My Annapolis

Image: Paul A. Souders / Corbis

IT'S A BREEZE Sailing is both a favourite pastime as well as the best way to get around in this beautiful waterfront city

I founded my company CBay Systems in Annapolis over the Labor Day weekend of September 1998. I have homes in Annapolis and Mumbai and I travel there every month for a week to 10 days.

Recommendations
The city is steeped in history with its cobbled Main Street, historic inns and its waterfront homes. The Treaty of Paris that ended the American War of Independence was ratified here in 1784. This  is the state capital of Maryland and also the sailing capital of USA. The Chesapeake Bay waterfront, the US Naval Academy and the Maryland State House are the first sights I notice when I land here.

The Historic Maryland Inn with its landmark 18th Century restaurant ‘Treaty of Paris’ and The Annapolis Marriott Waterfront hotel are my favourites. I like the Maryland Inn because of the historical significance it brings; the Annapolis Marriott Waterfront overlooks the Naval Academy and the Severn River, and is close to Annapolis downtown.

My favourite restaurant is Cantler’s Riverside Inn. It is nestled in the backwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. The steamed crabs are a favourite but so are lots of local, freshly-caught seafood choices. I would recommend asking for the crab cod which is a delicious mix of crab juice with rum and cherry flavours. Apart from that, Carolls Creek has the best Maryland crab soup and crab cakes and Pusser’s Landing, the only dock bar in Annapolis, serves amazing cocktails.

Tips
The best way to get around is on foot or sailing. You can sail for almost eight months in the year. The downtown area is a pleasure to walk throughout the year, barring one or two months in winter. You can take a two hour cruise aboard the Schooner Woodwind which departs a few times daily from the dock at the Marriott Hotel. One should also have a guided tour of the Naval Academy.

Annapolis has a lively night life. There are a number of bars in downtown Annapolis, my favourites being Middleton Tavern and McGarvey’s Saloon. Whether it’s an after-dinner stroll or lunchtime on a sunny bench, the dock is the centre of the town’s activities. My house is on the waterfront overlooking the South River and is a beautiful place to chill out.

If you love history and water, Annapolis is the place to be in. Architecturally, Annapolis boasts some of the finest 17th and 18th Century buildings in the USA — including the residences of all four Maryland signatories of the Declaration of Independence. You are only 30 miles from Washington DC and Baltimore, yet in a serene, historic surrounding.

(Co-ordinated by Abhishek Raghunath)