HONOR COURAGE & COMMITMENT

May 26-28, 2026

Cute (but small) lighthouse outside of Annapolis, MD.

There is something to be said for the Navy’s core values: honor, courage and commitment. Be honorable to others (including all living things), use strength when required and do what is right, and maintain positive change and continuous improvement in your life. I try to remind myself of these values every day. As we were in Annapolis, MD for two days, we toured the Naval Academy which is just a beautiful campus. Impressive grounds, “the yard” is 338 acres and is a National Historic Landmark. The Naval Academy was established in 1845 and has the largest academic dormitory in the U.S. It is called, “Mother B” and holds over 4400 midshipmen, with 33 acres of floor space and 4.8 miles of corridor.

Bancroft Hall is said to be the largest contiguous set of academic dormitories in the U.S. The entire brigade of 4,400 midshipmen are housed in this building. It contains some 1,700 rooms, 4.8 miles (7.7 km) of corridors, and 33 acres of floor space. All the basic facilities that midshipmen need for daily living are found in the hall. It is referred to as "Mother B" or "The Hall" by Midshipmen.

This is a typical midshipmen’s dorm room (there is an exact duplicate on the other wall).

Annapolis is a quality city with the charm of a historic, maritime town that really emphasizes it’s 18th century architecture. You can feel the deep American roots with the layout of the streets radiating from Church and State Circles. Definitely a city that needs further investigation.

Bella is listening to Alex Haley tell a story.

Annapolis is an easy city to walk. We covered the marina area, Church & State Circles, St. John’s College and a walk around the Naval Academy in an afternoon. Definitely need to come back and spend more time in Annapolis!