SMU @ Navy - trip experiences?

[flockofseagulls]

My problems have tended to be with drunk enlisted on shore leave and retiree academy grads who have absolutely zero sense of humor and one hell of an ability to look down their nose at you.

For someone driving in from the North, would you recommend staying in the Annapolis, Baltimore, or DC area? We plan on driving down Friday night and leaving Sunday morning. I doubt we will have time for much sightseeing.

Definitely Annapolis if you aren't trying to do any sightseeing. There should be plenty of good options. Baltimore would be second. Don't put yourself through trying to get into and out of DC if you aren't making a longer trip out of it.

[FriscoPMG]

Wow, great feedback by all. I wasn't expecting to hear about the unpleasantries at the stadium, but I guess that can be said for just about any stadium. Thanks!!

[PerunasHoof]

My problems have tended to be with drunk enlisted on shore leave and retiree academy grads who have absolutely zero sense of humor and one hell of an ability to look down their nose at you.

For someone driving in from the North, would you recommend staying in the Annapolis, Baltimore, or DC area? We plan on driving down Friday night and leaving Sunday morning. I doubt we will have time for much sightseeing.

Definitely Annapolis if you aren't trying to do any sightseeing. There should be plenty of good options. Baltimore would be second. Don't put yourself through trying to get into and out of DC if you aren't making a longer trip out of it.

Yeah, Annapolis for sure. Unless you are near the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, I wouldn't recommend spending much time there. Although, apparently there is a casino in between Baltimore and DC now.

[PonyKai]

You could probably get a cheap flight out of Love to BWI on Southwest, avoid D.C. altogether, and stay in Annapolis. It's a relatively populated area, and will have decent amenities. Plus, although the game is on a Saturday (obviously) there can be a fair amount of congestion on U.S. 50 with people going to the game and coming from Baltimore and D.C. No one wants to take a vacation to sit in traffic.

[tristatecoog]

Sounds like the actual game experience is much better at West Point. However, Navy area has better food and DC.

[RGV Pony]

couldnt agree more with stlhockeguy02

I flew into BWI and stayed in BWI. As Mestengo also says-though I don't speak for him-that part of the trip was a beatdown. Think flying into Hobby and staying at the Marriott near the airport. There is a Loew's (I think) in Annapolis, stay there.

[EastStang]

I live in Virginia and we're about 40 minutes to an hour out of Annapolis. Metro is kind of a pain these days and I now drive into DC instead of taking the Metro when I can. However, it does get you to the Mall and Arlington Cemetery if you want to see the sights without taking a tour and you're less likely to get lost (although the City is a grid with numbered streets and lettered streets in four quadrants, but then the avenues come in at angles and mess everyone up).

I don't know how security is in Dallas, but at Navy-Marine Corps they do check your bags and you go through a metal detector (as in most buildings in DC). Small bottles of booze (airplane size) are sneakable into the stadium and were needed the last time we played there in the monsoon. Oh, one last thing, leave your guns at home. They're illegal (well sort of) in DC. I love the stories about some yahoo from Iowa who tries to go into the Capital and bring his .44. I kind of left Charm City (Baltimore) off. It does have some interesting sites near the Inner Harbor and around Ft. McHenry. Another site in Baltimore is the B&O museum one of the nicer RR museums but its in the middle of the recent riot zone. However, if you have to choose, choose DC over Baldymore.

Driving in from the north, I'd look around the BWI, Greenbelt corridor. Hotels are cheaper and you can still Metro into DC from Greenbelt and you're about 15 minutes from Annapolis.

[peruna81]

My problems have tended to be with drunk enlisted on shore leave and retiree academy grads who have absolutely zero sense of humor and one hell of an ability to look down their nose at you.

For someone driving in from the North, would you recommend staying in the Annapolis, Baltimore, or DC area? We plan on driving down Friday night and leaving Sunday morning. I doubt we will have time for much sightseeing.

Baltimore, no at the present time. By fall, things might be ok. Got a buddy who works the fish market at the harbor as a butcher, and even he is reluctant to go into parts of that city, pre riot time.
He has lived in B'more 18 years.
DC is ok, but pricey. There is availability in Annapolis, but like other near-campus hotels, there are conditions regarding staying more than one night in some cases. We drove in from Manassas, Va for the game years ago, and although parking can be dicey, made it on time and fine. StL mentioned the key...GET THERE EARLY. It really is worth it.

[Pony^]

I would stay in Annapolis if you can -- lots of Restaurants, Bars, etc. Carrol's Creek Cafe is good.

The Maryland State house is interesting, George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in this building. Annapolis served as the temporary capitol of the U.S. at the time.

Also, if it is still operating for the season, you can sail on a 74 foot schooner in the Chesapeake Bay. Catch the Woodwind by the Marriott hotel; this is the boat seen in the Wedding Crashers.

[ericdickerson4life]

Guess I had a different experience than most going to the a game there. Sat with the class of '53 (a great friend of mine's father graduated in '53 her mother still has season tickets with them). They knew I went to SMU (had my gear on and was cheering) and had no problems with me whatsoever. Maybe I got lucky that I knew an "insider". That was the game we blew a huge halftime lead. But they were very cordial as were everyone else I met that day.

Pretty funny, the class of '53 had there own cheer sheets just for their section (getting a little small to project to the whole crowd now I'm guessing). Cheerleaders even came up during the second half to lead some of the "old" cheers.

Great experience, would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Mustangsabu]

Annapolis is an excellent town. Went to the SMU game there in 2010 I think. Was due to fly back on Sunday, made it back Wednesday,

The O'Callaghan Hotel in Annappolis is very comfortable and has a good feel. Galway Bay Irish Pub is actually run by Irish folk and well worth a visit, (at least I think that;s the name). Lots of good food and, contrary to others, I hadno problem with the locals being anything otherthan charming, both in and out of the stadium. The game experience was excellent, too.

[smupony94]

Better book hotels now or Naval grads will if they haven't already

[CA Mustang]

I attended the SMU-Navy game in '08 and fans the Navy fan to be okay. The steady rainfall and horrible score limited my enjoyment of Annapolis that day.

The White House still offers tours for individuals, you just need to request them from your Congressman and they are self-guided (https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events). In '08, I did the WH tour by myself and one of the congressman's interns (an A&M coed) led myself and a couple of other folks on a tour of the Capitol.

[No Quarter]

If I had time for one thing in DC I'd visit THE Star Spangled Banner in the Smithsonian. I am interested in aviation and would go to the Air & Space Museum if I had an hour or two - or a week. IMO the Vietnam Memorial is very moving.

In Baltimore the place where Edgar Allan Poe is buried is something we've all heard about. If a mid nineteenth century warship is of interest, the Constellation is in the harbor.

At the Academy it self you might want to visit the John Paul Jones crypt. I don't know if any one who sees this has a Highland Park connection, and I'm not sure the location, but there is room on campus somewhere honoring cadets who were first in their class. That would include Butch Thompson who graduated from HPHS in 1956, I think. Charles Otstott, also a HP grad finished first at West Point the same year Thompson was number one for the Middies. Never happened before that year and maybe never repeated that the top cadets in a given year at the oldest service academies came from the same highschool.

Thompson's naval career included service as the Captain of a big missile submarine. Otstott retired as the Deputy commander of NATO ground forces. Otstott's brother graduated from SMU.

And yeah, be sure anD eat some Maryland crab in one for or another!

GO PONIES.

[ALEX LIFESON]

I've made the trip three times, including the flood in 2008. Did all of the tours etc... loved the experience.