Hearing the word "Annapolis" conjures up an image of a group of precision marching, sharply uniformed midshipmen moving from class to class at the United States Naval Academy. To others, the name of Annapolis refers to important chapters in the history of the American Revolution against the British crown. It was in this small Maryland port town that our first national capital was situated.

And it was in a tiny assembly room of the State Capitol that George Washington resigned his commission as the nation's first Commander In Chief of the Continental Army. Here, too, in January of 1784, just a few weeks after Washington's resignation, the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War was ratified by the Continental Congress.

Annapolis was home to four signers of the Declaration of Independence including Charles Carroll, the only Roman Catholic signer, who encouraged religious diversity in the new nation.

Visitors are able to walk the streets and see the well maintained historical district while enjoying the ambiance of a modern and vibrant city. The Old Town District is maintained under strict, historically oriented landmarking guidelines. Street after street contains houses that are clearly identified as to the era of their construction. The naval background of the city of 35,000, along with the important contribution it made to the development of our national institutions, make Annapolis a place well worth visiting. Less than an hour's drive from Washington D.C., Annapolis offers a unique glimpse into our national heritage.

Begin by visiting the Tourist Information Center, located near the Church Circle. There, you'll be able to fill up on literature about attractions in the city. You can either opt for a 2-1Ž2 hour walking tour of the city guided by a docent dressed in revolutionary era clothing, or alternatively, take a one hour trolley trip that passes all the important sites in the town.

Annapolis' city plan features two traffic circles. In the center of one, only a half block from the Tourist Information Center, lies St. Anne's Church. Still holding a regular schedule of services, St. Anne's was attended by Francis Scott Key between 1789 and 1800 in the years he was a young lawyer and before he composed the lyrics to the National Anthem. Three of the four signers of the Declaration also worshipped in this church.

At the other traffic circle, only a couple of blocks from St. Anne's, you'll find the Maryland State House, the nation's oldest continuously functioning building housing a legislative body. It served as our national capitol between November of 1783 and August 1784. Free tours are conducted through the building and its importance is explained. In the room that is now called the "old senate chamber," a mannequin of 6 foot 3 inch George Washington stands, hatless, to deliver his resignation to the Congress. A painting of the event is in an adjacent room with the explanation that the dapper first president doffed his hat to recognize the superior authority of the civilian government to the military.

In visiting Annapolis, a tour of the Naval Academy is a must. The tours, starting in the Academy Visitor's Center, emphasize the extent to which sports play a part in the curriculum of the school. Each midshipman is required to be a member of one of the dozens of athletic teams that show the Academy's colors. Certainly the Academy is about learning engineering, math, science and other technical aspects of becoming a naval officer. But it is more about creating a climate of teamwork and instilling a sense of naval tradition among the 4,000 midshipmen in attendance.

We asked about the root of the word "midshipman." In the earliest years of the nation, young naval officers were trained aboard ships of the line in the British tradition. The crewmen slept in the fo'c's'le, while the officers had more comfortable quarters in the rear of the ship. This left some space in the center of the vessel, the midship area, for the trainees. Hence the rank still carries on this tradition of the Navy. When the Academy was chartered in 1845, it had been decided to change the English way of training seamen and, instead of conducting on-the-job training, an academic approach seemed more appropriate.

Each year, some 1,250 plebes are admitted to the Academy out of 10,000 to 12,000 applicants. 1,000 graduate each year. These men and women are commissioned either as Ensigns in the Navy or as Second Lieutenants in the Marine Corp. The basic philosophy and training of the Navy stays with them as they complete eight years of required service and build their military careers.

One of the other assets of Annapolis is St John's, the city's liberal arts college. Their only intramural sports activity is croquet, but students leaving this tiny school are admitted to graduate programs in the best ivy league schools in the nation.

Chesapeake Bay is the reason for Annapolis' existence from its earliest history. The County's more than 500 miles of shoreline offered sailing vessels a safe harbor and commerce developed as a result. Today, Annapolis is considered America's sailing capitol. In Annapolis' harbor, you can experience a two hour sailing trip through Chesapeake Bay aboard the schooner Woodwind or a sightseeing excursion through the mouth of the Severn River on the Harbor Queen. Both boat trips allow a seaside view of the Academy and portions of the city. When you're out on a sail, you might even encounter Captain Billy Baye whose costume and beard add another dimension to a visit. When asked, Billy will regale you with stories about visits to Annapolis from pirate Calico Jack Rackhorn or one he calls "a pirate of exquisite mind," William Vampier.

Annapolis' main industry is fishing and the fishermen, or as they are called locally, "watermen," bring in their catch to the restaurants of the city. Maryland crab cakes and dozens of other dishes are available in even the most modest of restaurants. In the 18th Century, taverns served multiple functions. They were meeting places where news was exchanged, points of contact between shippers of merchandise and shipmasters who would carry goods to distant ports. They were places where politics were discussed, often loudly, and they were lodging for the travelers and tobacco farmers selling their production. One of the local institutions, Reynold's Tavern on Church Circle, was founded in 1747. On Market Square, at the harbor entrance was the inn that catered to seafarers in 1754. It's called Middleton Tavern and it is still serving lunches and dinners.

The City Dock has been the heart of Annapolis since 1695. Now the center of recreational boating, it was once the point at which slaves, imported from Africa were auctioned. The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley's Memorial recognizes the author's famous book, "Roots," with a sculpture group and a plaque at this point on the wharf. Annapolis was also home to the great African-American leader, Frederick Douglass and a State museum has been organized bearing his name. Tobacco exports made up the bulk of merchandise being shipped from the Colony to England while manufactured goods were delivered to Colonists after being off-loaded from arriving ships.

The Historic Annapolis Foundation is in charge of overseeing compliance with the zoning and preservation of local buildings. More than 1,300 buildings in the city are over a century old. There are tours including a viewing of the mansions owned by a couple of signers of The Declaration of Independence. The 1763 William Paca House or the 1774 Hammond-Harwood House, both of which are maintained by the local historical trust are fully furnished with authentic period pieces. There are several portraits hung in these houses by the local artist, Charles Willson Peale, and the Paca garden is worth a visit for a view of its formal English landscape. The beautifully preserved furniture makes the house seem like someone will be returning from the Capitol after the legislative session concludes, and will expect dinner on the table. Our stay in Annapolis was a delight in good part due to the hospitality of Robert Dunn whose Inn at 30 Maryland is in the heart of the historic district. Dunn began his career as a chef. He was lucky to find a location within two blocks of an Academy entrance, St. John's College and the State House. He's done much to upgrade the property and still uses his culinary skills to prepare outstanding breakfasts for his guests. There are some 30 bed and breakfast establishments in Annapolis as well as conventional hotels.

There's no doubt that the business of Annapolis, the military necessity of the U.S. Naval Academy and the operation of the State government of Maryland are priority interests of the community. But the hospitality shown during our visit there made us very much at home. Annapolis is a chance to enter a community where there's a feeling of history, a sense of patriotic responsibility and a connection to our colonial past.