Wonderful Maryland

The Capital Annapolis

Annapolis the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland is located on Chesapeake Bay. It is a wonderful city with scenic views over the ocean.

 

William Paca House and Garden this is a grand Colonial-era home dating from 1765. It was the home of William Paca, a wealthy young planter. He too put his signature on the Declaration of Independence.

The garden has five terraces, a pond, and a wilderness garden. Inside the house, you can see two floors of antique furnishings, the family silverware, and decorative arts. This property has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Annapolis is home to the U.S. Naval Academy where future officers are educated and trained. The lush grounds of the Academy reflect the beauty of Beaux Arts architecture and historical monuments which commemorate naval events. The Visitor Center offers guided walking and riding tours.

The U.S. Naval Academy Museum was established in 1845. On display, you’ll find exhibits that are related to naval history and the training of marines and sailors.

 

The Maryland State House is the oldest state house that is still in legislative use. The construction began in 1772 and the building was completed seven years later. It has a wooden dome dating from 1794 which makes it the oldest and largest wooden dome of its kind in the U.S. The original interior was built with wood and plaster and the newest section has Italian marble and columns.

Thurgood Marshall Memorial honors the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice. The statue of Marshall stands outside the State House.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum sits on the shores of Black Creek. It has found its home in the last oyster-packing plant to operate in Annapolis. You can learn the history of boat building and the local oyster industry. Among the exhibits are maps, photos, and document which describe the business and culture of the area. There are special exhibits that feature topic related to local maritime history.

The Government House has been the official residence of the Governors of Maryland since 1870. This is a Georgian-style country house and features the portraits of Charles Willson Peale, one of America’s foremost portrait painters. You can also see furnishings by Potthast, eminent Baltimore furniture makers of the 19^th century.

The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial marks the arrival location of Haley’s African ancestor, Kunta Kinte as written in the book “Roots”. The memorial depicts a seated Haley reading a book to three children of different ethnic backgrounds.

St. John’s College was once a traditional liberal arts college but changed to a classic based curriculum. It was chartered in 1784. It was housed in a building that was completed in 1789 and is now referred to as McDowell Hall which is the third oldest academic building that is still in continuous use.

Exploring Maryland

Ocean City is among the most popular beaches on the mid-Atlantic coast. Here you’ll find ten miles of free public beach and a three-mile classic wooden boardwalk.

There are shops, a Ferris Wheel, a roller coaster, a 1902 carousel and kiosks selling delicious food. A tram will take you to all the attractions. On the beach are free concerts, movies, and other evening activities. The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum has a saltwater tank where you can get a look at local sea creatures.

Antietam National Battlefield was the scene of the bloodiest day’s battle in the Civil War. It happened on September 17, 1862, when the Union Army met the Confederates led by Robert E. Lee. In the resulting battle, nearly 23,000 men were killed, wounded or missing in action. Today this battlefield is open countryside with monuments to the regiments of both sides. There is an eight-mile, self-guided tour you can take on foot, on a bike or by car.

 

Along the way, you can see the old Dunker Church where the first clash occurred, the Sunken Road

and the Burnside Bridge where Union troops at great cost got to finally get General Lee to withdraw.

The 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse in St. Michael’s is among the historic buildings and boats that illustrate the life and work on the Chesapeake Bay since the Native Americans hollowed out logs for canoes. In the Small Boat Shed, you’ll see working and recreational watercraft that has been used throughout the bay’s history. There are Native American canoes that were used for fishing and oystering.

At Waterman’s Wharf are hands-on and audio exhibits that will take you into the world of oystermen and crabbers in a typical shanty and onboard an oystering skipjack.

Take the time to see the former home of Eliza Bailey Mitchell, sister of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass and an Heirloom Garden with kitchen and medicinal plants that have been cultivated along the bay since Native Americans lived here. A working boatyard continues to boat building and repair traditions and a staff maintains the museum’s Floating Fleet.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Chesapeake Bay is one of the world’s great bird migrations where huge flocks of water, shore, and songbirds find shelter in its shoreline marshes every spring and autumn.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park the C&O Canal was in operation from 1828 – 1924 and was used as a transportation route for hauling coal along the Potomac River to Georgetown. Today there are still hundreds of locks, lock houses and aqueducts standing. It followed the route of the Potomac River from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, MD.

This route is now a park and the old towpath along which mules and horses pulled barges is a place for walking and cycling. There are parts where you can go horseback riding. In places, it is shaded by trees and you can get fantastic views of the Potomac River.

The highlight here is the Monocacy Aqueduct, a seven-arched stone bridge that once carried the canal across the Monocacy River.

Assateague State Park is located on Assateague Island. This is a barrier island on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. On the east side of the island is the Atlantic Ocean with a long stretch of beach popular for swimming and surfing. On the bayside people enjoy fishing and kayaking.

This island has wildlife and is best known for feral horses. In the park, you’ll find campsites, picnic tables, a camp store, and snack bar.

The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is 12 miles south of Cambridge also on the Eastern Shore.

Here are 26,000 acres of marshes, ponds, and forest.

It is a habitat for migratory birds and a great place for birdwatchers.

It is home to the rare Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel. It is loveliest in the spring and autumn. A visitor center provides information about the wetlands. Visitors enjoy walking along the trails.

 

 

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