After nearly 3 months in the pandemic, the Ipes were getting a serious case of cabin fever. Also, the kids and I desperately needed haircuts. After Labor Day, we heard that Maryland would be opening up salons and outdoor dining. I know it has only been 3 months, but we decided to take a calculated risk. Salons, restaurants, and hotels were taking precautions, so it seemed a quick 24 hour weekend jaunt would be worth it.
We initially planned on heading to Baltimore, but hotel room rates were all expensive. We’ve been to Baltimore a number of times, but we were open to new suggestions. We then looked into Annapolis, a smaller city 40 mins south of Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay. The hotel room rates were more in line with what I wanted to spend, and plenty of restaurants were open.
We found a Great Clips in Maryland that would be on the way. We headed out late on a Saturday morning and went straight to the Great Clips. About an hour away, I checked in for 3 of us online. We took turns waiting outside, while one person went in one at a time. All staff were PPE. Afterwards, we went our merrily away to Annapolis.
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- Before quarantine haircut.
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- After quarantine haircut
We got there too early to check into the hotel, so we parked downtown, grabbed lunch near the water, and then walked around a bit. It’s a nice small city, lots of red brick in many of the structures. We walked around the downtown area, and Luke & I checked out a comic book store, and bought some stuff for ourselves.
After 3 PM, we checked into the Hilton Garden Inn Annapolis Downtown, freshened up, and went for a walk to check out more of Annapolis on the way to dinner. The city itself wasn’t crowded, but that had to be due to the pandemic. It was nice weather, and the walk was easy.
Num’s sister recommended Blackwall Hitch so made reservations for 7 PM. They had a huge tent set up in the parking lot, and it was all plastic utensils and such. After 3 months, it was so nice to have food and drink that we didn’t have to make ourselves.
Sunday morning was pretty chill. The hotel restaurant was closed for indoor dining, but they were offering boxed hot breakfasts to-go, so we put in an order, and Luke & I went to grab them to eat in the room. Nums and I took a walk to downtown after breakfast, and my sister-in-law and her daughter met us at the hotel afterwards to hang out a bit. We had plans to check out of the hotel, grab tea, and then see more of the city before we left.
I had plans to have tea, but then I saw we were at a pub that also had beer and wings. Sold! Enjoy your tea, ladies! Afterwards, we walked around downtown some more, checked out the sights, and even a local bookstore.
Even quick weekend getaways have to end, so we drove back home. It was only 24 hours, but still worth it.