Annapolis
The next morning, we departed for Fort McHenry National Monument, the birthplace of the national anthem. During the War of 1812, the fort successfully defended Baltimore from an invading British armada in Chesapeake Bay, inspiring Francis Scott Key to pen the verses to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” We stopped at the visitors center to watch a short film about this harrowing naval battle and then explored the fort’s grassy ramparts.
After that, it was time to say goodbye to Baltimore and head over to Maryland’s beautiful state capital: Annapolis. With so much history to explore in the area, the Four Centuries Walking Tour from Annapolis Tours by Watermark offers an exceptional two-hour overview of the city’s most iconic landmarks. At the beginning of the tour, we followed a docent clad in Colonial attire to the Maryland State House, which served as the first meeting place of the U.S. Congress and is the oldest continually used statehouse in the country. It was there that George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, a scene later depicted in the famous John Trumbull painting.
After walking through several historic neighborhoods, we entered the U.S. Naval Academy, where we had the opportunity to watch the midshipmen assemble for Noon Formation in the main courtyard. Some notable past graduates of the prestigious academy include Sen. John McCain and President Jimmy Carter.
Around lunchtime, we wandered down to Annapolis Harbor for a relaxing boat tour of Chesapeake Bay. In addition to walking tours, Annapolis Tours by Watermark also features narrated boat cruises, and groups can take advantage of their combined land and water package, with the option of ordering a box lunch.
Once we reached the end of our visit in Annapolis, our next stop was the Newseum in Washington. The museum commemorates the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. Every day, the Newseum displays the current issue of every major newspaper in America, as well as those of many from around the world. Though it could take days to explore all seven floors of the museum, a few highlights are the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery, the 9/11 Exhibit and the Berlin Wall Gallery.
For dinner, our group enjoyed an opulent feast at the brand-new Maryland Live casino in Hanover, Maryland, where we finally got the chance to try some signature Maryland crab cakes and cream-of-crab soup.
National Harbor
On the following morning, our group met for a catered breakfast at the historic Oxen Hill Manor in Oxen Hill, Maryland, a suburb of Washington. Built in 1928, the Neo-Georgian home sits on the banks of the Potomac River and features beautiful wood floors, vintage fireplaces, English gardens and a large brick patio. Over the years, the upscale venue has hosted notable events such as actor Chris Rock’s wedding and President Bill Clinton’s birthday party.
After breakfast, we took a brief tour of the new MGM National Harbor Resort and Casino, right next door to Oxen Hill Manor though obscured by a thick line of trees. The casino resort is one of National Harbor’s signature attractions and offers a wide range of entertainment for groups, including concerts, gaming, shopping and deluxe dining.
Next, we drove just a few minutes down the road to the heart of National Harbor. National Harbor is a waterfront entertainment hub packed with restaurants, shopping and various attractions. As we made our way down the boardwalk to the Capital Wheel, we noticed a 72-foot statue of a giant emerging from the sand, an iconic sculpture titled “The Awakening.”
Towering over the water, the Capital Wheel is a beautiful, white-spindled Ferris wheel that opened in 2014. Its climate-controlled gondolas carry guests 180 feet above the National Harbor waterfront, with Washington and Old Alexandria, Virginia, visible in the distance. When we looked closely, we could make out the pale pointed shape of the Washington Monument on the horizon.
For lunch, we headed into the stunning 19-story glass atrium of the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center, where a generous buffet awaited us in one of the exquisite event spaces upstairs. Boasting 2,000 guest rooms and 500,000 square feet of meeting space, the Gaylord National Resort offers an exciting waterfront venue for meeting groups of all sizes.
Afterward, we hopped aboard a water taxi run by the Potomac RiverBoat Company and coasted across the river to Old Alexandria.
Old Alexandria is a wonderful hidden gem in the area, just eight miles from Washington. Groups can visit Christ Church, where historic figures like Washington and Robert E. Lee once worshiped, or stop in Gadsby’s Tavern to learn about the legendary ghost story of the “Female Stranger.”
