Annapolis for Beginners... From a Beginner

Go to Pusser's on the waterfront at night, and you will not regret it. Also, try to walk yourself through this town during the day to experience the history and fun.

Quick Tips:

Get yourself into town early and walk through the old buildings and try to soak up the history of the past. Definitely bring your camera and comfy shoes. Cobblestone streets + hard shoes or heels = painfully long day.

Best Way To Get Around:

You can drive into the city and park at the public parking lot for relatively cheap parking. The cabs aren't too bad, but I would suggest driving in. If you start to drink, you can leave your car overnight, take the cab back to your hotel and get the car in the morning.

We went early to grab a couple of drinks before exploring the town. However, our exploration was limited due to the strength of the Pusser drinks and the ease in which they go down.

The first drink that we all ordered was a Painkiller; pineapple and orange juice with an ass load of rum and some nutmeg on top. There are different levels of Painkillers from 1 to 4 which refers to ounces of rum in the drink, (which I didn't know at the time) and each is more deadly than the last. Since Annapolis is a naval town, the parties are never ending and are everywhere.

As the Painkillers started to take hold, my girlfriend and my brother decided to switch to a different drink called the Grog, and that is exactly what it does to you the next day. This drink is nothing but water, brown sugar, lime, and rum, and a lot of rum. So beware!

As the night rolled on, we became more comfortable and less mobile. The crowds at Pusser's multiplied by the hundreds in what seemed to be a matter of minutes. The outside deck was loaded with people to the point where they just couldn't anyone else out there. Then, without notice, the place cleared out and we were some of the only people there. It happened so fast it seemed almost rehearsed and planned.

So, if you find yourself in Downtown Annapolis, head over to the Marriott Hotel and check out Pusser. It's right there on the waterfront. The drinks are strong, the prices are decent, and the ambience is great, with Caribbean music playing constantly throughout the night. It is definitely a Caribbean feel in a historic town. Try it out!

After taking a four-hour Chinatown bus ride down from New York and getting picked up in Baltimore, my brother and sister-in-law decided to bring us straight out for dinner. Our destination that evening was a place called the Rams Head Roadhouse (www.ramsheadtavern.com) in Annapolis near Baltimore.

Upon entering, we sat ourselves in the back dining room, away from the band that was setting up in the front, and ordered up some drinks. The first things we got were two samplers of beer (since this place, like a lot of places in Maryland, is a micro-brewery) and then decide what we wanted. After a taste of all six, we ended up getting a pitcher (which turned into three) of Helle's Lager; the Baltimore favorite.

The next order of business of course was now food, since this damn Maryland micro-brew beer is potent. And since we were in Maryland, I went with the crab cake sandwich, which was lump crab meat and Muenster cheese on an English muffin. Oh my God it was amazing. I love crab and this was out of this world.

Then, just as we were hitting the third pitcher and discarding our food, the band started to play an esoteric mix of songs from the '60s all the way until present day. And since the bar was relatively empty, the acoustics of it were great.

Now, I have neglected to mention the best aspect of what the Rams Head Roadhouse has to offer; the Growler. The Growler is a to go jug of beer that the bar will give you for a relatively decent price. And then you can bring beer home and enjoy the potency of the micro-brews of Maryland.

If you are in the Annapolis area, and are looking for a quick, good, cheap bit to eat, or just some strong drinks to stay or to go, the Rams Head Roadhouse is the stop for you.

Annapolis is a beautiful town to get lost in because the buildings are just a picture of days past with modern day surroundings. Most of the houses are landmarked by the town so they can't be destroyed or changed and the roads are layered in cobblestones. The walk is a bit rough on the feet but truly enjoyable.

One of the funniest things that I saw in Annapolis was that the central square was a School Street. But, on either side of the School Street is Church Street and State Street. Here, there is no separation of Church and State and I am quite sure that that wasn't an accident.

Now, down by the water, you have the freshest water air blowing off of the docks and some of the quaintest little shops that Annapolis has to offer. Also, if you head farther up towards the Town Hall, you can explore the history of Annapolis through the museum set up in the main hallway. There is also the old meeting room of the likes of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and the scores of British traitors who created our new country.

So, I am not really sure of all of the names of the streets in Annapolis, but just walking around and exploring is a fun and different experience. I would highly suggest it and, of course, the downtown are on the waterfront is breath-taking.