Because I had not reserved a hire car in advance I rushed out of bed early this morning so that I could be at the AVIS office early and make sure I got a car before they ran. I was at the Union station AVIS car hire office by 7 am as the office opened. I needed a large car as I had 2 large cases to fit in the boot, so they offered me a Ford Fusion hybrid, when I got it back to the hotel I found I still and could not fit both my cases in the boot due to the battery taking so much space. I drove it to Reagan national airport and changed it to a Chrysler 300 which was a big car with a Rhode Island registration plate. It was the biggest car I have ever driven, it felt like driving an oil tanker!
Finally I was on my way heading East on the interstate 395 and 50 to Annapolis. Traffic was high with it being the start of the weekend but I made good progress. I stopped half way at a shopping mall near the interstate route at a Starbucks for brunch and finally arrived at the Sheraton Annapolis around 2 pm.
I had to wait for an hour before cheeking in to my room as they had some late leavers. While we waited there was a wedding reception going on for an African American couple, they had four brides maids and four best men. The bride’s maids wore tight red dresses and they all made a great group photo with the bridesmaids in their red dresses on one side of the bride and bridegroom, and the best men in black on the other side.
My room was smaller than at the Washington court hotel but sufficient to be comfortable. After unpacking and taking a short rest, I was back in my car driving into Annapolis harbour for the rest of the day. I parked off Main Street and took a slow walk among the small bustling streets admiring the old colonial architecture and keeping an eye out for a place to have dinner tonight. The town is quite small and intimate with a busy small boat harbour nestled behind the US Naval Academy. Main Street was full of small cafes, restaurants, craft and fashion boutiques in which I meandered in and out of all day.
I finally settled on a restaurant called Pusser’s Caribbean Grill right at the edge of the harbour with a veranda overlooking the busy boats in the harbour, as night fell the town lights changed the atmosphere to an even more intimate small town feel. The people were diverse; young and old, bohemian, professional, wealthy, poor and from all nations. It made a great cosmopolitan community feel and I enjoyed walking thought the town in the evening after dinner.
I was shocked when I drove back to the hotel that the parking fee was $20 for 4 hours. Still it was a greet town and an enjoyable experience.