Beneath the leaky dome of the still unfinished Maryland State House, the nomadic Congress tended to business under candlelight and kept warm by a lone fireplace from November 26, 1783 until August 19, 1784. During that brief, ten-month period, Annapolis was witness to General George Washington’s resignation as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the ratification of the Treaty of Paris that officially ended the American Revolutionary War with Great Britain.

Just an easy, 40 min. drive up U.S Highway 50, Annapolis, aka Naptown, is the perfect day trip from the hustle, bustle and occasional filibuster of Washington D.C. Perched on Chesapeake Bay and embraced by the Severn River, she is a quintessential Colonial America port city.

Start your outing at the Visitor’s Center on North St. where Frederick, the official Town Crier decked out in traditional “Hear ye, hear ye!” garb, enthusiastically gives you the lay of the land, a few of his personal tips on what to see, do and where to eat, and a discovery map so you don’t get lost on his account.

Steeped in history, Annapolis, home to the U.S. Naval Academy, is a charming city from the very first moment you wander along her narrow, brick-paved streets with names like King George, Prince George and Duke of Gloucester, and dotted with more 18th century brick buildings and row houses than any other city in the country.

At Church Circle pay a visit inside St. Anne Parish, founded in 1692, then pass by a few of the aforementioned historic brick buildings, like Reynolds Tavern (now Pub 1747) and the County Court House, until you reach State Circle and America’s sixth temporary capital, the State House, a National Historic Landmark.

The oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use, show a photo ID then step inside to view a personal copy of General Washington’s resignation speech on display in the rotunda. And, right across the green from the State House, where locals stroll and chat and their dogs roam and sniff, is the Old Treasury Building, the oldest public building in Annapolis.

Historic Annapolis is a 21st century neighborhood with 18th century charm and it begins at the top of lively Main St. Meander down and admire four centuries of well-maintained architecture now occupied by dozens of locally-owned fashion boutiques and specialty gift shops nestled in between art galleries, historic inns, pubs and restaurants.

Cross over Market Space into City Dock, where the brick pavement gives way to water’s edge and where the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial stands. It was here that the slave ship Lord Ligonier cleared customs on September 29th, 1767 and unloaded its cargo of 98 African survivors of the treacherous Middle Passage voyage from the Gambia River only to be sold into servitude shortly thereafter. One of those survivors was Kunta Kinte, an ancestor of author Alex Haley and the inspiration for his novel, Roots.

Known as “America’s Sailing Capital,” you cannot visit Annapolis without taking a short voyage around Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S.

At the end of the pier at City Dock, under the bright red Watermark Tours umbrella, purchase a ticket – no reservations required as walk-ups are welcome – then hop aboard Naptown’s iconic Harbor Queen for a narrated cruise of historic Annapolis Harbor, along the banks of the U.S. Naval Academy and out to the twin Bay Bridges.

Grab a beverage of your choice at the full-service bar then go topside to enjoy the fresh sea breezes and fab panoramas during this memorable 40-minute cruise. It’s the perfect introduction to Annapolis and fun for the entire family.

Renowned throughout the Mid-Atlantic region as THE place to go for fresh seafood, like the prized Maryland Blue Crab, Annapolis lives up to its billing as “Crabtown on the Bay.”

Head across or under the Spa Creek Bridge on foot, by car or aboard a water taxi to Eastport, the laid-back, maritime neighbor of Naptown, where boat makers, fishermen and sailors enjoy fresh “catch of the day” at local favorite Boatyard Bar & Grill (BB&G).

The BB&G’s “all killer, no filler” crab cakes are famous nationwide. An abundant raw bar serves a variety of the freshest mussels, shrimp and oysters – you’ve got to try an Oyster Mary shooter rimmed with Old Bay – along with a house-smoked catch-of-the-day, a flounder BLT, cod fish tacos, fish and chips and other seafood brought in daily from the Chesapeake.

Nautically themed with a big central bar, the BB&G is the perfect tonic to finish off your day trip to historic, charming and colonial Annapolis, the sixth temporary capital of the United States.

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Free Admission Offered to Active-Duty Military Members, Retirees and Dependents

Pearl Harbor Historic Sites will commemorate the official birthdays of each branch of the U.S. military by offering “free pass days” to active-duty, retired members and their dependents.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park will all offer free admission to the service members of each respective military branch on the free pass days listed below. A valid military I.D. must be presented at the Ticket and Information Booth at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center or onsite at each of the Historic Sites.

About the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites
Welcoming approximately 1.7 million visitors each year, the Pearl Harbor attractions include several independent historic sites – some under the purview of the U.S. National Park Service and others operated by private, nonprofit organizations. Together, and in partnership with Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, they carry forth the legacies of some of our nation’s most treasured icons. Although Pearl Harbor is one historic destination, there are four distinct sites to visit, each with its own story to tell. Each attraction is as compelling as the next and none that the visitor would want to miss. For more information, visit www.PearlHarborHistoricSites.org.

