Annapolis is also home to the United States Naval Academy. The 338-acre campus and its residents seem to shape life in this still-small town. Everyone here knows when the plebes arrive and when the finely educated officers graduate. Many residents adopt the midshipmen and nurture them during their four-year stay. Just seeing the mids walking across town in their dress whites fills many here with a sense of pride.
Some graduates even come to love Annapolis as much as lifelong residents such as Bill McWilliams, one of only a handful of people in town who can claim to be natives. A few years ago, he chucked his career as a lawyer, trading the stress for a life making and selling pottery with his wife, Genevieve. His goal: to enjoy his life in Annapolis.
"Genevieve has a genetic predisposition for vagabonding," Bill says, smiling at his unabashed wife. "She says, 'Let's go somewhere else.' But I don't want to. There is so much to do here, even if you don't want to do any of it. I just like having the choices."
In the McWilliams' shop, The Annapolis Pottery on State Circle, there is a platter with a Hindu proverb that seems to capture the essence of Annapolis. "Help thy brother's boat across and lo thine own has reached the shore."
This article is from the June 2003 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.
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