Top attractions near Annapolis, Maryland: Fun filled 3 nights/4 days back at Annapolis
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| Downtown Annapolis, Maryland |
The last time my wife and I visited Annapolis was roughly 8 years ago. Back then, we still had our fur baby, our Pomeranian, Toby. We were living in Pennsylvania at the time, and we took a day trip out to Annapolis to check out the sights.
We walked around the downtown area, explored a state park nearby, and had ourselves some delicious lobster rolls for lunch, then stopped by again at the same restaurant to take them home for dinner. We had a great time together as we even got to sneak in a rejuvenating afternoon nap in our car, all three of us, at the aforementioned state park.
Listening to sounds of birds while taking an afternoon nap is one of life’s simple pleasures, and afterwards we really did get our second wind back. We stayed roughly 6 hours at the city exploring the place. By the time we got back home, it was around 10 o’clock. Nice day trip indeed!
It would end up being 8 years for us to get back there, but better late than never…
Annapolis, being the capital of the state of Maryland, has lot to offer: There are the nice stately government buildings, a vibrant downtown, its scenic location right near the Severn River, and the famous United States Naval Academy. As popular as the city of Baltimore is, Annapolis, in my humble opinion, gives Baltimore a run for its money.
We arrived at our temporary home for the next 3 nights, the Hilton Garden Inn Annapolis at around 3 o’clock. We liked the free breakfast for Hilton Rewards Gold members, but the room itself was dated and had the feel of a bygone era, circa 1990.
It definitely needs some tender loving care. Another thing we didn’t like was the mandatory parking fee of $8 per day to park at the hotel. I knew going in that this was the case, but it doesn’t mean I liked it.
It was a perfectly average hotel stay but we didn’t really feel like we got our money’s worth. Oh, well…
Using this perfectly adequate hotel as our base camp, we got to spend 3 nights/4 days exploring the area. Here are some of our favorite attractions near Annapolis:
- United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy is where young men and women go to become naval officers. They attend the academy for 4 years to earn Bachelor of Science degrees, at which point they are commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps.
I got to see the Naval Academy through films, especially Patriot Games, starring Harrison Ford. It featured these locations below, which we got to see first hand.
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| Across from the entrance to the Naval Academy |
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| Entrance to the Academy |
On our first trip to Annapolis, we couldn’t enter the Naval Academy as dogs are not allowed in. On our second trip, we wanted to walk around the academy, now that we’re without our little fur ball.
We left our hotel straight for the parking garage, as we knew parking around downtown can be rough. We chose Calvert Street Garage, about 6 blocks away from the waterfront area. The best part about this garage is that on weekends, parking is free!
After parking our car, we headed towards the Naval Academy. Along the way, we encountered the Maryland State House, the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use. A beautiful and well maintained building, it is also the only state house ever to have served as the nation’s capitol during 1783 to 1784.
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| Maryland State House |
We walked past this stately building, walking towards the naval academy, about 5 blocks over. As was the case last time we were there with our dog, we took the popular Main Street, full of shops/restaurants and people watching.
We have fond memories of that lobster roll place we ate last time, but we decided to forgo that this time around. The prices were no longer under $20 for a small lobster roll! Wow, how prices went up so quickly.
We browsed different shops and stores, bargain hunting but not finding much of value. It’s kind of nice to live as minimalists, as that means most things we used to buy at a new destination, like magnets, pins, and any other knickknacks (souvenir tee shirts, hats, key chains, etc.) are no longer of interest to us. Oh, and not having a permanent home also makes it challenging to keep buying stuff, as we’ll eventually run out of space to store these items.
Best bet? Don’t buy things unless we need them.
We walked towards the waterfront area where we watched some people feeding ducks along the pier. The place was definitely happening, just like on our first trip.
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| Beautifully restored buildings, a joy to walk around |
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| Annapolis waterfront |
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| Near the pier |
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| On Main Street |
We walked another block and found the entrance to the Naval Academy. We walked in, going through the usual security checkpoints, and feeling good that we’re finally here.
We decided to check out the visitor center on our way out of the academy, and instead, we walked around the campus to get a feel for the place. The campus is scenic, located right along the river.
We found cute electric powered campus vehicles parked near the visitor center, and figured it was the sign of the times to see green vehicles inside of military installations.
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| Campus of Naval Academy |
We looped around the campus, trying to walk close to the river as we possibly could, but eventually, the road ended when we encountered a security barricade allowing entrance only to students and faculty. No worries. We still enjoyed walking the campus.
