6 Reasons Annapolis is a Great Getaway

I recently went on a day trip to Annapolis with the #DCTravelBlogger crew. While I’m from Baltimore and have been to Annapolis before, I must admit, I have never really explored the whole city.  However, after my day trip, I have a new appreciation for what Annapolis offers.

I know what you’re thinking.  Annapolis is sort of out of the way from Baltimore and D.C.  It’s not a major city.  There’s nothing to do or worth seeing. Guess what? You’re wrong!

I enjoyed my day trip to Annapolis so much that by the end of this post, you’ll want to go visit for yourself.  For real!  Here’s why:

1. You’ll learn lots about American History.

Upon arrival, we took a trolley tour around the city and learned so much about the history of both Annapolis and Maryland.  Here are some fun facts I learned:

• The Naval Academy has its own zip code and Jimmy Carter is the only President who has graduated from there.
• 4 signers of the Declaration of Independence were from Maryland.
• Maryland has the only state flag with a coat of arms on it.
• Annapolis is in its 366th year of recorded history.
• The Banneker-Douglass Museum is located here and it’s Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage.
• Annapolis was used as a stop during the slave trade. There’s a statue of Alex Haley reading to children to commemorate his book Roots. The book tells the story of his lineage, which began with his ancestor, Kunta Kinte, being brought from Africa to Annapolis (I knew this but I’m glad it was mentioned on the tour, so I’m making sure you know now too!).

Pretty cool, right?  I highly suggest the trolley tour not only for history nerds (like me), but for people who want to see the city in its entirety. Pick up the trolley right at the Visitors Center and you can map out your day once you get the lay of the land.

2. The neighborhoods are charming.

The neighborhoods are so quaint and charming.  Because I live in D.C., Annapolis was a nice change of pace from the every day hustle and bustle. I was able to stroll at my leisure and enjoy the scenery.  Main Street is filled with various shops and restaurants to explore.  And while Annapolis is filled with tons of history, you aren’t overwhelmed with feeling like you’re back in 1776.

3. There are plenty of amazing places to eat…

For lunch, we ate at Galway Bay Irish Pub, famous for their egg nog imported straight from Ireland. We sampled it and honestly, it’s probably the best egg nog I’ve ever had.  And I am an egg nog connoisseur.  Their food menu offers not only traditional Irish foods but plenty of seafood dishes. After all, you are in Annapolis.

Between lunch and dinner, I stopped by Annapolis Ice Cream Company. When I spotted it on Main Street, I couldn’t believe there was a line outside the door!  My friend has raved to me about it before so I knew I had to try it for myself.  Fortunately, the line moved quickly. And their homemade chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream was worth the wait.

I highly recommend Carrol’s Creek Cafe for dinner.  It offers an amazing view of the harbor, the food was delicious and the service was impeccable, even with our large group.

4. …and plenty of places to drink, too!

If you want to sample the local wines, Great Frogs Winery is a great place to do it.  We tried their estate and dessert wines that were perfectly paired with cheese (one even from a local producer), dried fruit and almonds.

How beautiful is the property?  We took a tour of the vineyards as well as their storage areas.  I love a good winery tour!

A friend told me to also stop by Red Red Wine Bar.  I didn’t get a chance to go during this trip, but there’s always next time.

5. There’s water, water everywhere.

Water is the city’s best backdrop.  It’s everywhere and you can’t help but to feel relaxed near it.

I suggest taking a water cruise, which gives you more city history (and there’s full bar service!).  But if you don’t have an hour for that, make sure you at least take a water taxi.  The taxi doesn’t have a set route, so it will take you wherever you want to go – everywhere that’s water accessible, of course, which is pretty much everywhere.

6. It’s family-friendly…or not.

I saw plenty of families spending the day in Annapolis.  But I also saw lots of singles and couples. Spending the day in Annapolis makes a great day date with friends or overnight stay for significant others.

