beach – Baltimore Magazine

Greetings from Ocean City: Our Big Beachy Guide to Going Downy Ocean

Aaron Hope — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:00:58 +0000

By Lydia Woolever

Illustrations by Josefa

Photography by Christopher Myers

Travel & Outdoors

Greetings from Ocean City

A big, beachy love letter to going downy ocean.

By Lydia Woolever

Illustrations by Josefa

Photography by Christopher Myers

June 2024

ITY-DWELLERS KNOW WELL that by the end of May, when the mercury climbs toward the 90s, and the Mid-Atlantic air moves like molasses, there is one place, and one place only, to be in Maryland—and that is near the water. And for many generations of Marylanders, that has long meant heading out of the cities, over the Chesapeake Bay, across the Eastern Shore, until you see the white sands, washing surf, and whimsical wonderland of our state’s lone beach town. In fact, it’s hard to throw a baseball in Baltimore without hitting someone who’s spent time “downy oshun.”

Of course, getting to Ocean City is not always an easy feat. From Memorial through Labor Day, the typically two-and-a-half-hour drive takes twice as long, as this 10-mile barrier island—located on the easternmost edge of the Delmarva Peninsula, wedged between the Delaware line to the north, the Assateague Island National Seashore to the south, a trio of coastal bays to the west, and of course, to the east, the Atlantic Ocean—swells into our state’s second largest city. And yet weekend after weekend, well into September, road warriors from across the region will cram every chair, umbrella, bicycle, towel, and bathing suit that could possibly fit into their cars and brave the traffic to finally reach the beach. And many of the undeterred will tell you: “It’s worth it,” says Ocean City Mayor Richard Meehan, 75, a Towson native who spent childhood vacations in his now-adopted hometown. “There’s this feeling, coming over the Bay Bridge—like a sigh of relief. You just feel good about where you’re going.”

Which is to the sun and surf, of course. But also all the old motels, and the creaking boardwalk, and the blinking lights, and buzzing arcade games, and boundless shops, and bottomless feasts, generously dusted in salt and sugar. Over the past nearly 150 years, Ocean City has been a pandemonium of pleasure—offering all the fun, and nothing too fancy—where families flock for every form of leisure, and kids, by age or heart, can stay barefoot from morning to night. It often feels like time lingers somewhere between past and future here. As if, between the orange crush cocktails and Old Pro mini-golf courses and gaggles of seagulls soaring down to steal your Thrasher’s French fries, summer might just last forever.

“Sometimes I get out onto the beach early and look back to see the thousands of people standing outside or on their balconies, watching the sunrise over the Atlantic,” says Meehan. “It’s one of the most beautiful sights in the state of Maryland. And you can only see it in Ocean City.”

In a series of retro scenes, a white marlin hangs on the fishing pier and a visitors go for a round on the rides in Ocean City. COURTESY NABB RESEARCH CENTER, SALISBURY UNIVERSITY.

LONG BEFORE THE BIKINIS, beach bars, and boardwalk, Ocean City began as little more than a remote fishing village, wedged between coastal bays and the Atlantic Ocean, first inhabited by the Native-American Nanticoke tribe, then settled by colonists on the easternmost edge of what would become Worcester County. It stayed this way until 1875, when the small town was founded with the opening of its first formal establishment, The Atlantic Hotel, advertised in the Sun as “large and commodious,” located “directly on the surf” with “splendid bathing,” for just $2.50 a night. At the peak of the Industrial Revolution, seaside strands had become popularized as a cure-all for the many maladies of urban life, and before long, entrepreneurs evolved these health-and-wellness retreats into a bona fide entertainment industry.

With no Chesapeake Bay Bridge, steamships would carry Baltimoreans to the Eastern Shore, from which they would train due east via the peninsula’s nascent railroad, to the newly dubbed Ocean City. In the early days, there was a post office, two general stores, and a few churches, but the boardwalk would take another quarter century. In 1900, it began with just five blocks, running between the town’s boundaries of North and South Division streets, covering what is now the island’s southernmost tip.

Walking this section of the resort town today, and you’ll come across a bevy of businesses that still stand from those early days, many of them run by descendants of their first- or second-generation immigrant founders, whose emporiums of rest, relaxation, recreation, or refreshments were some achievement of the American dream.

And down here, big changes were ushered in not just by man but Mother Nature. In August 1933, one infamous hurricane would dramatically alter the local landscape, ripping open a stretch of sand now known as “The Inlet” between the then-isolated Sinepuxent Bay and the sea, making way for a commercial fishing industry—one of the town’s early successes. (And in 1962, as the city crept northward, a notorious nor’easter would block any lingering lust to the south; the expansion of the downtown Baltimore Avenue across the Inlet into the proposed community of “Ocean Beach” was washed out with a three-day storm surge, after which the federal government protected that plot of land as the Assateague Island National Seashore.)

But even storms, stock market crashes, and world wars couldn’t contain the automobile age. The first span of the Bay Bridge was erected in 1952, and the rest was history. Streets were paved, town limited stretched toward Delaware, and within the next two decades, a bona fide construction boom was underway.

“I’ve witnessed several of the town’s incarnations,” wrote Raphael Alvarez, former Ocean City correspondent for the Sun, in Baltimore. “When I was a kid in the 1960s, mine was one of a half-dozen families—relatives and my father’s tugboat and crabbing buddies—who vacationed together each summer in Ocean City.” The Baltimore native swam in the ocean, and fileted fresh-caught fish, and watched the 1969 World Series, and made spin art on the Boardwalk, “blowing on it to dry.”

By the time of the second bridge span in 1973, the Ocean City we know today was beginning to take shape. Beaches were widened, bayside neighborhoods were built out of marsh, and The Carousel, owned by Lyndon Johnson political adviser Bobby Baker, had become the first hotel of “high rise row” north of 94th Street. Then part-time resident Gov. William Donald Schaefer sealed the deal with his “Reach the Beach” infrastructuve initiative in the late ’80s, transforming country two-lanes into coast-bound highways on the way to his own summer trailer—and his sleepy escape into a full-blown destination.

“What made Ocean City so special growing up?” poses Joe Kro-Art, 83, Baltimore native and owner of Ocean Gallery, a boardwalk institution since 1972. “That first moment of running down the beach, and seeing the Atlantic Ocean! The giant waves! Jumping in! Splashing around! Such excitement and fun! And, amazingly, it still is today.”

Retro beachgoers comb the boardwalk.

IN THE DECADES SINCE, Ocean City has grown into the fullness of its grand name. Some 97 percent of the island has now been developed—with countless crab houses, candy stores, T-shirt shops, and surfboard shacks now stacked like dominoes down the main drag of Coastal Highway. The local population has quadrupled, and that’s not to mention the eight million visitors who swarm the seashore each year—from Baltimore, yes, but increasingly also Pennsylvania on up to New York, contributing more than $240 million to the local and state economy. Tourism is by and large the number one industry in Ocean City, “by a landslide,” says Amy Thompson, executive director of the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, with the “shoulder season” inching deeper and deeper into winter.

There are endless adages for how the off-season used to be. Fire a cannon down the boardwalk and you wouldn’t injure a single person. Roll a bowling ball down Coastal Highway and not a single car would be scratched. “On the Monday night of Labor Day, you used to look down Baltimore Avenue, and Ocean City was a ghost town until the next spring,” says Butch Arbin, 65, a Parkville native and head of the Ocean City Beach Patrol. “Nowadays, we’re a year-round resort.”

