Colonial-Style Bed and Breakfast Built in 1862

Located in Annapolis’s colonial district, the 1690s-era Sands House is the town’s oldest wooden-frame home, having hosted George Washington and other historic figures. Next door to the Sands House stands the Academy Bed and Breakfast, built in 1862 as another private home for members of the Sands family. This boutique bed and breakfast has preserved many of 19th-century features. Here, visitors find old-growth hardwood flooring, the parlor's original oak fireplace, and an iron perimeter fence salvaged from the nearby Naval Academy’s dorm balconies.

The Academy Bed and Breakfast stands out from the rest of the neighborhood with a blue clapboard façade, gold trimmings, and a bright red front door. Inside, 19th-century furnishings mix with modern amenities in five individually decorated suites. The academy-view room presents a nautical theme with a large sailboat oil painting, navy-blue woodwork, and sail duvet covers. Located on the second floor, the city-view room evokes Victorian style with ornate upholstery and gold mirrors.

In the morning, scrambled eggs and the owner’s signature french toast is served on an antique breakfast table designed by famous American Craftsman artist Gustav Stickle. Later in the day, guests can settle in the fire-side parlor or the library to sip on a bottle of wine.

Annapolis, Maryland: Vibrant Sailing Culture at the United States’ First Capital

Situated on the Chesapeake Bay about 30 miles east of Washington D.C., Annapolis is a maritime city steeped in political history. The city claims one of the nation’s highest concentrations of 18th-century buildings, with colonial spires and brick row houses lining cobblestone streets. Stationed a few blocks behind the bed and breakfast, the United States Naval Academy’s copper-domed Academy Chapel holds the marble crypt of Revolutionary War officer John Paul Jones. A short walk takes visitors to the academy’s waterfront visitors center, which hosts Freedom 7, the first American space capsule.

Annapolis’s social culture revolves around Chesapeake Bay and the City Dock, located one block from the bed and breakfast. Public boat cruises and private sailing lessons explore the bay’s historical lighthouses and less-historical monuments to Flipper. White sails typically speckle the water; luxury yachts line the docks; and fishermen harvest oysters, clams, and blue crabs.