Maryland - Free State
In 2008 we flew into Baltimore and stayed at a hotel in the Inner Harbor area. Once home to decaying factories and warehouses, the harbor became a showplace that attracts throngs of visitors, us included. It is a great area to just walk around, people watch and try to decide where to eat your next meal. The day after we arrived, we had lunch at O’Brycki’s Crab House and Seafood Restaurant which, unfortunately, is now permanently closed. It was in the Fells Point neighborhood, in an unprepossessing row house. It was a unique experience for us in that we ordered fresh crabs, still in their shells. Newspapers covered the table, and we were presented with tools to crack the crabs and take out the crabmeat. If I remember, we also ordered white wine and fresh bread was brought by the waiter. It was a delicious feast and took a long time to extract the meat and eat it…a fun way to spend an afternoon.
It was a beautiful day, so we walked all around the waterside Fells Point neighborhood where there were pubs, seafood joints, record stores and small boutiques along the harbor and main square. A very hip area. We made our way over to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Construction was begun in 1806 and completed in 1821, making it the first Roman Catholic cathedral in the country. America’s first Bishop, John Carroll, is laid to rest in the Archbishop’s Crypt. Of course, we also had to walk by Oriole Park at Camden Yards, but unfortunately there was no ballgame that day. It would have been fun to see the Giants play there, especially if they won.
The Mount Vernon Cultural District was at one time a residential address for literary greats and political leaders, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Woodrow Wilson. The philanthropist George Peabody commissioned an English architect to design and build the Peabody Institute in the Renaissance Revival style. The George Peabody library, which is considered to have one of the most dramatic interiors on the east coast, was wonderful to see. After a period of decline, the neighborhood is now a flourishing area of Baltimore that reflects its historic past as well as a look to the future. It is home to a diverse mix of students, artists, professionals and families. It was a great area to walk around and get a feeling of what it would be like to live in Baltimore.
Leaving the city, we drove to Annapolis where we spent the day exploring. First stop was St. Anne’s Church. Inside, the St. Anne’s Memorial Window, by Tiffany & Company, won first prize for ecclesiastical art at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The rest of the day was spent at the Naval Academy, where there is so much to see and to learn about the naval history of the United States. We took a guided walking tour, saw a feature film, a sample midshipman’s room, the Freedom 7 space capsule and exhibits about John Paul Jones, the guy who famously said, “I have not yet begun to fight!” It is a gorgeous campus and we enjoyed seeing the midshipman wearing their uniforms and looking very handsome.
Annapolis’ roots go back to 1649 when a group of Puritan families from Virginia established the settlement of Providence on the Severn River. The charter of 1708 makes Annapolis one of the oldest cities in the country. In 1783 and 1784, it served as the first peacetime capital of the US. Annapolis is also distinguished by its architecture, with the highest concentration of 18th-century Georgian-style buildings. The many public and private Colonial buildings exemplify the life and architecture of the pre-Revolutionary period, often referred to as the “Golden Age of Annapolis.” Obviously, we discovered that there is more to Annapolis than the Naval Academy.
We drove across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to make our way to St. Michael’s, a charming and historic city. I had been there before to attend a conference and wanted to come back with Andy so we could enjoy it together. We stayed at The Inn at Perry Cabin, reputedly “The Finest Hotel on the Eastern Shore.” It is situated on 25 acres of lush grounds overlooking the magnificent Miles River, just a short walk from picturesque downtown St. Michael’s. Our room was very luxurious, and I remember one dinner in their restaurant was excellent. We visited the renowned Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum which is devoted to the history and traditions of Chesapeake Bay. It consists of an 18-acre waterfront campus, also on the Miles River, and among the ten exhibits is the 1879 cottage-style Hooper Strait Lighthouse. We decided that if we moved to Maryland, we would probably choose to live in St. Michael’s.