Annapolis & Southern Maryland

The entire center of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland and briefly, from 1783 to 1784, of the United States, is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Starting with its 18th-century State House, the narrow streets of Annapolis are chock-full of colonial architecture and other historic buildings, including the homes of several signatories to the Declaration of Independence. The city has long had a nautical history, in particular because it's home to the United States Naval Academy, but civilian sailors, too, appreciate its location on the Chesapeake Bay. Modern-day Annapolis offers the attractions of a small city in a lively and ...

The entire center of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland and briefly, from 1783 to 1784, of the United States, is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Starting with its 18th-century State House, the narrow streets of Annapolis are chock-full of colonial architecture and other historic buildings, including the homes of several signatories to the Declaration of Independence. The city has long had a nautical history, in particular because it's home to the United States Naval Academy, but civilian sailors, too, appreciate its location on the Chesapeake Bay. Modern-day Annapolis offers the attractions of a small city in a lively and charming environment. Convenient to Baltimore and Washington, DC, southern Maryland also provides the traveler with a variety of non-urban pleasures. You'll find canoeing, hiking, birding, and other activities in numerous parks and wild spaces, including the Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge. For a different sort of outdoor experience, between late August and October there's the Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville; more recent times are on display at historic tidewater plantations.

About the Expert

Stillman Rogers has written more than two dozen guidebooks, including Adventure Guide to Canada's Atlantic Provinces, Guide to Eastern Canada, and Adventure Guide to the Chesapeake.