Of course, there are pros and cons of the town’s progress, as affordable housing becomes difficult to find, and the commercial sprawl oozes into once-quiet mainland communities like West Ocean City and Berlin. You can see it all across the Eastern Shore. On the backroads between Routes 50, 404, and 113, farm fields have succumbed to housing developments, strip malls, and a Royal Farms every other mile, or so it seems. Meanwhile, back in town, beloved landmarks bite the dust in town, and those classic cottages give way to upscale condominiums.

“I cried when they tore down the Sun and Surf movie theater,” says Meredith Moore, 40, an Ocean City native and owner of Innerbloom Floral on 30th Street. “It’s easy to be both sad that things are ending but also excited about the growth. Change is ultimately a good thing.”

A peak summer beach. COURTESY NABB RESEARCH CENTER, SALISBURY UNIVERSITY.

BUT NOW, AS IN THE PAST, enterprising businesses are rising to the occasion. Despite the town’s at-times Disneyland-like quality, many spots—even Sunsations and Seacrets—with many still run by local families, with some of the owners spending their childhood lunch breaks together on the amusement rides or over a slice of pizza. And a new wave of millennial Ocean Citians are returning home to open hip spaces like indie bookstores and farm-to- table restaurants, offering more inclusive and accessible options in this majority-white, predominantly middle-class community. Drive around and you’ll also recognize names like Ropewalk, Papi’s Tacos, and Pickle’s Pub, all from Baltimore—with the original owner of Shotti’s Point actually packing up and moving to the beach.

There is still Bike Week and the White Marlin Open, but also the Sunset, and Springfest, and Ocean’s Calling music festival, which will feature The Beach Boys this September. Sidewalks are being widened, bike lanes are being added, and the dune-strewn beaches are being repaired by the Army Corps of Engineers—which all happen to be free. Altogether, it’s getting harder and harder to dismiss the town simply as “Ocean Shitty”—a snub likely born out of its free-flowing Natural Lights and working-class clientele.

“There’s this feeling, coming over the Bay Bridge—like a sigh of relief...”

“Bethany and Rehoboth are beautiful, but Ocean City has always been more down-to-earth,” says Mickie Meinhardt, owner of The Buzzed Word bookstore on 119th Street, pointing to its affordability, with free beaches, cheap lodging, and family-friendly amusements. “You can come for Seacrets. You can come for senior week. But that’s not all this place is. . . . We’re a little beach town with a slower pace of life and salt-of-the-earth people.”

All to say, there might be no better time to take a trip, be it for the first time or the 50th. So go and see for yourself, using a few of the tips, tricks, and true stories that can be found below.

Because, believe it or not, those long, languid days of summer will be gone before we know it. Even in Ocean City.

Explore where to eat, what to do, how to play, and more.

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Engaging History

Megan McGaha — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:00:59 +0000

— Courtesy of Justin Tsucalas

There’s something for everyone in the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area
Whether you have a head for history, love nature, or enjoy the challenge of solving puzzles, there’s something for everyone in the place known as the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. Located just below the Mason-Dixon Line and covering portions of Carroll, Frederick, and Washington counties, the area is ideally positioned to serve as your “base camp” for visiting the many Civil War battlefields and seeing the sights in and around Antietam, Gettysburg, Monocacy, South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Here are five different ideas for exploring the region, from day trips to overnight adventures, tailored to a variety of interests and ages.

— Courtesy of Visit Frederick

Old Main Streets Byway
Do you long for the days of quaint little towns, Main Street shops, and historic homes? In the span of a few hours, you can travel roundtrip along country roads connecting small towns including Emmitsburg, Westminster, and Mount Airy on the Old Main Streets Byway. Pop into the shops and restaurants along the still-vibrant main streets, experience the eye-catching scenery, and take in the unique history of the region.

Don’t miss the Carroll County Farm Museum near Westminster, where visitors can experience mid-19th century rural life. Tour the farmhouse and a bank barn, built in 1852-53. Explore the smokehouse, broom shop, saddlery, springhouse, firehouse, general store, and a one-room schoolhouse. Another point of interest along the way is the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the historic home of the first American-born saint.

— Courtesy of Visit Frederick

South Mountain State Battlefield
South Mountain Battlefield, along the border of Washington County, is the site of the first major Civil War battle to take place in Maryland. It’s also the only major battlefield that intersects the Appalachian Trail. For history buffs, the War Correspondents Memorial Arch and Washington Monument are worth a visit.

The South Mountain Corridor is more than a battlefield, though—it’s also home to the artisans of the Valley Craft Network, including potters and artists as well as purveyors of local foods and beverages, such as Willow Oaks Cider and several wineries.

— Courtesy of Carroll County Tourism

National Parks and Nature
If nature’s your thing, there are many national, state, and local parks in the Heritage Area. Find a campground or cabin and sleep under the stars at Greenbrier State Park in Washington County, which boasts a lake and beach. Find an outfitter to rent bikes or take you on a guided whitewater rafting trip. Or take a leisurely stroll on one of the best walking paths in the country, the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Children will love the hands-on educational exhibits and live animals at the Bear Branch Nature Center in Carroll County. Thrill-seeking adventure-lovers of all ages can climb, swing, and zip their way through the trees up to 50 feet above the forest floor at TreeTrekkers, minutes from downtown Frederick.

— Courtesy of Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area

Farms and Farm Markets
Farming is the largest commercial industry in Maryland. There are lots of opportunities for visitors to experience—and taste!—the fruits of the farmers’ labor throughout the region. You can pick your own strawberries at Baugher’s Orchards or one of several other farms in Carroll County. Washington County also offers a wide range of agricultural offerings, including Cronise Market Place in Boonsboro, a family-owned farm stand selling fresh produce, plants, and flowers since 1928. At South Mountain Creamery in Frederick County, visitors are invited to bottle-feed the calves. For a little taste of everything, this two-day itinerary features many of Frederick County’s farms, wineries, breweries, creameries, and orchards.

— Courtesy of Visit Frederick

GeoTrail/Puzzle-Solving
If you’re looking for an interactive, educational all-ages adventure, you’ve found it: The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area GeoTrail. Assemble your team and tackle the challenge of taking on the role of a Civil War correspondent on the trail of a spy. This puzzle-solving experience takes participants to historic sites across three counties. Players must solve puzzles and collect clues along the trail to learn the spy’s identity. Keep an eye on the National Museum of Civil War Medicine’s website and social media this summer, as they will be announcing events in collaboration with Surelocked In Escape Games that immerse players in historical narratives.

— Courtesy of Justin Tsucalas

Source

Sail Into the New Year

Megan McGaha — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 14:38:17 +0000

After more than a year without travel, it’s time to get your next trip on the books. But what if you don’t know where to begin planning or can’t decide where to go? Celebrity Cruises is your answer. With multiple itineraries to choose from for each destination, their offerings have something for every traveler. And not to mention drinks, Wi-Fi, and tips are always included with any trip, anywhere you go. To learn more about their cruises, we talked to the team at Celebrity Cruises to get the details on the many getaway options.

The Great Frontier: Alaska

Made for the adventurer or nature enthusiast, Celebrity Cruises’ Alaska sailings are filled with natural wonders, remarkable wildlife, and rich history. Choose from 15 itineraries, ranging from nine to 13 nights, and see hundreds of miles of untouched beauty. North- and south-bound sailings feature glimpses of glaciers such as the Hubbard and Dawes—just two of Alaska’s 100,000 glaciers.

Extend your vacation and travel to the mainland with Celebrity Cruisetours—featuring a five-star motorcoach and railway—to see all the beauty Alaska has to offer and for a more immersive cultural experience. By combining the sea and land tours, you can hike Denali National Park, traverse through the tundra, and encounter rare wildlife. Not only known for its nature, Alaska also boasts one-of-a-kind fine dining, art galleries, and other urban features.

