Insider's Guide to Annapolis

By Norma Babington
Washington World Correspondent
May 1, 1996

As a newcomer to Anne Arundel County, I'm still a little starry-eyed at traveling from my home in Severna Park to downtown Annapolis, where the historic waterfront city has a charm and vitality that makes my visits there always a pleasant experience.

On my forays into town, eating is usually the goal, along with a little shopping. But with summer approaching and a slew of relatives about to descend, I've dusted off my visitor game plan with the cool places that I have discovered so far.

I have three children, ages 7, 11 and 12, so I'm kind of hip to the kid scene in Annapolis. For children and adults, spring and summer are the best times to visit Annapolis because you can do most of it on foot and enjoy each step of the way. The best plan -- if you're going to walk around Annapolis -- is starting at the Visitor's Center at 26 West Street. It's attached to Gott's Parking Garage, which is a good place to park. (Annapolis, by the way, has nicknamed itself the Sailing Capital of the World. Well, it's got another nickname -- The City With Very Little Parking and Very Diligent Ticket Writers.) So going for the parking garages is a good plan.

At the Visitor's Center you can get information on all the tours, museums and special events so you can see and do what fits your budget, interest and time. Below are some tips about places I've visited with and without children. But it's only the tip of the iceberg.

If you're interested in Maryland history, take the tour of the State House. Docents dressed in 18th-century clothing do a nice job of tailoring tours to adults and children. I had the recent pleasure of escorting eight Cub Scouts on one of these tours. They were astounded by some of the facts our guide gave us. Their personal favorite: Colonial moms had little pockets sewn in their dresses to carry perfumed sachets for a little extra protection because they, like all people of the period, went months without baths!

The Annapolis City Hall at 160 Duke of Gloucester St. has new city murals on display (it's open 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday). The Mattaponi Indian who posed in one of the murals is the same model used for Disney's recent movie hit, "Pocahontas." Now there's a drawing card!

St. Anne's Episcopal Church is at the center of Church Circle downtown. If you haven't been inside St. Anne's, it's worth taking a peek, even with children. It's a beautiful old church, established in 1692. King William III designated it as his "Chapel Royal." The church is open 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. There's a 5:30 p.m. evening prayer service and visitors are encouraged to attend.

There is also the Naval Academy with daily tours. Try to get the 11:45 a.m. tour (Monday through Friday) so you can see the midshipmen do the Noon Meal Formation, which is sort of Annapolis’s version of Buckingham Palace’s changing of the guard.

For water lovers, there are lots of options. There's the water taxi, which is fun for children and adults. You can park your car in Eastport (where there's a lot of parking available) and ride the taxi to Annapolis City Dock for $1.50 and then walk around Annapolis from there. The taxi has regular runs around the City Dock area and also can carry you up Back Creek to Two Seasons Cafe at Annapolis Landing Marina, which is a nice lunch spot overlooking the bay.

If you want to spend a little more money ($6 for adults and $3 for children), take one of the water tours that run hourly from City Dock on Saturday and Sunday. (Find the information booth at the dock, and the tour office is right across from it.) There are tours on small boats and big boats depending on the size of your party. The "tour guide" is a tape.

If you want a real-person-guide water tour, take the Miss Anne at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for an Ecotour of the bay. (This tour runs May through October.) You can ask lots of questions and learn a lot about the area.

Enough water. Enough children. For adults, I've found Annapolis full of possibilities. My husband and I have spent several weekend nights sampling the historic city's famous seafood and wandering through the quaint, attractive and expensive tourist shops. (We enjoy music but have been a little disappointed by what downtown Annapolis has to offer. One friend swears you can't spend a night in the bars on the waterfront without hearing "Brown-Eyed Girl" at least once.)

In the going-out-for-drinks department, my favorite spot -— so far -— in Annapolis is the Ramshead on West Street. Recently expanded, it now offers beer from its own microbrewery (which is within smelling distance). The Ramshead is the happening place in Annapolis for the over-21 set. The bar and restaurant are beautiful -— dark and woody -— and it has the magic of happy raucousness without losing decorum.

We recently discovered Paul’s Homewood Cafe on West Street heading towards Parole, Md. It's a family operation, with three generations of the same family cooking, waiting on customers, and busing tables. The food -- Greek -- is delicious and the newly renovated building has a comfortable family atmosphere.

I've taken at least three visitors to Middleton's on the waterfront. I love sitting outside in the summer (they have their fireplaces lit for winter). The atmosphere is cosy and the food always delicious. I've been to Cafe Normandy and the Maryland Inn, both downtown, and would recommend them both. Cantlers, near the Severn River (you really need to call for directions), is another favorite. I hope soon to visit Harry Brown's, downtown off State Circle, which is reputed to have the best view of Annapolis, a tempting menu and an intimate atmosphere.

One last word on food (and children): Buddy's Crabs and Ribs, also on the waterfront. It was the first place we ate as a family and has become our children's favorite place to eat, but I'm not sure why. On our first visit there, my 12-year-old daughter got more pleasure counting how many times our waitress told us her name than she did with the mess (literally) of ribs on her plate. I personally feel like I've been through a meat grinder after dining there. Lots of hustle, bustle and noise, but everyone looks like they are having a great time. We took my mother-in-law during Thanksgiving. (Definitely a mistake -- a long flight of stairs and a recent hip replacement were a bad match.)

Here's some upcoming events that you might be interested in. If you want more detailed information, visit the Annapolis Electronic City Hall Calendar.

Summer Events

May 3-5 Waterfront Arts Festival
May 5 22nd Annual Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk
May 17-19 Used Boat Show '96
May 18 Children's Colonial Festival
June 1-2 St. John's Book Fair
June 8-9 18th Century Trade Fair
July 4 Fireworks at City Dock
August 24-Oct 20 (Saturdays and Sundays)Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville. (Take Route 50 east out of Washington, turn onto Route 3 North before Annapolis, then turn right on Route 450 East. After 6 1/2 miles, turn left on Crownsville Road).
September 13-15 Maryland Seafood Festival, Sandy Point State Park

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