Annapolis is hosting the 41st annual Sailboat Show Columbus Day weekend which will be followed immediately by the Powerboat Show the following weekend. For most Annapolitans, this is an exciting time. Some rent their houses out and disappear, leaving behind the traffic jams and crowded streets for warmer climes and good margaritas. Many businesses take part in the shows, either exhibiting or hosting the visitors in town, providing services, meals, and supplies. They love the business and resultant income if not the crowds themselves. Still others love to go to the shows and see the Town’s preparations as a sign of Fall and a focus on the beloved activities of sailing and boating. Finally there are those that avoid downtown like the Plague and can’t wait until normalcy returns in just over two weeks.
I never rented my house out, but I have fallen into most of the other categories one year or another, many even on the same year. Traffic is terrible and you should avoid driving downtown. That being said, I had a booth at the show for several years and I almost always could find a spot just up the hill from the harbor in the residential area if I left early enough. Take advantage of the shuttles to the Naval Academy stadium. These buses drop you off in front of the ticket booths so you can’t beat the convenience.
The feeling is festive as you stand in line for the booths to open. If you are exhibitor, get in early. The congenial massing of exhibitors over coffee can’t be beat. They say that the exhibitors are many more this year and that an additional floating island with 15 docks was added as well as exhibit space in the old Fawcett’s building. If this foretells many more patrons as well, be advised. YOU WILL GET CAUGHT IN CROWDS. Don’t worry. Just take your time, use your program to chart your course and enjoy the people watching. Be careful when going around corners on the floating docks. I have seen a woman get a little carried away trying to pass somebody and she ended up in the Annapolis Harbor. Nothing more damaging than a trip to the cleaners and complete humiliation, but it could ruin your day. You will have to remove your shoes before boarding most boats, so dress accordingly.
When you have had your fill of browsing the vendors, head for the Marriott and their Pusser’s Rum stand. You can’t go to one of the boat shows without having a Pusser’s Painkiller. At least I can’t! Go upstairs to their dining level set up specifically for the show. You can listen to music, watch the attendees milling about happily, see the vendors selling their fabulous boats and all kinds of other products — I even saw underwear for sale that the vendor claimed would be the only pair you needed for an entire cruise –wash and it dries instantly!
If you are hungry, the Fleet Reserve Club just outside the show and with it’s own entrance from the show sells great sandwiches. The Italian sausage with grilled peppers and onions is always a favorite. The pit beef and turkey sandwiches barbecued and served across the street in front of the Elementary School are always good. The food here is not in a dieter’s paradise, but it’s good show food. I, myself, am only devoted to the Painkiller. One per show, maybe per day if I’m feeling really outrageous!!
If you want more food options, wander around downtown Annapolis. There are show specials at many restaurants and you can’t scoff at the variety or the quality. The City Dock area has three coffee shops –perfect, one might say vital, on that cold show day when your hands are freezing and the only way to get warm is by consuming something HOT. City Dock Cafe is my favorite, but you can try Hard Bean Coffee or Starbucks too.
If you want to get a little farther away from the madding crowd, walk up Main Street to West Street. Here, again, you have many dining options, most of them great. I love Rams Head for a Guinness and a salad. Gavin Buckley owns Tsunami, Lemon Grass, and the Latin Quarter. The first two are excellent — I have enjoyed both personally and often. The Latin Quarter is relatively new and I haven’t tried it yet.
If you want to avoid the downtown area altogether, stay out by the Westfield Annapolis Mall which has many dining options. The Annapolis Towne Centre has many more.
If you want fabulous blue crabs while in Annapolis, whether you are an exhibitor staying for the week or a visitor staying for the day, head to Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn. Map it — it’s too hard to explain how to get to this Annapolis landmark located directly on Mill Creek. Here’s a link to their site for your information: http://www.cantlers.com/
My final tip is probably foolish to offer since it might ruin my ability to get a waterfront table, but here it is anyway: Go to the Chart House in Eastport on the last day of the Sailboat Show. Get there early because it is a popular place, but find a seat at the window in the bar area. Get a drink, some of their great appetizers, and watch as the talented show crew dismantle the Sailboat Show and reassemble it as the Powerboat Show. The talent and skill exhibited by the crew as they move docks with small powerboats, shuttle HUGE, EXPENSIVE sailing yachts out of tiny slips and into the open harbor, and move HUGE, EXPENSIVE power yachts into those same slips and slide the docks back into place with no bumps, scratches, or accidents of any kind is absolutely mesmerizing.
Whatever your perspective, the boat shows in Annapolis are a harbinger of Fall and a huge amount of fun. Whether you are working hard to enjoy them or working hard to avoid them, you can’t beat Annapolis as a destination Columbus Day or the week after.
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