Battleship Missouri Memorial
Since opening in January 1999, the Battleship Missouri Memorial has attracted more than 8.5-million visitors from around the world with a fascinating tour experience showcasing the USS Missouri’s unique place in history. Located a mere ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, the Mighty Mo completes a historical visitor experience that begins with the “day of infamy” and sinking of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and ends with Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

The USS Missouri had an astounding career over five decades and three wars – World War II, the Korean War, and Desert Storm – after which it was decommissioned and donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Association operates the Battleship Missouri Memorial as a historic attraction and oversees her care and preservation with the support of visitors, memberships, grants, and donations.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. General admission, which includes choice of an optional tour, is $29 per adult and $13 per child (4-12). Military, kama‘āina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For information or reservations, call (toll-free) 1-877-644-4896 or visit USSMissouri.org.

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, opened 10 years ago, is a private, non-profit organization which occupies the WWII hangars and control tower on Ford Island that still bear the scars as our nation’s first aviation battlefield. Giving visitors a front-row seat to the Pacific Theater and presenting 50 aircraft and their stories, the museum was named “one of the Top Ten Aviation Attractions” by TripAdvisor®. Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $25 per adult and $15 per child 4-12; 3 and under, free. Military, kama‘āina (local resident), school group and special events pricing are on the website. For more information, call (808) 441-1000 or visit PacificAviationMuseum.org. Tickets and a free flight simulator coupon are available online.

USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park
Adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, operated as a private, non-profit organization, is dedicated to the sacrifice of more than 3,500 submarine personnel lost in World War II. This gallant band of brothers, compromising less than 2 percent of the U.S. Navy, sank more than 5.5 million tons of enemy ships, while sustaining losses of 52 submarines that remain on Eternal Patrol. The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Combined general admission to the submarine and museum is $12 per adult and $5 per child 4-12. Military, kama‘āina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For more information, call (808) 423-1341 or visit Bowfin.org.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial, part of the National Park Service, is comprised of the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS Utah Memorials, in addition to six Chief Petty Officer bungalows, three mooring quays, and the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. These memorials commemorate and honor the thousands of service members and civilians who lost their lives during the Japanese attack on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941.

The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is open seven days a week, from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission and parking are free. USS Arizona Memorial programs are also free and run every 15 minutes, from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. Over 1,300 free program tickets are handed out daily on a first come, first served basis and visitors can also reserve.

Ignorant Yankees: Two Fifths Of Americans Do Not Know The Official Language Of Brazil

New research has revealed that 42% of Americans do not know the official language of Brazil, with Spanish and Brazilian thought to be the most common alternatives. Nearly one in five are also unaware that French is spoken in Canada, and one in ten think Australian is a language.

More than half of Americans do not think Tajikistan, Suriname and North Macedonia are real countries, and three in 10 couldn’t identify the location of Machu Picchu.

The study was undertaken by the team behind flight-comparison site www.us.jetcost.com, in which more than 4,500 people over the age of 18 were polled.

Just 26% of all respondents revealed that they had ever been on vacation outside of the US, whilst 28% of these said they had done so in the past year. Of these, only 38% said they had been on holiday outside of the Americas.

All respondents were then given a list of countries and asked which language was spoken in each of them. It was found that whilst 58% of Americans knew Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, 29% thought that it was Spanish, and a further 9% thought ‘Brazilian’ was a language. Conversely, 16% thought that Portuguese was the official language of Argentina.

It was also uncovered that as many as one in five Americans (19%) were unaware that French is spoken in areas of Canada, and 86% did not identify French as one of the languages spoken in Switzerland.

More than a quarter of Americans (26%) did not know that English was spoken in South Africa, and one in ten (10%) thought that Australian was a language. A further 4% of respondents identified ‘European’ as being a language.

Next, participants were given an extensive list of countries, both fake and real, and asked to identify which were made up, and which were not. The nations most commonly mistaken for fake were found to be:

1. Tajikistan – 68% (identified this country as fake)
2. Suriname – 62%
3. North Macedonia – 59%
4. Luxembourg – 48%
5. Gabon – 47%

Quizzed on their knowledge of famous landmarks, almost one third of respondents (29%) did not know that Machu Picchu was in Peru, with Ecuador selected second (14%) followed by Brazil (7%).

Commenting on the findings of the study, a spokesperson from www.us.jetcost.com, said:

“Given that the majority of Americans don’t have a passport, and even less have travelled abroad, the findings of this study can be somewhat justified. The fact that Portuguese is spoken in Brazil and French in Switzerland is admittedly confusing, but it should be common knowledge that areas of Canada speak French, what with them being next door.”

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