Whether you want to make it a day trip or an overnight stay, Annapolis is a great way to learn more American history and to get a reprieve from city life. If you’re visiting Baltimore or D.C., make time for Annapolis only 45 minutes away.  I thoroughly enjoyed my day trip and plan on spending more time there in the very near future.

Now, don’t you wanna go?!  Told ya!  Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

By the way, I took the picture above with my new Pocket Click Stick.  I finally gave in to the selfie stick craze and it definitely comes in handy! It extended up to 26 inches so I could get the perfect picture, but fit right back into my bag when I was finished.  You know you want one.  You’ll need it during your visit to Annapolis!  Get yours here.

Photo Credit: Ashlee Tuck, Susan Steckman

Recap: Shawnee Island Camping Experience in the Pocono Mountains

Correspondent Nyasha Chikowore enjoyed a camping experience in the Pocono Mountains. Read about her relaxing weekend including camping, canoeing, and beer tasting.

My usual summer plans consist of day parties, Miami, festivals, and cocktails. This year however, I decided to step out of my usual comfort zone and accepted the invite from the Shawnee Inn Golf Resort to try out their brand spanking new ‘Shawnee Island Camping Experience.’

The historic Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is located in the Delaware River Valley of the Pocono Mountains in Delaware, PA.  For city folk like me, the views in the Poconos are simply breathtaking. The water is clear, the skies are gorgeous and the trees and grass are a healthy shade of green we don’t usually experience in real life.

The Shawnee Inn’s new camping offering gives you the camping experience without the anxiety and hassle of doing everything yourself. Your camp site is set up for you on the private Depuy Island, which includes ready-made tents, with two twin air mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows and a lantern.

Your visit also includes experienced camping guides who are responsible for setting up, manning the fire for your nightly s’mores intake, making breakfast in the morning (thanks man bun Trevor!), taking you for your morning hike, and guiding your canoeing endeavors. They’re also great at reassuring you that the sounds that you’ll hear at night are most likely just raccoons or deer and not bears, which the Poconos are known for.

I was lucky to experience the camp with a good group of fellow media from New York, New Jersey and D.C. We also had a couple from England join the group, award-winning travel writer Phoebe Smith & her boyfriend Neil Price, who does the photography for their travels. They stopped in at Shawnee while hiking the Appalachian Trail, a trip inspired by Bill Bryson’s book, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (FYI: the movie comes out this September). They’re actually going to hike through 14 states before they return to England to document their experience. In case you’re wondering, they appreciate how much cheaper the food and gas is here in the U.S., and were really surprised by how polite people in Georgia were. Ha.

Phoebe & Neil pointed out how much they’ve been enjoying the craft beer here in the U.S. Apparently, Americans are more experimental with flavors than they are in the U.K., which funnily enough, the Shawnee Inn also houses the Shawnee Craft Brewing Company. As an avid drinker of liquor, I stepped out of the norm again and tasted their Belgian-style wheat beer, the Biere Blanche.  The waiter recommended it as a good starting point for a non-beer drinker. It was refreshing, had a mild tartness and some citrus notes to it.  I’d order it again, with the slice of orange for the aesthetics.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by Shawnee Inn’s camping experience. If you’re into nature but not super excited about completely roughing it, this experience is for you. It would be a good getaway for a group of friends who want to leave the city behind for a few days but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg to fly away. It’s also a great idea for families who want the kids to experience the outdoors in a controlled environment, whilst having the mainland close by.

Along with the island camping experience, the resort will also offer Shawnee Island Glamping (glamorous camping), which is hidden within the golf resort. It’s somewhat similar to the regular camping experience but you get actual queen sized beds in your tent and the ability to plug in your phone at the end of the night. Both experiences were pretty glam considering my past camping experiences, so you’ll be in good hands whichever route you choose to go. For more information on all things Shawnee Inn you can visit them here and tell them we sent you!

Photo Credit: Nyasha Chikowore