The U.S. Navy has been protecting more than the United States.
For years, they had us believing Annapolis was entirely the U.S. Naval Academy campus, and we might have believed them until we saw it for ourselves!

Right under our noses and minutes away from Baltimore and Washington D.C., Annapolis & Anne Arundel County have become a perfect getaway destination on their own merits; Annapolis with its charming specialty shops and cafes, art galleries, bricked streets and alleyways and immaculately preserved colonial homes, and Anne Arundel County with its Chesapeake Bay views, scenic pastoral vistas, boating and shopping opportunities.

Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have a rich history dating back to 1649, when Puritans settled the area near the Severn River. Known as "America's Sailing Capital," the capital city of Annapolis is the oldest incorporated city in Maryland. Maryland was named for Queen Mary and Annapolis for Queen Mary's daughter, Princess Anne. Over the course of 3 centuries, Annapolis' vitality has always been tied to the water, first as a tobacco trading settlement, then as an oyster exporter and now in yacht building and sailing events.

While the county is best traveled by car, the city of Annapolis is extremely navigable on foot. Jaded big-city types will need to get over themselves and adjust to the kinder, slower pace here. In Annapolis, all cars must stop at any intersection where pedestrians are present to let them pass. In 2 days of walking around Annapolis, I waved to, thanked and smiled at more strangers than I had in all my life - that's a good thing!