Babymoon in March

Hello,

In March, my wife will be 6 months pregnant and turning 30. Since everything is about the baby, I want to take her somehere for her birthday where the focus can be on her--while acknowleding that she is pregnant--no hiking, rafting, etc.

Looking for something within 2 hours drive of Philadelphia

Thanks!

Babymoon in March

Well I%26#39;m partial to Annapolis because I live here, but I can never get enough of the town%26#39;s charm. If you stay right downtown, everything is a short walk.....shops, state capitol, Naval Academy, historic sites %26amp; homes, excellent restaurants (from gourmet italian, sushi, prime steakhouses, french, Irish, upscale asian fusion, a tea room, and of course seafood), museums, and (5 ice cream parlors!).

You could stay in a upscale chain like the Marriott (right on the water and most convenient), Loews (a bit further walk, but a lovely property), or in one of the Inns.

Annapolis Inn, though small will try to appease with in -room massages and 3 course breakfasts. Historic Inns of Annapolis which includes the Governor Calvert House, Maryland Inn and Robert Johnson House are charming and as the name says historic.

If you have never been to Annapolis, it is a great get-away. No skyscrapers with steel and glass, just old row houses, brick buildings, cobblestone walkways, and the beautiful Chesapeake Bay.

Babymoon in March

annapolis would be very nice! shopping, strolling, history, dining, great live music available at night! of the hotels recommended by the previous poster, i%26#39;d definitely go for a waterview with balcony at the marriott. lovely just to hang out on the balcony.

we stayed once at one of the ';historic inns';, can%26#39;t remember which...interesting building %26amp; all that, nicely furnished room %26amp; all, but it wasn%26#39;t a place you%26#39;d want to hang out. it was almost eerie staying there in the sense that we never even ONCE saw another human being.

a couple other possibilities that come to mind are the ';new'; hyatt regency in cambridge, which is supposed to be quite nice %26amp; would offer opportunities for antiquing in the area, if she likes that

or maybe the hotels at fagers island in ocean city. just a short hop to rehoboth DE for either charming ';main street'; type shopping, or to the outlets (no sales tax in delaware!)

depends what she likes to do best.

and may i add....

your wife%26#39;s got a keeper in you!

Looks liike Annapolis is the winner. She%26#39;s never been there, and I haven%26#39;t since I spent 2 weeks at a summer camp at the Academy back in high school.

We like B%26amp;B%26#39;s more than chain hotels (prices in Annapolis look to be comparable. State House Inn looks nice. Anypne have any feedback on it?

Thanks all for your suggestions.

We%26#39;re arriving in Annapolis on Friday. Any last minute suggestions?

Touring the Naval Academy on Saturday, State House Friday afternoon.

It is cold and snowy in Annapolis today, probably much like Philly. I think that the weather is supposed to warmer this weekend so hopefully, it will be nice for your visit.

Coming from Philly, I would suggest driving down the Eastern Shore of Maryland and crossing the Bay Bridge to get to Annapolis. The drive is much less hetic than I95 and the Bay Rbidge itself is quite scenic.

As far as things to do Annapolis, I would suggest taking the Trolley Tour or Walking Tour. Even though I have lived and worked in Annapolis for quite awhile, I took the Trolley Tour a couple of years ago when I had guests in town and still found it very interesting. I have never taken the Walking Tours, but the guides dress in colonial garb and they look quite interesting.

You could check out RamsHead On Stage and see if either of the performers interest you. Being so close to the date of your visit and being on a weekend, most of the good seats may be sold out, but it is a nice venue and a fun even. Even if you do not see a show, you should stop in RamsHead and try their micro-brew beers. I do not like RamsHead for dinner (lunch is okay but there are better choices), but they have a great happy hour. Their seasonal right now is an unfiltered wheat beer that is quite good.

For dinner, it depends on your taste and budget, but in the historic district there are several good choices (Harry Brownes (classic upscale restaurant with view of the state house), Kyma (new tapas restaurant), Joss’s Sushi (small, but nice), Metropolitan (trendy and hip), Lemongrass (the best Thai food ever), Galway Bay (awesome Irish food, good food values but beers are pricey), Picolo Roma (best Italian in town), Luna Blu (decent Italian, nice sandwiches for lunch). I would just suggest staying away from Buddy’s and Phillips as both are very touristy, and I would not eat at O’Brien’s but it is active bar in the evening. However, most the bars in town have good pub food (McGarveys, Riordons, Acme, and Griffens are all good).

Walking tour may be a bit dicey with a 6 month pregnant wife, but trolley tour sounds intereting.

Reccomendations for casual seafood?

The best seafood in town is O%26#39;Leary%26#39;s. It is a bit pricey, but like most restaurants in town the atmoshere is casual. Their menu is at http://www.olearysseafood.com/ if you want to check out the menu.

I also like the Rockfish, which was started by a former chef at O%26#39;Leary%26#39;s. Their menu is available at http://www.rockfishmd.com/

Both of these restaurants are in Eastport, which are across the Spa Creek bridge from the Historic district where you will be staying. With your wife carrying a little, it might be a bit far to , but parking can be a bit tight in Eastport. If you can%26#39;t find any close parking, I would recommend parking at Annapolis City Marina (the big Gray building with red accents that you see as you drive over the Spa Creek bridge.

In downtown Annapolis, most of the restaurants, bars, and pubs have seafood (especially their own version of crabcakes and crab dip) on the menu, most of which is pretty good. McGarvey%26#39;s usually has good fresh fish special daily, Riordon%26#39;s has a nice crab dip although they use alot of filler, Galway Bay has a nice crab/prawn dip and good crab cakes, and Harry Brownes is a bit more upscale but also has good seafood.

Hope that helps! Enjoy your visit.

Oh, and here is the website for the Trolley Tours.

http://www.discover-annapolis.com/

Thanks!

I really appreciate all of the tips I%26#39;ve gotten from everyone.

I%26#39;ll post our experiences after we get home.