Things to do in Annapolis

Annapolis is Maryland's state capital and the home of the US Naval Academy, a small sailing town on the Chesapeake Bay roughly 35-60 minutes from Washington by car.

It is not Baltimore: there's no Inner Harbor-scale waterfront here, just a compact colonial-era core you can cover on foot around City Dock, the harbor and a handful of 18th-century streets. Budget half a day to a full day rather than a dedicated trip, since the historic district is only a few blocks across.

Boat tours and cruises on the bay run seasonally, roughly spring through autumn, with fares typically in the $20-40 range per person. For a bigger waterfront with paid aquariums and museums, Baltimore's Inner Harbor is the better stop.