I had a very good friend (Alicia) come and visit me from Connecticut for my long Veteran's Day weekend. Being a great friend and good sport, she joined me on my adventure to Annapolis- the capital of Maryland. We spent a day there, visiting three locations: The Annapolis Maritime Museum, the US Naval Academy, and the Alex Haley Memorial. We were instantly impressed with how clean, quaint, and colonial the city looked- in fact she noted that it reminded her a lot of Connecticut!
THE ANNAPOLIS MARITIME MUSEUM
I learned about this place by doing Google searches for "Maryland tourism". Almost every site listed mentioned this quaint museum, so I just HAD to check it out. I was expecting a semi-large space with information about Maryland aquatics, boat history, and how the water has affected Maryland (or at least Annapolis) culture. I kind of got that. It was a very small (but free!) building that my friend and I later learned used to be an oyster shucking plant. Essentially it was a room, with a split up boat in the middle, a murky tank and giant oyster model in the back corner, and a few interactive exhibits along the walls. Inside the tank were fish native to the Chesapeake Bay (and horseshoe crabs- which look completely scary and creepy but are harmless- according to both the staff and my Connecticut friend who is also familiar with them...I personally don't want to find out either way).
 |
| Inside of the Maritime Museum |
I was slightly disappointed, but a good sport I still walked around and checked it out- and I'm glad I did. The split up boat is a decades old oyster boat separated to show you the construction and allow small kids to climb in and through (I didn't feel small enough to fool around with that, so kudos to the men and women who do that every day!) The interactive displays in the back talk about the history of oyster harvesting as an industry- with videos showing different methods use to collect them from the water, how to open them, etc. There was a giant oyster model with LED lights that showed different parts of the oyster. In the back, there was an actual stand that would have been used by workers as they stood, shucking oysters trying to fill buckets as quickly as possible, as well as equipment and antique products that would have been made in the plant. The displays claimed this was one of the few industries blacks and whites could work side by side in....but all the photos they showed and used in displays- I only saw blacks (no biggie though). Outside, along the back, there is a dock, with signs talking about both the history and fragile ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay. Kind of surreal reading about all the different ships and events that happened while in the background expensive sailboats and yachts are bobbing in the water.
Overall, very cute museum even though it is small. Just a tip, there is street parking available- but not much. and for some reason, we left there ready to sit down to a meal. This is a great place to bring small kids who have never been to a museum before- a perfect balance of learning that some things you can touch and other things you cannot.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit. It was a very well organized and executed museum- even if it is a little hidden on campus (Preeble Hall is where you wanna go- past the gigantor building that has the crypt of John Paul Jones in it). Be prepared to show ID when you enter the campus. There is very limited street parking, and they tow if you are there longer than 2 hours (a lesson we thankfully didn't have to learn the hard way!) The day we went, some special dance or something was going on, and it instantly had me wishing I was going to a military ball with someone! I'd love to return to the campus someday for a more thorough tour, but even if I never do, the Navy thoroughly impressed me!
First off- wowza. Before I get into details, this has to be the most immaculate campus of anything I have ever seen. I was in full history geek mode the entire time...and I loved it! Alicia and I wandered in and out of several buildings (one of which had a reproduction of a 1909 Wright Military Flyer...long story as to how I knew that on-sight) and I took pictures on our scenic walk. The primary purpose of my visit, however, was to get to the museum located on their campus that covers the naval history from around the world, but with special emphasis on the American Navy and the development of the USNA as we know it today. Admission was free- but I think it's because we arrived later in the day because I distinctly remember reading about admission fees somewhere online...but I digress.
 |
| Wright Military 1909 Flyer replica on display on the campus |
In two levels, you get a very thorough background of naval history. On the upper floor, there are stations that explain how each part of ships worked (via exhibit displays- nothing hands on though) You also learn about model shipbuilding, as there are dozens and dozens of ship models around the room, most of which are centuries old and were made my prisoners of various countries and conflicts. Some of the more interesting ones were made of animal bones with crude tools. The first floor specifically discusses that American Navy and it's development from our colonial days up through now where USNA alum have flown into space. We both really enjoyed out visit there, and highlights for me were displays of all the class rings from every year of the Academy's existence, and a giant flag that said "Don't Give Up the Ship!" I was also surprised at how many names I already knew and recognized (such as Oliver Hazard Perry- who was the namesake of my rival high school...even though I still am not a fan of that place, the fact that I had an instant connection with a person featured in the museum was cool to me).
 |
| Rings from every class of the USNA |
 |
| Don't Give Up The Ship! |
 |
| Alex Haley reading to children (statues of course) |
Long before I was totally aware that a TV miniseries had broken so many grounds about the story of Kunte Kinte and his descendants making a life in an ever changing America, I read the book. Mind you, I was old enough to even have been born when Roots first came on television, but I was old enough to know that the book was one of America's great novels- and that if I was going to consider myself well-read (which I did and to an extent still do) the 700+ page book was going to have to be tackled. The summer of 1996, it took me four weeks, but I finished that book and I'd never felt prouder of myself and of my heritage as an African-American. Mind you, I skimmed a few pages when Chicken George just kept doing things I considered foolish, but I READ that book. I've been a Haley fan ever since. Learning by chance that a memorial was dedicated to him, I knew I wanted to see it!
Situated on the water, approximately in the same location Kunte Kinte would have arrived from Africa, the memorial is broken into three sections. First is a sign with the explanation of the memorial off to the side and under some trees. Then there is a quartet of statues, Haley reading to children. Finally, along the water, are proverbs and sayings from African and African American culture (and Roots) that speak to importance of family, unity, faith, etc. Alicia said that she liked that it wasn't really big and "memorial" like, but just blended in with everything else, so that everyone can walk up and take claim to such inspiring information. i have to say I agree. Even though it was our last stop (not only was it now nightfall, but we had a date with a dance floor in mere hours back in DC!) it was the stop that made me feel the warmest. I could see my 13 year old self shutting the back cover, smiling and thinking about all of these things that happened so long before I even got here, and could feel almost a sense of closure getting so close to place where that history began.
For more pictures (90+) of my time in Annapolis or any of my adventures, please feel free to visit my Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter, and comment below with your feedback and ideas and opinions!
Thank you for reading!
