Maryland State House - Annapolis
Maryland Farm
The drive to Annapolis through backroads was beautiful. I passed many small farms with big open fields of corn, soybeans, wheat and grass. There was the occasional horse farm outlined with long white or brown fences.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
How the borders between Maryland and Delaware were formed must be an interesting story. The eastern part of Maryland is cutoff from the rest of the state by the Chesapeake Bay. To get to Annapolis, MD from the eastern part of the state, I took the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (not to be confused with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel). The views from the bridge were beautiful at this time of day. Once across the bridge into the eastern side, you begin to see all the small towns with their marinas (very picturesque). I wanted to get out many times and explore. I’ve been to some of these communities 40 years ago when my friends, Susan and Brett lived there. I had very fond memories of this area.
As I got closer to Annapolis, the traffic got heavier. It was Friday afternoon at 4:00am and people were heading to their weekend homes on the water. Google maps directed me to the capital building and I was saddened to see that the spire on the capital was shrouded in scaffolding and and tarps. The capital building sits on a hill and is surrounded by a one way traffic circle. Streets head off from the capital like a star fish, leading into different part of the town.
Real Pumpkin: Pumpkin Contest
The streets were very congested with tourists, students and families visiting the Naval Academy. I maneuvered my way around the capital circle, often driving very slowly to make sure I didn’t brush any of the trucks and cars parked on both sides of a very narrow street. As usual, I decided to drive away from the congestion to find parking which I found on King George Street. I was surprised that there was plenty of free parking so close to the Naval Academy. I had to walk a quarter of a mile back to the capital.
Camera in hand, I walked over to the entrance of the Naval Academy. There was no access or tours available. So, I walked down Hanover Street and took photos of some of the old homes and the Naval Academy Chapel Dome. In the background I could hear the National Anthem being played. There was a game on Saturday and I assumed it was the Navy band practicing. The Peggy Steward house sits on this street. It was name for the ship with the same name that carried tea and was forced to be burned because the merchant who owned the cargo ship had paid the unpopular tea tax.
There are many commemorative plaques around Annapolis telling the story of colonial town. It served as the temporary capital of the United State from 1783 or 1784. The plaque at the capital speaks to Washington’s resignation:
Congress met in the Maryland State House from late 1783 to the summer of 1784, making Annapolis the national capital for a few months. On December 23, 1783, after attending several days of gala events held in his honor, General Washington addressed Congress. Impressive in his dress uniform and his hands shaking with emotion, Washington read a short retirement speech and handed his officer’s commission to the president of Congress. He quickly left the State House and rode away from Annapolis, eager to return home in time for Christmas dinner.
By stepping down as commander in chief at the end of the Revolutionary War, Washington demonstrated that American military power answers to the authority of the civil government, not the other way around. It is a keystone of our government. – Glen Campbell, Historic Annapolis Foundation
A month after Washington’s resignation, the Treaty of Paris (1783) was ratified by congress and giving recognition to the United States as a sovereign nation.
I eventually made my way to the capital building. There was a wedding party having photos taken on the back side of the capital. It was clear that tourist were trying to stay out of the photos, myself included. I captured photos of the backside, and then walked around to the front. I woman in a car rolled down her window and said, “That’s a really nice camera”. I tried to get some photos without the scaffolding. I do appreciate, that they are doing the renovation in steps and not completely obscuring the view of the capital building.
The city has done a good job of keeping the architecture consistent with the old town style. Many of the old colonial building remain and there seems to be plenty of money for upkeep. I walked several miles into various neighborhoods to get a sense of the town. For a half-a-mile in all directions, the town caters to tourist. There are many restaurants, shops, and accommodations at all different price points.
As the sun was setting, I made my way to the main marina. The marina has the typical big glitzy boats and tour boats. This time of the year there are fewer people but it's still crowded. Standing at the Marina, There was a young couple and they asked a woman if she would take a photo. The light was perfect for a marina photo. I asked them if they would like to have a high resolution photo and they said yes.
Andrew and Dari at the Marina in Annapolis
The sky continued to change colors and I took a lot of photos of the Marina. A couple, the Jones from Houston, were watching me, so I struck up a conversation with them. Mike and Pam told me they had parked their camper in the public parking lot a hundred feet away. They were hoping that the noise would die down later. They had been traveling for 30+ years around the country sleeping in the car and tent camping. Mike had worked for a major oil company his entire career. After retirement, they decided to upgrade to a slightly bigger RV (it was pretty modest) to travel in. They told me they looked for free places to park their camper (boondocking). Inspired by our discussion, I did more research and found the Allstays app that provides a lot of free camping sites. There are other sites that I’m looking at as well. We were standing beside a tour boat that announced it departure with a few blasts of its horn. Everyone in the area was startled. There were a lot of funny comments from people standing nearby.
I had a salad and beer at one of the many restaurants by the marina and then found my way to a Walmart to overnight.