Annapolis City Docks, Annapolis, Maryland

Spent a good night on the mooring ball, but our plan was to go into the City Docks if space became available today.  Crawdad went into the first space, then watched for another boat to leave, which it did about 11. Crawdad radioed us and we came right in and took the next space. It is on a first come, first serve basis, so you cannot reserve. Got into a good space, this one wide enough for the boat. Only a few boats left today, so we were lucky to get a space. Went on a trolley tour of the city, very interesting. The guide pointed out some of the different types of architecture in the city. Annapolis has some of the best examples of Georgian architecture in North America. In the historic district, people are obliged to get permission to change anything about the building, from doorknobs to windows to front steps. However, they can paint their houses any colour they wish, so there are some very colourful houses.

One of the midshipmen who graduated today. He is wearing a dark jacket because he will go from here to Quantico for training to become a marine.

Went on to the Naval Academy. We were going to see the naval museum housed there. As we entered the naval academy grounds, we had to go through the visitor's centre. Security is such that we had our bags X-rayed, and we had to show photo ID to get in. Went into the chapel as we passed by. It is beautiful. They have both Catholic and Protestant services there. The stained glass windows have been donated by different graduating classes from the academy.  On the side of the chapel they have a crypt that houses the remains of John Paul Jones, a Revolutionary War hero. The naval history museum is amazing, a wonderful chronicle of history from the Revolutionary War onward from the naval perspective. We spent an hour and a half there, could have spent much longer so hopefully will have a chance to go back.

View from a lookout overlooking the war memorial in Annapolis. The Maryland state flag is flying at half mast because a Maryland state trooper was killed in a car accident last night.

Pictures cannot do justice to the beauty of the chapel at the Naval Academy. We have been told that many of the graduates from the academy get married here, I can see why.

The crypt of John Paul Jones. It is said that he embodied the spirit of the US navy and the navy academy

Preble Hall, which houses the naval museum

Alex Haley Memorial here at the City Dock. It commemorates the 1767 arrival of Kunta Kinte, an African slave immortalized by Alex Haley in his Pulizter prize winning book "Roots". This statue shows Alex Haley reading to children.

Came back and Gloria and I put together dinner on the boat, then we went up the street for ice cream. It is a warm evening, there are crowds of people along the waterfront. It is so interesting just watching the people going by.  Tomorrow we plan to tour Washington.

The State House forms part of the distinctive skyline of Annapolis. It is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use and the only state capital to have been the US capitol. The US congress met here from Nov. 1783 to Aug 1784, the Treaty of Paris was ratified in this building, thus ending the Revolutionary war, and George Washington resigned his commission here so that he could become President.   In the foreground of the picture is the restaurant where we had dinner last evening, the waterway in front of the restaurant is "Ego Alley" and  we are docked just across the way; the picture was taken from our boat.