Sailings depart from Seattle, Washington, Seward, Alaska, and Vancouver, British Columbia. All Alaska sailing ships include high-end restaurants, shops, cocktail and wine bars, kid-friendly activities, and, of course, impeccable service. Customize your experience and explore Alaska by sea, land, or both.

Coast to the Caribbean

The options seem endless when planning your vacation to paradise. Choose from Celebrity Cruises’ 136 unique itineraries with port stops throughout the entire Caribbean—which encompasses about 100 must-visit islands. Whether you’re a parent wanting to plan a trip for the family, beach bum looking to catch some sun, history buff wanting to experience a rich culture, or foodie craving vibrant cuisine, each tropical destination is home to all.

Caribbean beaches are some of the best in the world and every one has its own special personality. Spend some time on land to experience the different cultures of each port. You can personalize your trip with shore excursions to explore heritage sites, dive or snorkel coral reefs, horseback ride on the beach, or hike through waterfalls, rainforests, and caves. Plus, the seafood, coffee, and chocolate are exceptional for post-excursion fuel. No matter where you dock, the Caribbean spirit is a marvel not to miss.

Regional destinations include the Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, Southern Caribbean, Costa Rica, Mexico, Florida, Virgin and US Virgin Islands, ABC Islands, Puerto Rico, and Central America with options from three to 12-night stays. Depending on the itinerary, ships depart from Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Miami. If you’re looking for a closer departure, Bermuda sailings leave from port in Bayonne, New Jersey–just a three-hour drive from Baltimore. While aboard a Celebrity Cruise Ship, enjoy unmatched restaurants, bars, shops, theaters, and outdoor decks with gardens and sports courts.

A European Adventure Awaits

From the Baltic to Mediterranean seas, Celebrity Cruises has a port throughout Europe ready for you. Unique on-shore excursions throughout some of the most iconic cities are available in each landing. Immerse yourself in the incredible regions of Scandinavia, British Isles, or the Mediterranean—all with Old World history intertwined with new experiences ready to be discovered.

Exciting things are coming in 2022. Celebrity Cruises is launching a new ship, the Celebrity Beyond℠, this spring. Featuring a flawless resort deck with outdoor gardens, an adults-only Solarium pool, and a main pool, the onboard activities have fun for the whole family. Your trip wouldn’t be complete without top-notch entertainment so the Celebrity Beyond℠ boasts a theatre and casino. Plus, five-star dining at The Eden and an unparalleled floating-bar experience at The Magic Carpet will keep you fueled for more fun.

Like all Celebrity Cruises, high-end amenities like elegant dining, aperitif lounges, and activities for kids and adults are available while on board other ships. View all of Celebrity Cruises’ European adventures and learn more about the 162 specially curated itineraries, here. Don’t miss out on experiencing untouched natural wonders and historic monuments.

With new journeys awaiting you all over the world, where will you choose to travel next? Celebrity Cruises is your personal travel agent and guide wrapped into one. Their services offer easy and convenient travel planning that will make your trip nothing short of spectacular. All vessels guarantee fun for all ages like Camp at Sea for kids or casinos for adults. Book your trip early to lock in your preferred date and cabin type before space runs out. Plus, in the height of wave season, you’re sure to find the perfect deals and specials to make your next vacation extraordinary and your New Year’s resolution come true.

Putting your safety first, Celebrity Cruises is taking precautions to ensure all guest experiences are exceptional and safe. From enhanced cleaning protocols to fresh air filtration systems, they’re taking the extra step so you can “Cruise with Confidence.” Review their Healthy at Sea initiative to learn more.

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Playland

Aaron Hope — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:00:38 +0000

By Rafael Alvarez

Photography by Christopher Myers

July 2021

Travel & Outdoors

Playland

Ocean City has changed dramatically over the past century, but it’s always been about family and fun.

By Rafael Alvarez
Photography by Christopher Myers

June 2021

HEN THE TEENAGED Earl Shores worked at Ocean City’s long-gone Playland Amusement Park on 65th street in the summer of 1980, he often pulled duty in the “crow’s nest” high atop a classic carnival ride called the Rotor. Invented in Germany a few years after the end of World War II, the Rotor was nothing more than a huge metal barrel. It spun with such centrifugal force—rotating 33 times a minute—that thrill-seekers were pinned to the sides before the bottom of the barrel, literally, fell out. “If the park had a throne, that was it,” says Shores, now 62, adding his tippy-top seat, appropriately, resembled a small metal lifeguard chair. Below the clouds and above the screams, Shores’ job was to keep an eye out if anyone got sick, or, from time to time, hurt. “When someone barfed,” he says, “you shut the ride down for a while to clean it.”

Vintage New Atlantic Hotel postcard.

The stand afforded Shores a view of the fabled barrier spit—a very crowded, mere 4.4 square miles—as good or better than any Cessna pilot hauling an advertising banner above the surf: STEAMED CRABS! ALL YOU CAN EAT!

The vista encapsulated the entire history of the seaside, known as “The Ladies’ Resort to the Ocean” before the Town of Ocean City was officially incorporated in 1880—from the famous Atlantic Hotel to the south (its 1875 opening marked the beginning of a serious tourist trade) to the surfing beaches and condominium towers near the Delaware line. When Playland opened in 1965, on 65th Street, in what was then the boondocks, Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon were doing “The Frug” in Beach Blanket Bingo. At that time, young people in Ocean City liked to head “way up north” beyond 95th street to sing along to guitars at bonfires. There was nothing there but sand dunes and Bobby Baker’s Carousel hotel at 118th street until the massive 1970s building explosion, courtesy of the Bay Bridge expansion of ’73. By the time Playland closed in 1980 to make room for Ocean City’s 15-acre Public Works Department headquarters, the once-sleepy resort and fishing community had been fully overhauled. Through four decades from 1930-1970, the town’s year-round population grew by only 547 new residents. From 1970, it increased more than five-fold to more than 8,000 residents—while exploding each summer into the state’s second-largest city with more than 300,000-plus visitors every weekend.

Earl Shores worked at Playland in 1980 and penned a memoir of his Ocean City days.

In the decades since the Playland site was converted into Ocean City’s Public Works Department, hundreds, if not thousands, of places to eat and drink, spend the night, and buy beach towels have sprung up, closed, and sprung up again. (When contractors, laborers, and engineers arrived to begin the renovation from silly to serious at Playland, they were greeted by a large, smiling clown atop the entrance.) If nothing else, today’s municipal army of trash trucks alone prove that Ocean City long ago transformed itself from town to city—one that stretches from Inlet Park at its southern end to Fenwick Island at its Delaware border.

“It was a twilight panorama,” says Shores of his summer evenings working at Playland during Ocean City’s boomtown days. “[Each night] the ocean visible on the horizon; its deep blue not far from the color of the sky as the amusement park lights were about to come on.”

Mural on the side of Fun City, Third Street and Boardwalk.

he Baltimore Sun published classified ads extolling Ocean City in the early 1910s as “The finest bathing beach in the world. No dangerous undertow. Boating and fishing on the Sinepuxent Bay are unequaled.” It was a different time and place. Since 1881, when a railroad line was completed across Sinepuxent to the shore, bringing rail passengers directly to town, Ocean City had been a destination, but a quiet, more isolated escape. Mother Nature herself would transform the barrier island in August 1933 with a hurricane that blasted open a 50-foot crevasse known as the Inlet—allowing boats to pass easily from the bay into the Atlantic and viceversa. Known simply as “the storm” and later the Great Hurricane of 1933—the National Weather Service did not begin naming hurricanes until 1950—the three-day surge is credited with launching the modern era of the resort. For years, Ocean City citizens had been asking the federal government to fund the creation of an inlet connecting the isolated Sinepuxent Bay with the ocean. The storm essentially did the work for free.

