Queen Anne, the last British monarch of the House of Stuart, gave her name to Annapolis. Actually Sir Francis Nicholson did the naming, and the town was incorporated in 1708. Hardly anyone would have guessed that one of its nicknames more than two centuries later would be a less regal Naptown. But, it’s always good to have a sense of humor.

Annapolis is known far and wide for its Naval Academy. But, the close-in view reveals a few other things going on. In 2007, it was the site of a middle-east peace conference with Condoleezza Rice, Ehud Olmert, and Mahmoud Abbas. Additionally, there’s an active theater community. Finally, Annapolis is trying to overcome common contemporary problems of American cities today. These include congestion in the city and too much development in outlying areas.

As far as entertainments go, there’s more to do than just watching Naval cadets in white outfits playing croquet. There’s sailing. You can get a taste, as Walter Cronkite says, of what the great Atlantic sailors go through. So, visit the National Sailing Hall of Fame while you’re here.