Mini-Vacation Wednesday: Annapolis

February 3, 2010

Welcome to The Good Stuff Guide’s new feature: Mini-Vacation Wednesdays! Every Wednesday we’ll do a quick mini-trip to a new destination loaded with fun things to do with your family. Sometimes we’ll even sneak in something educational, but we’ll make sure it’s fun at the same time. So beat those mid-winter blues and join us – you can’t beat the airfare here!

Our first trip is to an all-time Team Farmer favorite: Annapolis, Maryland. I would be so happy to live here some day; it’s a magical city filled to the brim with great entertainment, restuarants, history, and beauty.

I asked my friend, Ellen Allen, who is lucky enough to call Annapolis home, for her family’s favorites, and she really delivered. So strap on your seatbelts because here we go!

1. Grab ice cream with the kids at Storm Brothers then cross the street to the city dock and feed the ducks. (This is Heidi here: the Moose Tracks here is my fav and I would love some right now)

2. Enjoy tea at Reynolds Tavern on Church Circle

3. Take a tour of the Naval Academy-don’t miss the chapel or the crypt of John Paul Jones

The Chapel

Another view of the campus

4. Stay at the Governor Calvert House, one of Maryland’s Historic Inns located on State Circle

5. In the summertime, have lunch at Ken’s Back Porch-one of Annapolis’ best kept secrets! (only open in the warmer months)

6. Take the entire family to a Navy football game-get excited to tailgate

7. Take a historic tour. Whether you choose to enjoy a candlelight tour (only offered on certain nights throughout the year), visit a specific Historic House (the Hammond Harwood House and the William Paca House are my favorites), book a group tour at the Governor’s Mansion (call ahead), or take a walking tour of Annapolis offered by the Annapolis Historic Foundation, make sure you don’t miss out on all of the history that Annapolis has to offer!

The State Capital of Maryland

8. Take the Watermark Water Taxi over to Carroll’s Creek Restaurant and enjoy drinks and appetizers while watching Wednesday night sailing races (races start around 6:00pm on Wednesdays and run each week May through September)

9. Annapolis is the sailing capital, so make sure you go for a sail on the Woodwind.

10. Stop in to Chick and Ruth’s Deli for breakfast and the pledge of allegiance (recited at 8:30 am on weekdays and 9:30 am on weekends).

11. Have dinner at O’Leary’s Seafood Restaurant for the best seafood in town.

12. Check out the music scene. Ram’s Head Tavern offers big name musical performances throughout the year (tickets must be ordered online; 21+) and just down the street 49 West Coffeehouse regularly showcases local musicians.

13. Best pub-Sly Fox (cozy in the winter and a great patio in summer)

14. Order a crabcake, you are in Maryland!

15. Make sure you explore downtown beyond Main Street. Walk to Maryland Avenue for quaint shops, West street for an array of restaurants, or wander over the Spa Creek bridge into Eastport.

Many, many thanks to Ellen Allen for these great ideas! Ellen is the designer of these marvelous handbags and these new, gorgeous scarves and you can find them all at EllenAllen.com.

Okay, you can unfasten your seatbelts and get back to your life now. Have a great day!

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Category: Family Trippin'
Tags: Annapolis, Mini-vacation Wednesday |

6 Comments »

Amy Sinclair
on February 3, 2010 1:00 pm
Heidi! Great idea! I so look forward to these!
Whitney Trujillo
on February 3, 2010 1:57 pm
Annapolis sounds so fun! And btw, those Ellen Allen scarves are to-die-for! Beautiful!
Susan
on February 3, 2010 2:43 pm
Don’t forget about the great colonial tours offered by Capital City Colonials. For a good introduction to Annapolis, take the Annapolis Food and History Tour. You get introduced to great restaurants and much of Annapolis’ rich history. It is a 3 hour graze around town. Even locals will find this tour interesting and entertaining. Visit our website or call us at 410-295-9715.
Heidi Farmer
on February 3, 2010 2:46 pm
Oohh, I do like the idea of eating around the town!
Marla
on February 3, 2010 5:30 pm
Thanks for the tour! Will have to put this on our list!
Derek
on November 5, 2010 4:03 pm
Caroll’s Creek is a nice place to watch the Wednesday night races, but I also like to walk across the street to the Boatyard Bar and Grill afterward. It tends to be where everyone goes after the races.