One of my very favorite things about DC is the proximity to so many interesting places to visit. On our bucket list for years now has been a day trip to Annapolis, Maryland.
Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, we woke up early and drove the 45 minutes to this adorable town on the Chesapeake Bay.
Getting here from DC could not be any easier, and you can do everything in a day.
We arrived just in the nick of time for the Pledge of Allegiance at Chick & Ruth's Delly. Every morning at 9 am, the whole restaurant stands up and recites the Pledge of Allegiance together.
It is so American, and so Awesome.
This family-owned deli has a gigantic menu, which includes a casual 6-lb milkshake:
We had an am-azing breakfast here
And then set out to walk some of it off...
We strolled along the water of the "sailing capital of the US"
Where we did our own little self-guided walking tour.
 |
| Chapel |
And once again, so American.
 |
| This gave me the chills, in a good way. |
After wearing ourselves out walking, we were ready for a break. And beers.
The day before we left, we had randomly checked the concert listings at Annapolis' Rams Head Tavern.
Turns out, Jason Isbell was playing a 1 pm acoustic show!
WW and I are big time Drive By Truckers and Jason Isbell fans, so we bought tickets right away.
 |
| Playing my very favorite Truckers song, "Outfit" |
This is definitely the way I prefer to see a concert: seated at a small two-top table, in the AC, with a waitress bringing me fresh crab dip and pitchers of Fordham Brewery wheat beer... with Jason Isbell 5 feet away.
Seeing a lunchtime concert is kind of amazing, too. We stepped back out into the daylight refreshed and ready for a scenic boat tour of Annapolis Harbor...
We cruised atop the Harbor Queen, enjoying a narrated tour of the city, the banks surrounding the Naval Academy, and the Bay Bridges.
Fun.
After an hour in the heat, that 6 pound milkshake at Chick & Ruth's was beckoning...
Don't worry, we settled for the 20 oz. And shared it.
Our last stop of the day required a drive through some seriously windy roads, to a crab shack on the water we'd been dying to try... 
Cantler's.
There was a two hour wait to eat out on this deck:
Which is actually not so bad when some guy sells cans of beer, right from the cooler, in the parking lot, while you wait.
We took our cans down to the dock under the restaurant 
To check out the catch of the day
And take in our surroundings.
We were finally seated at a prime table on the patio.
And enjoyed a delicious dinner of lump crab meat sandwiches.
YUM.
(And some beverages in plastic cups.)
One of my all-time favorite days!
Places to visit in Annapolis:
Chick & Ruth's: http://www.chickandruths.com/
U.S. Naval Academy: http://www.usna.edu/homepage.php
Ram's Head Tavern: http://www.ramsheadtavern.com/annapolis/
Annapolis Boat Tour: http://www.watermarkcruises.com/cruises40min.htm
Cantler's Riverside Inn: http://www.cantlers.com/