Wandering the streets of Annapolis
This morning I scheduled a blood donation with the American Red Cross. It’s something I try to do on a regular basis, but I’m rejected half the time, due to low iron. Well, that’s what happened today. They deferred me. Boo. Oh well, I’ll try again in a week or so.
Anne Arundel County, MD
After my failed blood donation attempt, I took a trip to the Maryland state capital. I needed to add a little variety to my weekend trip scenery, so I switched it up to a small, historic city along the Chesapeake Bay. Really, talk about a great combination… tons of history and a body of water. What more could I want? Not to mention there’s two colleges packed in as well. There’s plenty to see.
City
Maryland State House
All of the state government buildings are grouped together on one side of the city, which is where I started. Turns out the government parking deck is free on the weekends. Much better than paying by the hour when I intended to stay for the entire day. The Maryland State House, which is the center piece, is the oldest state capitol in the country still in use. I meandered around its circle for awhile. There are several memorials, including statues of Maryland natives US Justice Thurgood Marshal and Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, scattered on the grounds. It is a beautiful building. Tours are available, but I didn’t take one. I’m not sure what the weekend tour schedule is like, but the building didn’t seem to be open while I was nearby.
Main Street
Maryland Fire Rescue Services Memorial
The state fire and rescue memorial was one of the first things I noticed as I drove in. I’m not sure what to make of its location. It certainly caught my eye, but it’s awkwardly located in terms of visiting. It’s in a roadway island on the outskirts of the city. Anyway, the statue, entitled Between Morning and Midnight, depicts a firefighter and EMT ‘walking up to heaven’ leaving behind a family of three. There are two nearby low-walls listing the state’s fire and rescue personnel killed on duty.
Annapolis Harbor
Chase-Lloyd House
There were several historic houses noted in the tourist information booklet, so walked by several. The Chase-Lloyd House was closed for a private party and the rest weren’t open yet when I passed by. I should probably put a little more thought into my timing.
College Campuses
United States Naval Academy
Tecumseh Court
Stribling Walk, with a statue of the academy’s unofficial mascot, Tecumseh
I took a guided tour of the Naval Academy. It cost a couple of bucks, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure how things worked. I assumed I might need a ticket to walk around campus, which is what I wanted to do, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case. To get onto campus, an official form of ID is required, but that’s about it.
I walked through the academy’s mini-museum in the visitor center while I waited for my tour. It was interesting. They had a small exhibit about the former midshipmen who ventured into space, but most of it was about campus life and what is expected of those that attend.
Our guide told us the upperclassmen were away for the summer, either at home or at sea, leaving the campus relatively empty. The only students left were the new ‘Plebes,’ or freshmen, and a few upperclassmen instructors. Apparently first-years spend the summer months on-campus learning the ropes before the upperclassmen return and normal life begins.
I thought the campus tour was neat. We went into a few of the buildings and the guide was nice resource to have. We went into see the gym, a residence hall, Memorial Hall, which was beautiful, and John Paul Jones’ tomb in the Navy Chapel. There are also several Navy and Marine memorials randomly placed throughout the campus. It’s a very nice campus. The football stadium is a good distance away, but it’s visible from the road heading in and out of the city. It’s huge, as one might expect for Navy football.
Saint John’s College
McDowell Hall
I was too tired to walk through too much of the St. John’s campus. I caught part of it along my way back. It seemed like it was pretty little campus. Really, I basically stepped onto it for a moment, looked around and went on my way. After five hours of walking, I was beat and just wanted to get back to my car.
I had a nice afternoon. The city was quite peaceful, with very few people out. I certainly didn’t mind, that’s just the way I like it. Although, things did begin to pick up in the afternoon as people began to crowd around the market near the harbor and fill the shops.
It turned out to be a rather cloudy day, and it shows in my pictures. I think they turned out okay, but nothing spectacular.
Today’s Flickr set: city photos
This time I had a very detail pre-plan, which I think helped. I mapped out the walk long before I reached the city, and it made things much easier. I also left without feeling I missed something. I’m definitely going to add that piece to my next trips.
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