Earl Shores on the beach with his family in front of the Ocean City pier, 1964.

“Before the storm there was no way to get from the bay to the ocean, and there was no commercial harbor or bayside marinas,” says Bunk Mann, who interviewed two dozen people with first-hand experience of the storm for his 2014 book, Vanishing Ocean City. “It also ended the pound fishing industry [the practice of catching large quantities of fish in massive nets]—now you could sail out to deep water—and railroad days. The train bridge was washed out and never rebuilt.” Like Shores, who penned a memoir of his Ocean City days, Playland, Mann sells his books at the Life-Saving Station Museum at the Inlet.

Mann is a former Ocean City beach umbrella and “surf mat” vendor. In the mid-1960s, he worked a rental stand on 10th Street in front of the George Washington Hotel, which was razed in 1990 and replaced by the Americana Hotel. In 1966, he traded the glamour—low pay, but lots of smiles—of life as a beach boy for a job as a busboy at English’s Chicken. Established on 15th Street during the Kennedy Administration, it was known for its sweet potato biscuits before it closed in 2014.

Ticket for Ocean Playland.

With the demise of itinerant fishermen and their wooden shacks along Baltimore Avenue, came the end, according to legend, of brothels as well, Mann said. “The widening of the beaches downtown were also an effect [of the hurricane],” Mann adds. “When the big rock jetties were built to keep the Inlet open it caused sand to wash up on the downtown beach, which made it more attractive. Before that, high tides would wash over the boardwalk.”

The creation of the Inlet also gave birth to the White Marlin Open, the famous billfish tournament now in its 48th year, promoted as the biggest in the world and the source of Ocean City’s official nickname today: The White Marlin Capital of the World.

The Great Hurricane of 1933 and opening of the Inlet would later serve as well as a kind of protective moat between the rising commercialization of Ocean City and the fishing camps of Assateague, which became a National Seashore in 1965. “If not for the Inlet,” Mann says, “Ocean City would have developed southward and the Assateague parks would not exist—just a continuation of hotels, bars, and T-shirt shops.” Before the storm created the Inlet, the fabled Assateague ponies were known to wander into downtown Ocean City looking for food. Echoing a Beach Boys hit from 1966, Mann says that if Congress had not preserved the shore to the south, “God only knows what would have happened to Assateague’s wild ponies!”

Top: Vintage image of Playland at dusk. Bottom: Two recent shots of the Ocean City board at dusk.

cean City evolved slowly at first after the hurricane of 1933 and then all at once. There was even a modest population decline in the 1950s, which was attributed to permanent residents moving to the mainland, either selling or renting their high-value island property. But for Earl Shores, the Ocean City of his youth—he was first taken there as a baby before the dawn of JFK’s New Frontier—was always a magical place. He grew up, and still lives, outside of Philadelphia, which, he said, made him an “outlier” among friends who vacationed on the Jersey Shore.

For reasons unknown, Shores says, his paternal great-grandparents began traveling to Ocean City in the 1920s. Later, when they drove, it was before the original span of the Bay Bridge was built in 1952, necessitating long road trips south through Delaware.

Earl Shores’ great-grandmother and Annie Bunting in the back of the Ocracoke Cottages on Dorchester Street, early 1950s.

Shores’ great-grandparents were Henry Clay Ewing, a railroad detective, and Mary Ellen Ewing, who outlived her husband by some 30 years before passing away in 1972 at age 97. She vacationed on the Maryland shore right to the end.

“Visits to Ocean City were always a family affair,” says Shores, recalling memories shared by generations—a game of Skee-Ball, fingers sticky with the caramel of Fisher’s Popcorn, established in 1937, a first leap into the surf. “My great-grandmother, my grandmother, my aunt and uncle, from the 1930s all through the ’80s, we stayed at Annie Bunting’s place on Dorchester Street,” he says. “My great-grandmother and her would spend the evening hours talking on the porch. One of my most cherished memories of Ocean City is Mrs. Bunting’s distinctive voice and the stories she used to tell.”

The inn that Annie Spencer Bunting established at 205 Dorchester Street was called the Ocracoke Cottages, after her previous home in the Outer Banks. She arrived in Ocean City in 1917, age 20, and remained until she passed in 1993.

Upon first landing on the Shore some dozen years before the great storm, Annie Bunting had worked as a maid at the Mervue, a Boardwalk hotel between Third and Fourth streets, razed in 1970, and renamed the Seaview. Around 1919, on a lot she bought for $150 according to the Bunting family, Annie built a two story, cedar-shake Cape Cod guest house with her husband, Levin Bunting.

“It took a beating from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and then again in 2014. It’s an empty lot,” Shores says of the old Ocracoke. “I was totally unprepared for how hard that empty space was going to hit me. I cried.”

Ralph Sapia, a Baltimore attorney today, similarly grew up going to Ocean City, spending half of each year at the beach helping his parents, James and Betty Sapia, at their various eateries. His brother Vince currently operates Da Vinci’s by the Sea on the Boardwalk at 15th Street. When they were kids, the family venture was the House of Pasta on Philadelphia Avenue, now the site of a Burger King. “The only place we could get squid for our calamari,” remembers Ralph, “was Paul’s Bait and Tackle on Talbot Avenue.” Now a parking lot, Paul’s is gone, but it’s been replaced by Skip’s Bait and Tackle, which sits adjacent to its old Talbot Street location.

Sportland and Fun City owner Jerry Greenspan.

One of young Ralph’s best Boardwalk buddies was Jerry Greenspan, whose father, Harold, a Holocaust survivor, bought his first store on the Boardwalk in 1958. It was a department store that sold men’s and women’s clothing. “We lived behind the store with my parents, my mother’s parents, me and my sisters, and our dog, Caesar,” says Greenspan, best known for the still-popular Boardwalk arcades once owned by his father, Harold—Sportland and Fun City. “That’s the way it was.” And what once graced the Fun City address? The Maryland Inn, an elegant hotel with an Eastern Shore menu and white glove table service on the Boardwalk at Caroline Street. The Greenspans bought it in 1973, built the arcade where the screened-in porch once was, and tore the building down in 1979.

Greenspan’s earliest Ocean City memory is the “Ash Wednesday” storm of 1962, a nor’easter considered more devastating than the 1933 hurricane. Planks of the Boardwalk were seen floating down Baltimore Avenue, which resembled a river.

“Our store sold Styrofoam surfboards,” Greenspan recalls. “And my sister and I used them to paddle up and down the aisles.”

On the boardwalk: Dumser’s Ice Cream; T-shirt shop.

irst as a kid and later as the former Ocean City correspondent for The Baltimore Sun, I’ve witnessed several of the town’s incarnations. When I was a kid in the 1960s, mine was one of a half-dozen families—relatives and my father’s tugboat and crabbing buddies—who vacationed together each summer in Ocean City. We stayed at the Hitch Apartments on St. Louis Avenue at Fifth Street. The rooms had adjoining doors that, when open, allowed a kid to run the length of the building. Long removed from the founding family, the building is now the Hitch Condominiums.

Former Sun reporter Rafael Alvarez (left) with brother Danny on the beach, 1965.

I remember how much fun it was to jump waves with my mother, who wore a bathing cap to keep water out of her ears. Not all indelible beach memories, however, are made on the beach.

I marveled as a kid as my father swiftly cleaned, fileted, and panfried dozens of Atlantic “puffer fish” caught with his best buddy, Jerome Lukowski. I also played catch in the Orioles’ World Series year of 1969 with Jerome’s son Gregory, now a retired Chesapeake Bay pilot, in the parking lot of the Hitch Apartments. We pretended we were Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair before the whole gang went to Pappy’s Beef & Beer. And I made psychedelic “spin art” on the Boardwalk—not far from a hippie shop selling posters of Frank Zappa on the toilet—by squeezing paint out of plastic bottles onto a spinning rectangle of cardboard and, after the teenager working the kiosk handed it to me in a paper frame, blowing on it to dry.

