Meeting “Billy” the NAVY Goat

The days are getting shorter and the air is cooler—that means Autumn is in the air! Lady and I are trying to see everything that we can before it is too cold for us to venture out with Lucky.

This weekend we went with some friends to Annapolis, Maryland. Lady wanted to see it and we figured we might as well cross it off the list. When we pulled off the of the exit we met instant traffic. Annapolis is the home of the United States Naval Academy and there was a NAVY football game! I suppose we should have checked before we picked a busy weekend.

Saint Anne's. Built on one of two high points in Annapolis. The Maryland Statehouse is on the other

Annapolis, much like Harper’s Ferry and Williamsburg, is full of colonial and national history. Much of that history surrounds the Navy and the Naval Academy. The first thing that we wanted to do was see the campus and visit the crypt under the chapel.

As we walked through security into the campus, one of our friends said that we would see the “goat” that was the mascot of the Navy. We laughed not believing it. But sure enough as we stepped onto campus we were welcomed by a statue of a fierce ram. There was a plaque under it describing the way “Billy the goat” became the mascot of the Naval Academy. Lesson learned: I shouldn’t laugh at friend’s goat comments.

He Naval Academy is beautiful. Lawns and trees stretch out to connect buildings old and new. The chapel big and gorgeous as one would expect and Lady wanted to see the crypt that someone told us about. We were under the assumption that the crypt was what you would expect in Paris or Rome under the city. However, it was really an immaculate marble burial site for John Paul Jones—a hero for the Modern U.S. Navy. Even if it wasn’t the dark dank catacombs of old, it was still great to see and read the history.

We walked the streets and bustled in and out of the shops with hundreds of Navy alumni. Even if we went a busy weekend the game goers gave Annapolis an energy. Lady Hiva found a fun accessory store and I, of course, found a Christmas shop. Haha.

Annapolis is great for the food—seafood in particular—every other store is a restaurant. Sadly, I am allergic to seafood so while we sat by the harbor and ate I had pizza.

We both liked the town. If you are ever interested in a scenic waterfront getaway—Annapolis is the place!