Cute and historic, Annapolis is an easy daytrip from Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Yet it had been more than 15 years since I had visited this sea-faring Navy-loving town, known among sailors for its prime access to the Chesapeake Bay. I was in town to visit the amazing Rogers Ship Model Collection, housed at the US Naval Academy Musuem (more on that tomorrow). I arrived early enough to look around and have lunch with friends in an historic tavern.

Annapolis is more fun in the summer, no question. That’s when the streets are full of daytrippers eating ice cream and the marinas are alive with boaters, both casual and aficionados. Still, the charm of the cobbled streets remains year round, and the city’s Georgian architecture appears at its sturdy best among snowdrifts. 

I didn’t have nearly enough time to dive into the city’s history, but here are some photos and information about the sites that I did see: 

The Kunte Kinte/Alex Haley Memorial. Snow notwithstanding, I took a walk down to City Dock, primarily to see the boats tied up (after my cruise on the Diamant schooner in Janauary, I’m starting to become a boat fan).

At the head of the harbor, there’s a statue of Roots author Alex Haley reading a book, surrounded by three children of varying ethnicities, seated on the ground and listening. In Roots, Haley tells the story of his ancestor, a Gambian named Kunta Kinte, who was brought to the United States during the slave trade. Through his research, Haley traced Kunta Kinte’s entry into America on the Lord Ligonier, a slave ship that arrived in Annapolis on Sept. 29, 1767. Of the 140 captured slaves, only 98 survived the journey – and they were promptly sold a little over a week later, according to records from newspapers at the time.

Besides the statues, the memorial encompasses a “Story Wall” along one side of the city’s seawall. Here, there are plaques with inspirational quotes from Roots (which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1977). There’s also the “Compass Rose,” an inlaid 14-foot compass made of granite with Annapolis in its center. The stars pointing outward are meant to encourage all Americans to connect to their immigrant roots, as Haley did.

All in all, it’s a moving memorial and well worth seeing as you walk around the dock area.  

Maryland State House. Built on a slight hill, you can see the quirky dome of the Maryland State House as you walk through the Historic District (the lightning rod on top was constructed by Ben Franklin). Annapolis boasts the oldest state capital building that has been in continuous legislative use. It also served as the US Capitol and meeting place for the Continental Congress for ten months between 1783 and 1784. These months were particularly eventful, as the Treaty of Paris, which marked the official end to the Revoluntionary War, was ratified here.

But more important to the history of American democracy, this is where George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Throughout history, it had usually been the practice of generals to keep a tight grip on their power, even after wars had ended. By leaving his position, Washington showed that he truly believed in the republican ideals that the Revolution had been based on. The speech that he delivered before the Continental Congress in the State House that day apparently had its listeners in tears; no wonder he was unanimously elected president by Congress in 1789 (he served until 1797). The scene of his resignation was documented by John Trumball about 40 years later in the famous painting shown above.

At the State House, you can visit the Old Senate Chambers where the speech took place. Unfortunately, the room underwent some bad renovations throughout the years so its original appearance was hard to decipher. In 2007, however, historic preservationists began removing paint and plaster from the walls, discovering “ghosts” of 18th century decorative elements such as window and door trim, and wainscotting. While the project is still a work in progress, you can see the outline of these reminants on the bare brick walls.

Also in the works for the State House: a display of the original copy of George Washington’s commission resignation speech and the Treaty of Paris. A docent told me that these wouldn’t be put in place until 2014 or so, as the Maryland government was still raising funds for the display.

Visiting the State House is free. You will have to go through security to get in. Guided tours are available from the docents in the visitor center.   

Reynolds Tavern. I met friends for lunch at this tavern on the circle near St. Ann’s Church. Dating back to 1747, Reynolds Tavern is the oldest in Annapolis and one of the oldest in the United States. They serve lunch, dinner and an afternoon tea (it’s also a B&B). The interior is decorated colonial style and is very cute.

It was Annapolis Restaurant Week during our visit, so the Tavern was serving a 3-course lunch for $15.95.

I had the signature cream of crab soup, a very rich dish flavored with Old Bay and sherry. My grilled apple, cheddar and feta sandwich wasn’t particularly remarkable, but the raisin scone – served with strawberry preserves and whipped cream – was delicious.

And my friends loved their peach tart. I would definitely come back here for afternoon tea , as the Tavern has a tea menu with more than 30 selections.

There’s so much more to Annapolis that I missed this time that I’m already thinking of going back in the summer. I’d love to have some suggestions of “must sees” from you. Let me know what some of your favorite sights and restaurants are in the comments!