Years later, my first break as a rookie reporter in 1983 for The Baltimore Sun came when features editor Gil Watson sent me to cover Ocean City for the summer. Flush and fat in those days, the paper put my young family up in a bayside townhouse on 94th Street while I kept an office closer to the action at the Tarry-A-While Guest House on Dorchester Street and the Boardwalk.

Ocean City—a 19th-century fishing village transformed into one of the most successful beach resorts on the East Coast—was far from one of The Sun’s sought-after foreign bureaus in London and Paris, but I treated it like one. I wrote about born-again Christian surfers, a man who caught lobsters miles out at sea, and Herman “Shorty” Foster, a blind banjo player who strolled the Boardwalk with his German Shepherd guide dog, and scores of others. “They say I get around too well for a blind man,” Shorty once told me. “I can’t even see the sun shine.” On a whim, I calculated—as near as possible—how much booze was consumed over the course of the summer back in the ’80s. Consumption of beer alone was estimated at 2 million gallons. Said a drug and alcohol counselor in 1984, my second posting at the beach, “People come down here to party, not to get help.”

Stuffed toys outside an Ocean City souvenir shop.

That said, after 41 years, beer will no longer wash down plates of shrimp imperial at BJ’s On the Water, 75th Street and Bayside. Owners Billy and Maddy Carder have retired and sold the property to a restaurant group.

The landmark is being redeveloped and, like so much else in Ocean City—nearing its 150th anniversary, marked by the 1875 opening of the Atlantic Hotel—the tide comes in and the tide goes out, erasing what once was. Long gone are old-time attractions like the Jester’s Fun House just off the Boardwalk at Worcester Street, featuring a hag named Laffing Sal, a robotic rag doll now on display at the Life-Saving Museum. The spooky attraction was torn down in 1972 and replaced by the Sportland arcade.

Back in ’83 and ’84, I wore out the soles of Converse high-tops chasing stories up and down the Boardwalk and made follow-up phone calls from a push-button phone on the second floor of the Tarry-A-While. Constructed in 1897, the wooden, pitched roof, two-and-a-half-story structure with the wide porch is one of the few 19th-century buildings left. One of the first guest houses to advertise individual rooms with running water, it was purchased by the Cropper family in 1901 and remained with the Croppers for five generations.

“Bert Cropper was my Dad’s champion when we first came down here, he poured the cement for our stores,” Jerry Greenspan says of George Bertrand Cropper, a civil engineer, builder, and lifelong Ocean City resident who grew up “when the roads were sand and seashell.” Mr. Cropper died in 2005 at age 96.

At least two babies were born at the Tarry-A-While in the 1920s. It is not known how many were conceived there. In 2004, it was slated for demolition. That year, however, Paul and Kathy Davis, who’d owned the guest house for about 25 years, sold it to Bo Ruggiero, who donated the building to the town. Before ground was broken on the Belmont Tower project on its former site, the Tarry-A-While was moved 350 feet from 8 Dorchester to 108 Dorchester and renovated. The town now leases the first floor to the Ocean City Development Corporation, with rooms on the upper floors rented to lifeguards.

“We try to preserve as much of what is historical as possible,” says Glenn Irwin, executive director of the OCDC. Irwin noted that while Ocean City codified design standards in 2002 for buildings from the Inlet to Third Street, “old” Ocean City is not a certified historic district. “Only two buildings in Ocean City are listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” he says. “St. Paul’s by the Sea Protestant Episcopal Church at Baltimore Avenue and Third Street, and the Captain Robert S. Craig Cottage at 706 St. Louis Avenue. Captain Craig developed and for many years led the beach patrol.”

St. Paul’s by the Sea Protestant Episcopal Church at Baltimore Avenue and Third Street is one of the only two buildings in Ocean City listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The oldest building still standing in Ocean City is likely St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church at 208 South Baltimore Avenue.

Asked what was the most recent heartbreaking demolition, Irwin said “the Taylor House”—a Queen Anne-style Victorian built as a hotel in 1905. Owner Larry Payne had a notion of restoring the building, and Irwin said his office discussed several options to keep the grande dame from coming down, but structural defects made it too costly. It is now a vacant lot. “A shame,” Irwin says. “We lose these older buildings to new construction or demolition by neglect.”

The best teardown and rebuild I know about occurred long ago on the West Ocean City fishing docks. It started with the towing away of the broken-down delivery truck that had been home to a man named Watterson “Mack” Miller. At the time, Mack was an all-around, whatever-needs-to-be-done employee of the Castle in the Sand, owned by Adam Showell Sr., descendent of an old resort family that has been on the Shore since receiving a British land grant in the late 17th century. In its place, a one-room wooden cottage was built for Mack by his many friends.

A police source during one of my summer reporting sojourns tipped me off to the 80-year-old Mack’s Olympian swims several miles out to sea and back, and that made for my first story about the one-time heir to the Louisville Courier-Journal fortune, who had drank and caroused away a fortune during the Roaring ’20s. I soon began visiting him in his shack, from which he walked back and forth to work each day. His lasting advice, still fresh (and finally understood) 35 years after his death in 1986: “I wouldn’t roll the dice with my blessings if I were you.”

Mack’s ashes were tossed from a clam boat into the Atlantic Ocean—the only reason the Town of Ocean City exists—where he swam for decades.

“I’d like to die while I’m swimming,” he once said, “so the fish and crabs can be my undertakers.”

Source

How a Beach Trip With My Grandkids Taught Me to Let Go

Laura Black — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 13:29:35 +0000

About six weeks ago, during that late summer time sandwiched between camp and school, my husband, my sons in-law, and I, took five grandchildren to the beach. (Three shared grandchildren and the in-laws’ other two.) They ranged in age from 4 to 10.

At 7 a.m. on day two of the trip, as we adults sipped our first cups of coffee and the kids pleaded for more Pop-Tarts, my 10-year-old granddaughter hand-delivered an invitation to each of us that read,

“Come to Sticky’s and Gummy’s funeral. It’s in my room at 7:30. Wear black.”

Sticky and Gummy were the 5-cent slimy, crystalline creatures that she “won” at an amusement arcade the previous evening. (Given the amount of money we spent, I could have flown to Vietnam and bought them directly from the manufacturer.) The figurines met their demise when one of my grandsons stretched them to the point of dismemberment. My granddaughter screamed, “Why did you do that?” Her brother apologized, “I was just playing. I didn’t think they’d break.” She accepted his apology but insisted on a proper funeral.

Just as the caffeine began to kick in, she shooed us into her makeshift bedroom, a walk-in closet with a mattress, where all nine of us scrunched together to pay our last respects. My husband delivered the eulogy.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the short lives of Sticky and Gummy . . .”

I tried to keep a solemn countenance but couldn’t. The in-laws caught my eye and began to giggle. Soon, even the kids registered the absurdity of the situation and we all broke into full-belly laughter. It was the first time, since our arrival, that I had let myself relax.

Taking my grandchildren to the beach in my 60s was a far cry from taking my children there in my 20s. The walk from the condo to the water was longer. The softer, potholed sand was harder to navigate. The beach chairs and umbrellas were heavier. The sun was hotter, and the noise was louder. I no longer enjoyed small hands wielding big shovels burying any of my body parts in the sand. And I didn’t want to fill and refill buckets with water for castles that couldn’t help but collapse. I just wanted to read my book.

