A Birthday Brunch Turned Field Trip

What started as just a birthday brunch for my mom in Annapolis, Maryland, turned into a field trip! My mom’s birthday was back in October, but I wanted to share this great experience with you now because life happens, and time slips away. The holidays came up and before I knew it February had already rolled around. Did you miss me? I missed you!

Inside of Restaurant- Photo Courtesy of Blackwall Hitch Annapolis

As I stated before, the day started off as a Birthday brunch for my mom at Blackwall Hitch in Annapolis. We chose this place because my mom loves seafood, but they have a variety of burgers, pizzas and my favorite- vegan options! When our group of 8 arrived, we were able to walk right in. (Disclaimer: I did make reservations to be on the safe side, but they weren’t needed.) There were small groups of other diners scattered across the restaurant. The décor was modern, and as expected, sea themed. Soft music played in the background as Seth, our server, welcomed us with his warm, cheery smile. We received our drinks right away and before we knew it, our food was arriving! I had the flaming crab dip (interesting right?) and cauliflower margherita pizza. It was delicious! The portions were large, and I ended up only eating half and saving the rest for later. I wish I had taken a picture, but the focus of the day was my mom, so I didn't think about it at the time. I really should have captured the flaming crab dip because who knew crab dip could be so flammable? Lol It was exciting to see though. Other family members had the Blackwall burger with fries, crabcake sandwich and calamari.

After having such as wonderful meal, the day was still early so the family decided to take a walk and explore the area. For a bit of background information, Annapolis is the capital of the state of Maryland. (No! Not Baltimore! Lol) It was founded by Puritans in 1649. Fun fact: The capital of Maryland was the country's capital when the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, was signed. If you want to learn more, you can visit the official website or the visitor site.

Alex Haley Statue- Photo Courtesy of A. Key

It was such a beautiful day near the water for it to be October and we aimlessly walked around until we hit the heart of the city and this great memorial. Alex Haley is best known for his book “Roots” which the television broadcasting station ABC turned into a mini-series which aired in 1977. As you can see, it depicts what Mr. Haley loved most- reading.

William Paca's House- Picture Courtesy of A. Key

The next stop was William Paca’s house. We did not get to go inside because they were having a private event there, but it is on my list of go back visits. William Paca was one of the four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence. The others were Charles Carroll, Samuel Chase, and Thomas Stone.

Another interesting site was that of Thurgood Marshall’s statue. Surrounding it were representations of his notable court cases such as Murray V Pearson and Brown v Board of Education. In front of his statue, there was a timeline of the highlights of his career.

Thurgood Marshall Statue- Photo Courtesy of A. Key

Murray v Pearson- Photo Courtesy of A. Key

Career Timeline of Thurgood Marshall- Picture Courtesy of A. Key

Brown v Board of Education- Photo Courtesy of A. Key

City Hall was the last thing we visited before we headed home. There was not much to look at since it was closed for the weekend, but noteworthy, nonetheless.

Annapolis City Hall- Photo Courtesy of A. Key

All in all, my family and I got in a good day of exercise (about 6 miles), and we were able to learn something new about our home state's capital.

My recommendations:

·         If you can, go during a weekday when everything is opened. I felt like we missed opportunities because things were closed.

·         Be prepared to pay for parking. We were lucky enough that the restaurant allowed us to remain in the spaces we had because we left before the evening rush.

·         As with any major city, there will be traffic. Be prepared to sit a bit as you get closer to city center.

·         Blackwall Hitch has a few different locations so if you cannot make it to the one in Annapolis, there are ones in Baltimore, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Alexandria, Virginia.

Have you ever been to Annapolis to explore? Tell me about it in the comments.

Disclaimer: I, Artilya Key, also known as A. Key (A Key to Adventure), am not affiliated with any of the links, places or sites mentioned in this blog nor did I receive any compensation for this post. Should you need more information, please refer to the linked information or contact the company or entities. Any copywritten information belongs to that entity and is not associated with A Key to Adventure.