs!

There are a few sushi places in town, but our favorite is Kyoto’s in Severna Park. The sushi bar is small, but the sushi is excellent! They also have five or six hibachi grills where the chief cooks your food to order right in front of you. But, you better watch out for flying food. The entertaining chiefs enjoy flipping the utensils around and flipping a piece of food your way to see if you can catch it in your mouth. This place is fun! If you’re looking for a more modern sushi bar, try Tsunami on West Street in Annapolis. This is a chic Japanese-European-American mix restaurant which also serves sushi with techno music softly playing in the back ground. This is not your average sushi bar, very different, but good.

Looking for some authentic Greek food? Try Chris' Charcoal Pit on West Street in the Parole area of Annapolis. This is a small place and they only take cash, but it’s almost like being in Greece. The food here is excellent and the staff friendly.

There are not many German restaurants that I know of in Maryland, and only one in the Anapolis area is The Old Stein Inn in Edgewater. My wife lived in Germany for two years and she said if it wasn't for everyone speaking English, she would think she was in Germany! The look and feel inside is right out of a small Gaststube somewhere in southwest Germany. The menu features red cabbage and potato salad piled high next to large portions of pork roast, Wiener schnitzel, goulash, knockwurst, and many other dishes out of the heart of Germany. They also have a excellent selection of beer on tap, and bottled, representing a wide range of German brands and styles. There's something for the wine lover, too. Only the best German estate wines are served, including the popular Riesling, a sweet white wine from the Rhein and Mosel valleys.

If you are looking for historic, but elegant, and a great steak, Treaty of Paris is the place to go. The building is as old as Annapolis it self, and the food and service is excellent. The filet mignon needs no knife, and the Tournedos with béarnaise sauce was the best we’ve ever had any where! For a bit more modern and with a great view of the water, Chart House restaurant would be our next choice. This is on the Eastport side of town and sits at the end of a pier right on the water across from the City Dock. This is a large wooden framed building, but very nice and upscale with a nautical theme. The view of the City Dock is excellent, and the steak is superb!

My last restaurant is more a local pub that a restaurant. Heroes Restaurant has your typical pub fare, sandwiches, 44 beers on tap, and sports on the many TVs. The food is always good and the beer always cold! At night, there may be a DJ, or a live band playing. They also have dart boards up if you think you can hit the dart board after sampling their many beers. The theme of this pub is our local police and fire fighters. You’ll find many picture and other items from our local “Heroes” on the walls here. This is a local place but always friendly and open to new comers.

Now for the Hotels; we live here, so I can’t say much for the hotels in the area because we don't stay in them...we have a house! There are a lot, some nice, and some not so nice. Some expensive, and some cheep. I’m a believer of you get what you pay for. If you don't plan on living in the place, all you need is a clean secure room and a comfortable bed to lay your head on. If you’re planning to visit Annapolis let me know and we may be able to accommodate you for a night or two. We have two spare bedrooms, which my children from my first marriage use when they are here. Lena and I did spend our wedding night at the Marriot Annapolis Waterfront, so that’s what I’m going to write about. The place is very nice, has great views from the waterside rooms, very clean and fresh for being on the water, bed very comfortable and the staff friendly, breakfast was also very nice sitting on our small balcony overlooking the water, and the restaurant, Pusser's Caribbean Grille, is also very good. We’ve eaten lunch here a few times and it is very good! Like I said, we spent our wedding night here, so that’s about all I got, or remember :)~ For more information on the Marriot Annapolis Waterfront, visit http://www.annapolismarriott.com/index.cfm

As I wrote at the beginning of this, Annapolis is in the middle of every thing Maryland has to offer a traveler looking for something, or nothing, to do. Mountain biking, camping, hiking in the many state and local parks, boating, fishing in fresh water and salt water, beaches, mountains, farm country, concerts and live music, The US Sailboat and Power Boat shows are in Annapolis every year, The Maryland Renaissance Festival is here August through September, Seafood Festivals, Wine Festivals, small towns and big cities, we have it all. If you ever visit here, give us a shout and we’ll be more than happy to show you around, or point you in the right direction.

May you have many safe and happy travels,
Mark Reynolds