I could deal with the commotion, heat, and exhaustion. It was the responsibility for their safety that put me over the edge. We spread our blanket in front of the life guard’s feet. We forced the kids to wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets. We sprayed them every hour, from head to toe, with SPF-100 sunscreen. There were four adults watching five children. And I was still a nervous wreck.

I dragged my beach chair to the shallow waters. Sitting upright, I shaded my eyes with my hand, and tried to keep track of all five children. Again, and again, I counted out loud, “One, two, three, four, five. One, two three four five . . .” I watched for the undertow that would sweep a child out to sea; the jellyfish with the poisonous sting; the fin of a great white; or, the kidnapper disguised as a fellow beach goer.

Grandparent angst is not limited to vacations. For me, it began with the birth of my granddaughter. I quickly learned that, in addition to my own angst, I had to deal with a higher authority—her parents. I had to follow their rules (at least in their presence) and use pre-approved contraptions, like the “one touch collapsible” stroller—it took months before I learned how to finagle it into my trunk.

And the regulation car seat with all its straps and belts—I never did figure out how to install that. In desperation, I paid a local firefighter to install it for me. I called him again when my daughter-in-law told me to change it from back-facing to front-facing. For years afterward, we took my husband’s car if we were driving another couple to dinner. I wasn’t messing with that car seat.

Now, my grandchildren were past the infant and toddler stages. This vacation was an opportunity to connect with them as people. Yet, I had allowed hypothetical dangers to distract me from actual joys. Our laughter at the funeral for those cheap figurines slapped me into the moment. If I wanted more of those moments—I needed to ease up.

For the remaining couple of days, I allowed myself to be present. While we dealt with strep throat, pink eye, and sea lice, we also converted the kitchen island into a Ping-Pong table and held tournaments. We built sand tunnels and collected seashells. We had a salami and egg cook-off and dessert at every meal.

After breakfast, on the last day of the trip, my grandson turned to me and said, “Bubbie, can we stay here forever?” I hugged him and answered, “Forever, no. But, hopefully next summer.” I’m already looking forward to it.

When we buried Sticky and Gummy, I buried my angst. Well—most of it at least.

Source

A Guide to the Classic Boardwalk Businesses of Ocean City

Jess Mayhugh — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 08:30:00 +0000

While there’s been a sea change in culinary options along the Delaware and Maryland beaches, the boardwalk is like an old friend. So, when we’re tired of fussed-over fennel salads and camera-ready plates of slow-roasted salmon, seaside staples such as Old Bay popcorn and chocolate-covered crabs are always there for us. In ever-fickle beach towns, restaurants tend to come and go with the tide. But these boardwalk businesses—357 years old, in total!—remain constant. What explains their enduring appeal? Maybe it’s the salt air that makes us crave things both salty and sweet. Or maybe it’s that, without sun, sand, surf, and soft-serve, it just wouldn’t be summer.

Room and Boards

The Ocean City boardwalk was first built in 1902 as a temporary convenience for oceanfront hotel guests to walk along the waterway or get to the beach. At high tide, it was rolled up and stowed away on hotel porches. In 1910, a permanent walkway was built. It was expanded to its present 2.5 miles after a March 1962 storm washed it out to sea.

Thrasher’s French Fries

Don’t look for pizza or hot dogs at this classic fry stand with a trio of Ocean City boardwalk locations and a line down the block. At Thrasher’s, the only game in town is spuds. The recipe, unchanged since its opening by J.T. Thrasher in 1929, is closely guarded but includes Idaho potatoes fried in peanut oil and topped with apple cider vinegar. To date, the business has stayed in two families over five generations. “A Thrasher’s French fry is what every potato wished it could be,” raved one fan to Urbanspoon.
Best Bite: An XL bucket of fries with vinegar. (Duh.) At the Boardwalk Pier in Ocean City

Dumser’s Dairyland

In this day of unconventional ice-cream flavors such as bubble gum and strawberry cheesecake, stick with the classics at Dumser’s, an OC beacon since 1939. Whether served in a stainless or paper cup or a sugar or waffle cone, flavors such as butter pecan, coffee, and plain old vanilla allow the creamy, dreamy deliciousness of the dairy to shine through. Dumser’s claim to fame is that it’s served within minutes of being made.
Best Bite: Skip Starbucks and get yourself a scoop of coffee ice cream made with real java and none of that artificial flavor. 601 S. Atlantic Ave.

Fisher’s Popcorn

As the saying goes, there are plenty of fish in the sea—but on the Ocean City boardwalk, there is only one Fisher’s. Founded in 1937 by Everett Fisher, who prided himself on using only the best ingredients, the fourth-generation family business was passed on to his son, Donald, his wife, Calvina, and their children, Cindy, Marty, and Don, Jr., who opened their own shop down the road (and across state lines) on Fenwick Island in Delaware. Customers (including late chicken magnate Frank Perdue) come from far and wide to get their Fisher’s fix and the fare is sold up and down the East Coast. “The recipe hasn’t changed in 81 years,” says Don, Jr. “My grandfather used to say that the secret was the copper kettle and the wooden paddle—everything is mixed by hand.”
Best Bite: Go big and order The Big Momma, a 6.5-gallon tin of caramel corn sprinkled with Old Bay. Mother Lode: At Fisher’s, corn kernels come from Kentucky. “We buy it by the tractor-trailer load,” says Don, Jr. “There’s 48,000 pounds in a load and we make more than a ton a week.” 200 S. Boardwalk

Dolle’s Candyland

Dolle’s enjoys four locations in Ocean City and a separate store in Rehoboth (owned by a former business partner). The fourth-generation family business was founded in 1910 by Rudolph Dolle, Sr., who purchased a piece of land on the boardwalk at Wicomico Street in Ocean City to open his first sweets shop and a handmade carousel. Though the business turns 108 this year, the recipes for caramel popcorn, saltwater taffy, and fudge—all made on site (even the boxes are made locally)—stay the same. “I eat it every day,” says Anna Bushnell, co-owner of Dolle’s in Ocean City. “And I just got my first cavity at 39. I was so upset about it, but my dentist said it was my age and not the candy.”
Best Bite: Show your state crustacean pride with chocolate crabs, which come in milk, dark, and white. No mallet required. Variety is the Spice of Life: Dolle’s originally started with three flavors of taffy: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. To date, they have 45. And though the three originals remain their top sellers, banana has seen a recent rise in popularity. 500 S. Boardwalk (and other locations)

Hot Stuff

Necessity is the mother of invention, even when it comes to candy making. Prior to the advent of air-conditioning, candy makers had to diversify their products because chocolate was a melty mess in the summer. For that, other items had to populate the shelves in sweet shops. “Candy makers had to stop making chocolate in the spring,” says Tom Ibach, owner of Dolle’s Candyland. “The melting point of chocolate is 80 or 90 degrees, depending on what’s in it, so they started making taffies, caramels, and brittles—all of which hold up better in the heat.”

Source

Shore Pours

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 08:30:00 +0000

At least in the mid-Atlantic, beer and the beach go together like vinegar and Boardwalk fries. We can’t think of many more enjoyable summertime activities than cracking a crisp cold one in the sunny, salty air. So why not go straight to the source? These beach-area breweries are proving that Ocean City, Rehoboth, and the surrounding areas are hoppin’ with tasty beer.

Before you even hit the coast, make a pit stop off of Route 50 at Evolution Craft Brewing (201 E. Vine St., Salisbury, 443-260-2337) in the college town of Salisbury. With humble roots that started in a small shack in Delmar in 2012, Evolution recently moved to its massive, 30,000-square-foot facility——complete with a tasting room, a full restaurant, and daily tours. Amber ale fans will appreciate the popular Exile Red Ale, which has notes of caramel and citrus that would pair well with the restaurant’s brisket sandwich.

