Sabbatical Trip - Part 2 - U.S. Naval Academy

Saturday, June 17, 2017. That's a reminder to me more than it is a point of reference for readers. For today, we vaulted into September. That's how it feels, anyway. August proved to be a busy month that skipped by and so I had to postpone the already way-behind vacation posts.

We spent our last day in Annapolis at the United States Naval Academy. Once you fight the narrow streets and battle your way into one of the relatively few parking places nearby, and then march the distance to the entrance, you determine that it is well worth it. The majesty of the campus is only surpassed by appreciation for those who have served in our military.

The campus sits on the Chesapeake Bay where the Severn River flows into it. The walking tour (your only choice) begins outside the visitor center and your first view is the bay. Our guide laid out the requirements for entry into the Academy and then the grueling schedule they keep once there. With their college classes and study, military training, and required athletic participation, a midshipmen (or, if you are in your first year, plebe) doesn't have much time for anything else. Upon graduation, they serve a minimum of 5 years in the Navy or Marines.

 Bancroft Hall - Dorm for all the midshipmen

All of the officers who teach or supervise live on campus

and proudly display the "Go Navy" banner which often

includes the line "Beat Army".

 Battle of Midway Memorial

 Other USNA sites

Did I mention that parking to visit the academy was a pain? Well, that proved to be a benefit in the long run. I left the tour about 20 minutes before it ended because parking is only for 2 hours. The tour is an hour and 15 minutes. The wait for a tour is about 45 minutes and, of course, there's the walk to/from the car. While searching for the ever-elusive gas station (trying to use the time well), I stumbled upon the Maryland WW2 Memorial. It is a small area in the median of an Annapolis road but the view that overlooks the academy and the bay is great.

NYC - Day 1 
NYC - Day 2 
NYC - Day 3 
NYC - Day 4a 
NYC - Day 4b 
NYC - Day 5 
NYC - Day 6 
NYC - Day 7
NYC - Buildings 
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - Day 8
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - Day 9
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - US Naval Academy
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - The Last Days including Ocean City, NJ, West Point Academy, Flushing Meadow-Corona Park

Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - Day 8

Last time I posted NYC was in the rear view mirror. We moved down the New Jersey Turnpike towards Annapolis, Maryland. Have you ever heard of highway robbery? That's basically what you run into on the NJ Turnpike! As I recall, it costs nearly $40 in tolls to get to Annapolis. At the first toll bridge in NY, we had no idea that we really needed to either purchase E-Z Pass or activate it on our rental car. This would have saved time and some money (not a lot). The non-toll option would have taken us deep into Pennsylvania, another 50 miles, and an extra hour of driving. If you are back east and use Google Maps, make sure to check the options button and look at avoiding tolls in the route options.

What I did like about the route was the bridges such as the Delaware Memorial Bridge taking us from NJ into Delaware:

And the mile and half Baltimore Harbor Tunnel under the Patapsco River:

Here's the 6 second video we made for our grandsons. I thoroughly enjoyed all the bridges on our trip!

That's pretty much it for the rest of Day 7. My apologies if you feel misled from by the blog title but I did have to end Day 7 and it really wasn't part of the NYC blogging! Besides, Day 8 was mostly laundry day so there's only a few pictures. You did need to know this - on a long trip, be sure to work in one laundry day!

I was a teenager last time I was in Annapolis and this was Scott's first time there so it was mostly new to us and we were very pleasantly surprised. Our main purpose was to see the US Naval Academy and to use Maryland's capital for a base to visit a couple of places in Baltimore.

Our photos of the harbor don't do it justice but here you go anyway:

 
And, we ran across a marker about America's favorite Frenchman, again, the Marquis De Lafayette. Just want to keep you up on your history.

This is taken at the Maryland State House. I'm sharing Lawyer's Mall  with the first African American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall served our country as a justice from 1967 to 1991. The Maryland capital is in the background.

 The Maryland State Capital Building

 The Maryland Inn with a view of some

of the shops in the background. For some

of you who are from our area, we described

downtown Annapolis as being kind of like

St. Charles, MO, on steroids.

I loved how close to the street these old houses were. You had to be careful driving because at some of them, someone could step straight out of the house and onto the street!

That wraps of laundry day. Stay tuned for Day 9, June 16, 2017 - which happened to be our 33 anniversary.


NYC - Day 1 
NYC - Day 2 
NYC - Day 3 
NYC - Day 4a 
NYC - Day 4b 
NYC - Day 5 
NYC - Day 6 
NYC - Day 7
NYC - Buildings 
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - Day 8
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - Day 9
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - US Naval Academy
Sabbatical Trip Part 2 - The Last Days including Ocean City, NJ, West Point Academy, Flushing Meadow-Corona Park