The capital of the U.S. State of Maryland, Annapolis, turned out to be a complete surprise for me. Being a capital city, my assumption about Annapolis was like of a hasty modern city with lots of traffic on the streets with the downtown to be highly populated in the evening; But, astonishingly, the city showed up as complete opposite going beyond my imagination!!
Being situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the Severn River, Annapolis shows the most scenic pictures with the original 17th, 18th and 19th centuries historical colonial buildings, aside the brick lined streets of the town.
Gradually driving through the narrow streets of the town, we soon realized, the best way to explore the historic district, Annapolis is by walking around the historic paths of the town. There are plenty of public parking space available, easy to find by following the parking signs or the banners or the parking metered spots. The first place we stopped by when we reached Annapolis was the incredibly famous, St. Anne’s Church, a religious landmark, built in 1704. The large compass on the top heightens the beauty of the historic church.
Slowly walking down the street, there is the Annapolis Bay Bridge; The Severn River with the numerous boats parked asides the colorful buildings on the bank, makes the view from the top of the bridge picturesque beautiful. You will find many of the localities walking over the bridge in the evening to refresh themselves with the beauty of the nature there. Leaving half of my heart on the bridge and giving my camera some rest, we started walking down the bridge, back towards the main street.
Walking along the harbor area, crossing the Annapolis City Marina, Annapolis Yacht Club, Annapolis Marriot Waterfront, Fleet Reserve Club and many more historic buildings, we reached The Dock Street, the central location, the heart of the Annapolis. This is the place where the locals come to relax with visiting friends, shopping, dinning, ship watching, bird watching or simply walking on the dock.
If you ask me, this place is amazingly beautiful, serene, peaceful, relaxing and a perfect place if you want to escape from your routine thoughts for few hours.
The best thing about Annapolis is the attractions in this historic town, in fact, is almost free!! Here are few of the names, The Maryland State House: The Oldest Capitol building of the United States is still in legislative use.
The Hammond-Harwood House: One of the series of historical homes, built in 1774, by architect William Buckland. Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial: The memorial of Alex Haley, author of the book “Roots” is built on the spot where the protagonist Kunta Kinte first arrived in this country in 1767.
United States Naval Academy: Access is restricted without a valid identification proof. The ship-building museum located on their grounds is a must visit when you are in Annapolis.
Annapolis, one of the most scenic town I have visited till date. There are lots of options for day trips from Annapolis rich in cultural, historical and outdoor activities. So, get your camera, hit the town and explore it more!!
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