Sometimes, ya just need to run away from home for the night. That’s exactly what we did when we ran away to Annapolis, Maryland for the night. Our schedules were pretty limited, but we needed a break, and we chose Annapolis since it was an easy three-hour drive for us. Here's where we slept, where we ate and what we did!
But first, a bit about Annapolis…
Annapolis, Maryland is right on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River. It’s 25 miles (40 km) south of Baltimore and roughly 30 miles (50 km) east of Washington, D.C., with a population of 39,321. It’s the capital of Maryland and the county seat of Anne Arundel County. Annapolis is also home to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Annapolis also just a really charming and walkable town, perfect for a quick escape. Many of the streets are cobblestones and there are lots of buildings from the 18th century that have been converted into restaurants, shops, antique stores, galleries, etc. Check out Visit Annapolis for more info.
Fun fact: The Maryland State House in Annapolis is the oldest in continuous use (for legislative purposes) in the United States.
Where’d We Stay?
We stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn on West Street. It’s walking distance from the harbor, but it’s enough out of the way to be enough out of the way, if you know what I mean.
Where’d We Eat?
We were only in Annapolis for the night and made dinner reservations at Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen. How’d we find it? On Thrillist. I’m a big fan and have found some really great things to do and places to eat on the site. We went to Carpaccio early for drinks before dinner. I had a drink called Il Sorrentino with vodka, Limoncello, pineapple juice and prosecco. Hubby had a cucumber martini with cucumber vodka (that’s a thing?) and muddled cucumbers* ( I had no idea what that was). We’re not big drinkers, so one cocktail about did me in, but while we waited at the bar for our table reservation, the hostess came to us and said that they were tight on tables and asked if we’d mind sitting at a high top table. The house would be glad to comp us a drink. Sure! What was I thinking, I’ve already had a drink, but I had a prosecco and Hubby had a beer.
Once we were seated and the waiter came we couldn’t decide if we wanted the grilled calamari or the fried calamari, so we ordered one and the waiter comped us one. Wow! Totally unexpected! After we filled up on calamari, our dinners arrived. I had monkfish and Hubby had veal. Forget dessert. We’re stuffed! Wait a second, there’s gelato? Well, maybe just a little…..
*What the heck are muddled cucumbers? Here’s the definition I found on Leaf TV,
“When en you muddle cucumber, you want its essence -- the esters responsible for its clean, mild taste -- to come through,
not the remnants of flesh that result from pulverizing it. Peeling and seeding is often overlooked when muddling cucumbers;
cucumber seeds and skin contain tannins, which impart an unwelcome bitterness to mixed drinks.”
What’d We Do?
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel the next morning, we headed out. It was a beautiful November morning – perfect for a stroll. Old Fox Books and Coffeehouse was having a painted violin exhibit, so we thought it would be fun to check out the violins and grab a cup of coffee, because you can never have too much coffee. I only accidently found out about the exhibit. I needed a photo of me with books because I had written a guest post for By My Pen, a blog that focuses on writing and sharing info on authors and books. I thought a photo in a bookstore would be a good idea. And since we'd be in Annapolis... I did an internet search and found Old Fox Books. As I was checking out the website I noticed on the events page that the shop was having a painted violin exhibit. I thought it would be fun to see.
Sadly, the violin exhibit was delayed so they weren’t on display when we visited, but we got coffee and explored the books and other unique items in the store.
After we left Old Fox Books, we took a walk around the docks, past the Naval Academy and along the cobbled streets, with no particular agenda in mind. When we were done wandering, we made our way back to the hotel, checked out and were on our way.
Kent Island
On the way home, we stopped for lunch on nearby Kent Island at Harris Crab House. It’s situated right on the Cheasapeake Bay, on the way to/from the Bay Bridge. It was filled with locals and tourists looking for their crab fixes. If you’re not familiar with Maryland, it’s known for crabs and crab cakes. And crab cakes is what Hubby got. Me, I got fish tacos! I dunno, I was just feeling fish tacos.
After a totally delish lunch, we made our way back home, satisfied with our brief escape. And, even though we had a great time, excellent food and a lot of fun, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz said best, “there’s no place like home.”
Have you been to Annapolis? What did you do? Tell me about it on Facebook or in Traveleidoscope's comment section!
