I had an all too brief stop in one of my favorite cities in America: Annapolis, Maryland. It's a city of vibrant history. I use the adjective "vibrant" because history is still being made in Annapolis as it's the seat of state government. Thrown into the mix too, of course, is the presence of the Naval Academy.
Besides advising everyone reading this to be sure to visit Annapolis some day, I want to just highlight two things I find particularly enjoyable about this small city.
1. The central traffic circles. Throw out any thoughts you might have of a typical traffic circle, rotary, or roundabout. These are circles that are truly part of the urban fabric. In fact, it's hard for me to imagine Annapolis without them.
One draws a ring around the state capitol building (State Circle) while another encircles St. Anne's Church (Church Circle). Take a look at the 360 degree panoramic photo I took on one side of Church Circle. (You know the drill, click on this link and then run the file to view the full panorama; what's below is just a small, reduced size section).
You might also want to take a look using Google Maps -- be sure to zoom in on the center of Annapolis, and then switch to satellite view.
And then go to the other post I'm making that shows the work of some area artists -- and take a look at Lee Klopp's rendering of the focal point of these two circles. (The other post also has some brief background on Annapolis' history).
2. Chick & Ruth's Delly (yes, that's how it's spelled). I first stopped in on a trip to Annapolis back in 1978 when I lived in Baltimore. It was already going strong. It's good to know it's still a fixture on Main Street. And try their corned beef, I just did.
