Tour de Loop Scoop: Historic Annapolis

Getting an early start from Solomons to Annapolis.

Sailboats and sailboat lessons taking place in the background welcome us as we approach Annapolis.

It's amazing how many people anchor in the harbor with so much boat traffic both recreational and commercial.

Heading to Annapolis City Marina where we have reserved a slip.

Our marina was located in Eastport which is a bridge away from downtown historic Annapolis. This sign greeted us prior to heading over the bridge. Marinas and sailboats are abundant here.

This oblong area of water which encompasses the Annapolis city docks is referred to as "Ego Allley". Wealthy boaters with high-end yachts like to spend their weekends showcasing their "toys" and maybe picking up some impressionable young women as well?

Our dock neighbor was trying to retrofit a line and needed our additional weight on the boat. We were more then glad to lend our body weights to their cause.

Jeff had to jib up the mast to drop on the inside of the mast. We had a nice breeze blowing plus all of us would move from side to side intensifying the sway. We were told Jeff has had to do this under stormy high seas so today was a piece of cake.

After 2 hours the line was successfully threaded down the mast and out the side. We'll pass on owning a sailboat!

Nighttime views from our slip that evening.

In the upper left hand corner is the bridge that connected Eastport to Annapolis.

Peaceful.......

Maryland Inn built around 1774 is a three-story tavern and inn which dominates the corner and 2 spokes of Church Circle, Main Street and Gloucester Street. It remains an inn to this day which is extremely rare for buildings this old.

View down Main Street to the water.

From one of the city's narrow alleys which empties out onto Main Street you can spy Maryland's State House (wooden dome). Two extremely important American events took place at the State House. The first took place on December 23, 1783 "after eight years as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, George Washington appeared before Congress and took part in a carefully-scripted ceremony of resignation, written by a congressional committee that included Thomas Jefferson. The purpose?: To establish the authority of the civilian government over the military, one of the most important principles of American freedom." The second occurred 3 weeks later on "January, 14, 1784, when Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War and making Annapolis the first capital of the independent United States." Annapolis is the only state capitol to have been a U.S. capitol, 1783 - 1784.

How delightful!

Sitting on the grounds of the State House looking down towards Francis Street.

St. Anne's Episcopal church is located in the middle of Church Circle. The original church was finished during the colonial times - 1704. It was "often referred to by writers of the time as a "barn" rather than a "proper place of worship", many locals asked the government for a new church in 1775. Their wish was granted, and in late 1775, the church was razed." The second church was completed in 1792. In 1858 a furnace fire destroyed most of the church. The third and final church was erected the later part of 1858 and still stands today.

St. Anne's understated altar is crowned by stain glass windows.

The organ music must sound heavenly with those many pipes.

Stained glass window located on the side of the church.

Mosaic above the door entrance.

Dedications to noted worshipers of St. Anne's.

Old tombstone in the graveyard next to St. Anne's.

"Annapolis has a 350-year architectural history. Thanks to heroic preservation efforts, the entire downtown area was designated a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s."

"Since 1969 Historic Annapolis has awarded markers to identify buildings of architectural integrity, encourage restoration and preservation, and educate the public about the city's architectural heritage." Each of the seven marker colors signifies a distinct style and period. The red marker (representing the oldest period) above denotes the building as being an 18th-Century Vernacular and/or Georgian, built between 1715-1800.

The historic gray marker denotes this building as a 19th/20th-Century Annapolis Vernacular, 1837-1921.

Queen Anne styled home built between 1869 - 1901.

Pictures of the home below.

Attractive wrought iron fence.

Maryland Avenue is filled with art galleries, antique stores, boutiques, and eateries and let us not forget the historical buildings that house them!

Love the hooded windows on the second floor of this colonial revival home located on Hanover Street. It dates back to the 1900's.

Sitting across the street from the home above is one of the entrances to the Naval Academy. Amazingly enough, we were able to tour the grounds after showing our drivers license to the gate guard.

The copper domed Naval Academy Chapel is located on the highest point within the "Yard".

Entrance to the chapel.

Above the entrance door.

"Striking" is the word that comes to mind when entering the chapel. Royal blue aisle carpeting and upper floor railings pick up the same color found in the large stained-glass window behind the altar.

Closer view of the altar. Take a look at the pipes on the right.

The sun and the stars came to mind when I looked up to view the cupola. Absolutely beautiful.

This awe-inspiring stained glass window is found in the cross section at the front of the chapel.

Front to back view.

This simple style of stained-glass window flanks the upper level. Directly below them...

on the ground floor are these stunning windows. Several of the stained glass windows were designed by Tiffany.

Their beauty is enough to drop you to your knees.

Ornate brackets decorate the walls.

Year chapel was built. Beneath the chapel lies the crypt containing the remains of John Paul Jones who was a naval hero of the Revolutionary War.

The no name building because I can't remember what it was called.

Down the street from the academy was St. John's College. Founded in 1696!

It's a liberal arts college which centers on its great books program.

Front entrance

Memorial on the campus.

Tired tooters.

One of our favorite eateries and great happy hour in Eastport - Boatyard.

Interior views.

Devils Backbone Brewing Company promo car.

One of the nights they were promoting brews from Devils Backbone Brewing Company. In the middle of Larry and I is the founder of DB, Steven Crandall. Their bumper logo is "Get Boned"!