We made it back to the visitor center, then walked inside. Admission was free, but we were impressed by the quality of displays at the visitor center. We especially enjoyed the space themed exhibits.
The tour of the visitor center and the campus took under an hour. We really enjoyed finally getting to explore the famed Naval Academy this time. Highly recommend this place!
- Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
After checking out of our hotel in Ocean City Maryland (Hilton Garden Inn Oceanfront), we were headed for Annapolis. On our way over there, we figured we’d stop by the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Church Creek, Maryland, to kill couple of hours.
At a distance of roughly 70 miles from Ocean City to the wildlife refuge, the drive would take us through some of the most pristine country roads in the state. It took a leisurely 1 hour and 20 minutes to cover that distance of 70 miles or so.
We walked inside the visitor center to use the restrooms and to find out where we should go on our first trip to the refuge. We found out there is the Wildlife Drive, just few hundred yards from the visitor center that we can drive through on. At a loop of 3.6 miles, this was the perfect place to get a feel for the place.
We drove in at the entrance to the Wildlife Drive, on our right, as we turned right from the visitor center. The place felt deserted on a week day, but we surely didn’t mind that. We like exploring places without having too many people around.
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| Visitor center, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland |
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| Past the entrance of Wildlife Drive |
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| Wide open views of marsh |
What was a cloudy morning gave way to a sunny day. Views really opened up thanks to the bright sunlight filtering through. As we drove slowly on the Wildlife Drive, we saw plenty of waterfowl including geese, ducks, cranes, herons.
We came upon one of the first points of interest, a marshland observation deck. Views were magnificent, indeed with views for miles. As much as we love seeing man made structures like modern skyscrapers, Greco-Roman architecture, etc., we love seeing unparalleled magnificence of nature.
We can truly appreciate the beauty of nature in just about anywhere, but when we encounter a place that is not marred by civilization like these wildlife refuges, we enjoy them even more. We love these natural wide open spaces that are not marred by civilization, that seem to de clutter our brains like nothing else can.
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| Waterfowl everywhere! |
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| On Wildlife Drive |
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| Observation deck |
We continued our journey along Wildlife Drive, finding peace, solitude, and solace in being closer to nature. A simple drive along a forest is enough to make us happy. For me, it’s these little moments that we must enjoy.
What’s the point of constantly wanting something more or better? Learn to enjoy the moment, not waiting for that something more or better that may never come. There is so much beauty all around us if we slow down to enjoy them…
The entire drive took us not more than 30 minutes. We stopped several times to take in the scenery. We breathed deeper, appreciating the incredibly fresh air during the month of February on the mid-Atlantic.
As good as the natural world is, we also love good food. After being on the road for the past 2 months, we had a sudden craving for some Korean food, so we headed out towards Annapolis.
I had scoped out a Korean barbecue place called Inju BBQ Annapolis, and we walked in to the restaurant getting attacked by the smell of different meats sizzling over grills. We’re not much meat eaters, so we ordered bento boxes that come with a salad, protein, dumplings, and rice for about $20. Not too bad on price.
Bento boxes were good but we didn’t like how sweet all the side dishes were (except maybe one out of 7). When did Korean food become so sweet? I was looking for a chewing gum right after lunch in hopes of preventing cavities!
Well, it was a meal, and we took care of our Korean food cravings. That counts for something…
In conclusion:
We reminisced about our fur baby Toby as we got to Annapolis on our second trip there. We surely miss that bugger, with his cute grin and that crowd pleasing walk of his. We have so many good memories of our time together on that trip.
As much as we still miss him, we always like to adapt, improvise, and overcome. We enjoyed our second visit, different without that fur ball, but enjoyable just as well.
Annapolis is a beautiful city to visit even if it doesn’t have the famed Naval Academy. With cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and plenty of things to do and see, it should be on any traveling connoisseur’s radar.
We especially recommend walking around downtown Annapolis, visiting the famed Naval Academy, and checking out Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge nearby. It’ll definitely keep you busy!
Annapolis was also the final stop on our 8 week long road trip to the American South/Midwest. It was a great trip full of discoveries, beauty, and first hand experiences. As with all trips, it was both bittersweet and a bit of a relief to know our trip had come to an end. We got back in one piece with newfound knowledge about different attractions in the South.
Wow, what a trip! This is why we retired early: to be able to travel, taking our time to explore different places, and to do it on a rather leisurely way, not burdened by anything, like thinking about going back to work. Nice!
Thank you for reading and happy trails!
Jake
Wandering Money Pig
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