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A weekend in Annapolis

Linda Perney

Ego Alley on the annapolis waterfront

A weekend trip to Annapolis, Maryland, offers just about everything you need for a spring break. Want a little watery disversion? There's Chesapeake Bay. Good antiquing and shopping? Plenty of it, along with art galleries. Restaurants? Maryland, of course, is synonymous with excellent seafood. Add to that, a beautifully restored 18th-century historic district, and any number of well-furbished inns, and you can't go wrong.

Flaghouse Inn, smack in the historic district, is a nicely restored historic house with four guest rooms plus a two-room suyite. Rooms are carefully decorated, with antiques and reproductions. Besides the guestrooms, there are public rooms - including a nicely appointed library - where you can while away part of a morning. If the weather is nice, the front porch, complete with old-fashioned swing, makes a perfect place to curl up with a book or just relax and watch the town go by. (26 Randall Street; 410-280-2721; $200-$300 per night, two-night minimum weekends)

WHAT TO DO: Visit the US Naval Academy, where you can walk along the water, admiring the extensive grounds. Take a tour of the Maryland statehouse, completed in 1779, which makes it the oldest in the United States. But the best thing about the city is the city itself. Follow the small cobblestone streets through the Historic District, with its fine collection of 18th-century buildings, then head to the City Dock for a look at the water, and the magnificent sailboats that call Annapolis their home port.

WHAT TO SEE: Stop for a visit to the Hammond-Harwood House, which has been called the finest Palladian house in the country. Superb collections include Georgian silver, porcelain, and 18th- and early 19th-century furniture. (19 Maryland Avenue; museum opens for the season in April)

WHERE TO EAT: O'Leary's Seafood is one of the locals' favorites for a fine shore dinner. Appetizers might include the likes of yellowfin tuna sashimi, or they can be as simple as a plate of fried oysters. Choice of main courses is extensive - including steaks and chops as well as fish - but who can resist the crabcakes? (310 Third Street; 410-263-0884; $40-$60 for a three-course dinner)