Just a 30-minute drive east is Burley Oak Brewing (10016 Old Ocean City Blvd., Berlin, 443-513-4647), one of the best breweries in the state and a place where people line the streets for new can releases and weekend events. With bold graphic designs and clever nods to music and pop culture, Burley Oak has been taking creativity to a new level, even getting in the local farming game to produce their own barley and malt. The brewery has perfected the art of the sour ale, as evidenced by Sorry Chicky or their latest J.R.E.A.M. series, using flavors such as piña colada and açai berry.

A blackberry cobbler beer at Burley Oak and sunset at Backshore Brewing.

Once you make your way to Ocean City, head straight to the Boardwalk to visit Backshore Brewing (913 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, 410-289-0008). With a skateboard motif and punny-named beers like Down By The Peach—a strong and juicy peach saison—this is the ideal spot to grab a seat with an ocean view and watch the waves as the sun sets.

No beer lover’s trip to the beach would be complete without a visit to Dogfish Head (6 Cannery Village Center, Milton, DE, 302-684-1000), the granddaddy of mid-Atlantic craft beer. With a brewery operation, its own distillery, and even a bed and breakfast on site, it feels more like a full-blown campus. Be sure to take a tour (offered on the hour, seven days a week) and stay for samples in the taproom.

Pawed patron at evolution and a beer flight at Dogfish Head.

Dogfish Head is cranking out some amazing partnerships, including a dragonfruit pale ale they made with the Flaming Lips and a limey and sour SeaQuench Ale, with proceeds benefiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Also making a name for itself in Delaware is Revelation Craft Brewing (19841 Central St., Rehoboth Beach, DE, 302-212-5674), which opened in July of 2016. The cozy taproom is just 1,500 square feet, extremely bike-friendly (even offering growlers that can fit into bike water-bottle holders), and often features food from DaNizza Wood Fired Pizza.

Nothing like a classic margherita pie paired with a Sussex County blonde ale to round out your beach weekend.

Source

Water, Water, Everywhere

Aaron Hope — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:00:00 +0000

0 2

By Marty LeGrand
Opening photo by Jon Bilous

Travel & Outdoors

Water, Water, Everywhere

We've rounded up 12 destinations—from seashores to spas—where H2O is the way to go.

By Marty LeGrand | Opening photo by Jon Bilous

Wherever you’re headed this summer, chances are you know the formula for a relaxing getaway: Just add water. Salty or fresh, briny or chlorinated, water revives our spirits and refreshes our bodies. It eases the summer sun’s intensity. It’s why swimming, boating, surfing, and waterparks were invented. We’ve rounded up 12 destinations—from seashores to spas—where H2O is the way to go.

All beach towns boast sun, sand, and surf, but within those parameters, there’s plenty of diversity. So whether you’re looking for quaintness and quietude (Cape May) or vibrancy and variety (Virginia Beach), we’ve got an oceanside oasis to recommend. Oh, and if you think we forgot about Ocean City, then you must not know us, hon.

On the beach and an Orange Crush in Ocean City.

Ocean City

Go: Baltimore’s go-to getaway is better than ever, the pulsing beat of its neon nightlife matched only by the lulling rhythm of the rolling Atlantic surf.

Stay: Watch the sunrise from your balcony at stately Dunes Manor Hotel & Suites (2800 Baltimore Ave., 800-623-8188).

Enjoy family-friendly benefits (full kitchens, kids’ activity pool) at Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront Suites (3200 Baltimore Ave., 410-289-6444).

New oceanfront suites at Hotel Monte Carlo & Suites (11th St., 410-289-7101) will open this summer, as will two bayside Marriott hotels, Residence Inn (300 Seabay Lane, 410-723-2222) and Fairfield Inn & Suites (2501 Philadelphia Ave., 410-289-5000).

Driving Distance: 147 miles, 3 hours (via Route 50); 179 miles, 3.5 hours (via I-95 and Route 1)

Best Beach: North Division Street (more elbow room)

Eat/Drink: Try the crab bisque at foodie fave Hooked (8003 Coastal Hwy., 410-723-4665) or duck tacos at Shotti’s Point (3505 Coastal Hwy., 410-390-3951), the Federal Hill sports bar’s new O.C. location.

NFL fans will cheer Northside Pit & Pub (12701 Coastal Hwy., 443-664-7482), an offshoot of the original barbecue emporium/Ravens bar, and expansion of Steelers haven Buxy’s Salty Dog Saloon (2707 Philadelphia Ave., 410-289-0973) to include Dry Dock 28, a craft pizza restaurant.

And don’t forget the classics: an Orange Crush at Harborside Bar & Grill (12841 S. Harbor Road, 410-213-1846) and Thrasher’s French Fries on the boardwalk (401 S. Atlantic Ave. #1, 410-289-7232).

Do: Jolly Roger at the Pier’s latest diabolical ride, the Kraken (401 S. Atlantic Ave., 410-289-3031), is a tentacled contraption that whips riders over the water. The new (and free) 100 Nights of Lights is a nightly music-and-searchlight show that illuminates the boardwalk’s southern skyline.

Cape May architecture and the Cape May Lighthouse.

Cape May, New Jersey

Go: This Atlantic-cooled island off the southern tip of New Jersey is America’s oldest seaside resort and a well-preserved Victorian magic kingdom of grand hotels, gaslights, and gingerbread houses.

Stay: Vacation in Gilded Age grandeur at the 200-year-old oceanfront hotel Congress Hall (200 Congress Place, 609-884-8421), or the Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast (102 Ocean St., 609-884-8702).

Foodies will enjoy Carroll Villa Hotel (19 Jackson St., 609-884-9619), a boutique inn that’s home to Cape May’s trailblazing restaurant, The Mad Batter (609-884-5970).

Driving Distance: 154 miles, 3 hours

Best Beach: The Cove (good surfing, great views)

Eat/Drink: A buttermilk short stack at The Mad Batter (as in pancake) is a no-brainer.

Check the chalkboard for locally sourced lunch specials at cozy Louisa’s Café (104 Jackson St., 609-884-5882).

Afternoon tea is an actual thing in Cape May, so swing by Carriage House Café & Tearoom (1048 Washington St., 609-884-5404) for a cuppa and a scone.

Or go hang with surfers and lifeguards at The Rusty Nail (205 Beach Ave., 609-884-0017), a pooch-welcoming beach bar.

Line up at Enfin Farms’ roadside stand for fabulous artisanal breads baked by a 2017 James Beard Award nominee (609 Sunset Blvd., 609-884-1277).

Do: Savor some suds on a free tour of Cape May Brewery (1288 Hornet Road at Cape May Airport, 609-849-9933).

Don’t miss the mansion-turned-museum Emlen Physick Estate (1048 Washington St., 609-884-5404), the circa-1850s Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May Point State Park (609-224-6066), or the guided trolley tours that explain town history (609-884-5404).

Fresh brew at Three Ships Coffee in Virginia Beach, Bald Cypress Trail in First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, The Cavalier in Virginia Beach.

Fresh brew at Three Ships Coffee in Virginia Beach, The Cavalier in Virginia Beach, Bald Cypress Trail in First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Go: In addition to being Virginia’s largest city, Virginia Beach is situated on the horn of Virginia, allowing it to offer shores on both the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. These sandy stretches include three miles of resort beach and boardwalk known as “the strip.”

Stay: Enjoy seaside rooms and dining at Hilton Garden Inn Virginia Beach Oceanfront (3315 Atlantic Ave., 757-305-9000). Beach Spa B&B (2420 Arctic Ave., 757-578-1008) offers hearty breakfasts and an array of spa services just blocks from the beach.

