road trip day 4

 The US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Just as an aside, while I've lived in New York my entire life, I've never visited the Unite States Military Academy at West Point.  We will have to remedy that eventually.

We parked in a garage in downtown Annapolis --- visitors are not allowed to park on base -- and walked to the Visitor's Center, where we had to present ID and allow our bags to be searched. due to current Covid conditions, masks are required indoors regardless of vaccination status.

A sign in the visitor's center explains what we are about to see.

Some interesting things on display in the visitor's center:

A uniform of the Colonial Navy, such as would have been worn by John Paul Jones.

19th century midshipman's uniform.

A cannon.

And who is in love with cannons?

First we saw a brief movie about the academy and the lives of the students.  Unlike the other military academies, students here are not called "cadets", but rather, are "Midshipmen".  (In the early days of the navy, young boys who were sent to train as naval officers were kept in the middle of the ship during battle, as that was the safest place on the ship.)  Plebes -- first year students -- spend that first summer getting acclimated to military life, under the supervision of upper classmen.  The next four years are filled with rigorous military, academic and physical training.  At  graduation the students are commissioned as officers in the Navy or Marine Corp.

We took a walking tour of the campus.  Our guide told us all about the academy, its rich history.  Do you know why the mascot is a goat?  It seems that prior to 1893 the academy  did not have an official mascot, but that year, when the football team headed to New York to play West Point, the midshipmen stole a goat from a local farmer. When they won the game, the goat's place as mascot was guaranteed.

Our tour ended in the main chapel, at the crypt of John Paul Jones.

Then it was time to head to Bancroft Hall. Every student, male and female, lives in the dorm at Bancroft Hall.  And they eat together in the same dining hall.  At noon, the entire freshman class gathered in front of Bancroft Hall.  While they were waiting, each squad or company practiced chants or songs.  After attendance was taken and everyone was marked present, they marched into the hall and proceeded to lunch.

Here they are, waiting and chanting.

They all go marching in.

The band is the last group to go.

A visit to the gift shop, and then it was time to head into town. Our waitress at Jimmy's told us of a great place in Annapolis, a place that had been featured on the TV show Man vs. Food. Drew was intrigued, so we headed over to Chick and Ruth's Delly. 

This place reminded me of an old fashioned luncheonette or soda shop, small, with brightly colored booths and lots of memorabilia on the walls.  

Here's its claim to fame:

I had a steak sandwich (took half of it home) and a root beer float that was more ice cream than root beer.  Drew had a hot dog topped with bologna and American cheese.  And he also ordered a colossal burger (2 pounds!)  "to go".  That thing is huge!

We browsed through some of the stores along Main Street, then called it a day.  My stupid arthritic knees had had enough...