Nap-Town

US Naval Academy, Annapolis Maryland

Annapolis is about 35 miles north east of Washington DC.  It is the Capital of Maryland, with one of the sweetest little tiny Capital buildings in the country. It is on the Chesapeake Bay, south of Baltimore near the Bay Bridge - and some of the worst traffic in the region.  The old downtown and harbor area are quaint, fun and touristy.  Annapolis is affectionately known as Nap town as in AnNAPolis.

I had a wonderful soft shell crab sandwich, I think the only soft shell crab I have ever had.  Crabs develop a hard shell, that does not grow as the crab grows, so they periodically molt, or shed the shell and develop a new one.  A soft shell crab has shed it's hard shell and the new shell has not hardened yet.  You eat basically the entire crab, they can be steamed or deep fried.  Very-very good.  You need to be in the right place, near the water that the crabs live in and they need to be fresh, when you find them, try them. You have to be a little brave, they look a little intimidating, but they are good.  They are also rare and moderately expensive (as I recall the soft-shell crab sandwich and fries was about $20.)  

The US Naval Academy is in Annapolis.  You have to show ID and clear security kind of like the airport to get onto the grounds of the Naval Academy, then you can wander around.  You can even pose on the big naval gun.