The much-anticipated reopening of The Cavalier (4200 Atlantic Ave., 757-425-8555) is slated for early fall, following a $75-million restoration of the Y-shaped oceanfront hotel.

Driving Distance: 254 miles, 5 hours

Best Beach: Oceanfront (wide and clean, with a separate boardwalk and bike lane)

Eat/Drink: For fresh seafood and local charm, try Tautog’s Restaurant (205 23rd St., 757-422-0081), housed in a renovated cottage near the boardwalk.

Locals treasure Three Ships Coffee (607 19th St., 757-321-9371), a coffee bar/roastery in the city’s arts district.

On the strip, The Bee & The Biscuit (1785 Princess Anne Road, 757-689-6243) serves delicious brunch fare in a cozy setting.

Do: Take a dolphin-watching boat tour from Rudee Tours (Rudee Inlet, 200 Winston Salem Ave., 757-425-3400) or head to the nearby Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (717 General Booth Blvd., 757-385-3474) to see aquatic life in a more controlled environment.

Save time to visit Sandbridge, an isolated barrier peninsula adjoined by Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (4005 Sandpiper Road, 757-301-7329).

And be sure to squeeze in a wade at First Landing State Park (2500 Shore Dr., 757-412-2300), a historic stretch of Chesapeake Bay shoreline where English colonists first set foot in 1607.

GO WITH THE FLOW

Not sure which destination is right for you? Follow the flow chart to find your vacation paradise.
Tap to Expand

The natural setting for summer camps, lakes summon childhood memories of sailboats, swimming, and s’mores by the campfire. Our picks feature resort-based adventure (Deep Creek Lake) and elegant lodging and dining (Lake Wallenpaupack). Or, for a bit of both, take the waters at medicinal springs that have a presidential pedigree (Hot Springs).

Deep Creek Lake, ice cream from Lakeside Creamery at Deep Creek Lake.

Deep Creek Lake

Go: Maryland’s largest lake buzzes with powerboats and Jet Skis, while numerous coves provide quiet water for swimming, kayaking, dock fishing, or lake-watching from a porch rocker. Mountain breezes keep things cool, and come July 4, DCL celebrates with a boat parade and Fire on the Mountain, a pyrotechnic display from atop Wisp’s summit. Doesn’t get much more Appalachian all-American than that.

Stay: Under new management, Lake Pointe Inn (174 Lake Pointe Dr., McHenry, 301-387-0111) provides luxury B&B accommodations on the lakefront. Lake cruises are a popular guest perk.

Rooms at LakeStar Lodge (2001 Deep Creek Dr., McHenry, 301-387-5596) offer lake and mountain views and décor by local artisans.

The sustainably built hillside cabins at Blue Moon Rising (89 Blue Moon Rising Way, McHenry, 240-442-5287) feature cozy kitchens and quirky architecture.

Driving Distance: 179 miles, 3 hours

Public Beach: Deep Creek Lake State Park (with picnic area, boat launch)

Eat/Drink: Wood-fired flatbread pizzas, microbrews, and mountain views make Mountain State Brewing Co. (6690 Sang Run Road, McHenry, 301-387-3360) a popular hangout.

Tackle the titanic Marsh Mountain Burger (with fried pickles, candied bacon, a fried egg, and more) at Ace’s Run (20160 Garrett Hwy., Oakland, 301-387-6688).

Chocoholics will dig Lakeside Creamery’s Muddy Creek sundae (20282 Garrett Hwy., Oakland, 301-387-2580).

And remember, it’s not a Deep Creek Lake vacation until you’ve quaffed a blended frozen drink at Honi-Honi Bar (19745 Garrett Hwy., Oakland, 301-387-9100).

Do: Wisp Resort Mountain Coaster is a thrilling, 28-mph ride down 3,500 feet of mountain slope (296 Marsh Hill Road, McHenry, 301-859-3159).

The Ledges Hotel near Lake Wallenpaupack, horseback riding, and blueberries at Paupack Blueberry Farm.

Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania

Go: Nestled in the lake-studded Poconos, the 13-mile-long Big Lake features swimming, fishing, Jet Skiing, parasailing, paddleboarding, and just about any other water sport you can think of. Six recreation areas also beckon campers, hikers, and friends of the forest. Protip: Stop first at Pocono Mountains Visitors Center (2512 Route 6, Hawley, 570-226-2141) for maps, info, and even free loaner fishing gear.

Stay: The posh adults’ spa The Lodge at Woodloch (109 River Birch Lane, Hawley, 800-WOODLOCH) offers nature-based stress relief with botanical treatments, aqua garden soaking pools, and a new float therapy cabin.

Its sister lodgings, Woodloch Resort (731 Welcome Lake Road, Hawley, 800-966-3562), accommodate families beside a private lake.

In town, the boutique Ledges Hotel (119 Falls Ave., Hawley, 570-226-1337) occupies an 1890 glass factory overlooking a stunning waterfall.

Driving Distance: 232 miles, 3.5 hours (via I-83 and I-81); 226 miles, 4 hours (via I-95 and I-476)

Public Beach: Palmyra Township Beach (lifeguards, plus 1.8-mile lakeside trail)

Eat/Drink: Sample locally sourced entrees like lamb with blackberry-red wine sauce at Pocono Restaurant in the English Arts & Crafts-style Settlers Inn (4 Main Ave., Hawley, 570-226-2993).

Casual, nautically themed The Dock on Wallenpaupack (205 Route 507, Hawley, 570-226-2124) serves fresh seafood and classic comfort foods. Enjoy river gorge-ous views and savory small plates at Glass, the Ledges Hotel’s wine/tapas bar.

For simple sweetness, visit Paupack Blueberry Farm (184 Gumbletown Road, Paupack, 570-226-9702), which offers pick-your-own fruit, baked goods, and ice cream.

Do: A local history-and-scenery cruise with Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tours (2487 Route 6, Hawley, 570-226-3293) provides a great introduction to the area.

Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs, Lake Wallenpaupack sunset.

Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs, Lake Wallenpaupack sunset.

Hot Springs, Virginia

Go: There’s a reason 23 U.S. presidents (and lots of regular Joes) have journeyed to this Allegheny Highlands hamlet since 1766. Its mineral-rich, naturally warmed springs are the stuff of naturopathic legend.

Stay: The Omni Homestead Resort (7696 Sam Snead Hwy., 800-838-1766) operates two springs: its luxurious on-site spa garden and the historic Jefferson Pools in nearby Warm Springs, named for VIP soaker Thomas Jefferson. A destination resort, the 2,000-acre Omni Homestead offers 483 rooms and suites, indoor and outdoor spas, two championship golf courses, and a host of activities that includes a new zipline tour.

The spas are the main attraction, especially the Serenity Garden, an adults-only retreat featuring the famous geothermal pools and a soothing river-stone reflexology walk. Indoors, the Aqua Thermal Suite offers multi-sensory showers and ah-inducing treatments like the Herbal Cocoon (spa appointments: 877-479-8517).

Driving Distance: 249 miles, 4.5 hours (via I-70 and I-81); 256 miles, 5 hours (via I-95 and I-64)

Classic Spa Treatment: The Homestead’s 50-minute Mineral Springs Mud Wrap

Eat/Drink: Choose from Homestead’s numerous venues. The jackets-for-gentlemen Main Dining Room (540-839-7563) serves classical fare (Châteaubriand, trout almondine) and the Gold Brick Sundae, an irresistible mountain of vanilla ice cream mud-wrapped in a decadent, hard-chocolate shell.

Sample Southern-influenced farm-to-table cuisine at Jefferson’s Restaurant & Bar (540-839-7552). Other options include a popular pizzeria housed in an 1893 casino, a coffee shop with house-made doughnuts, a links-side eatery offering “golf-inspired comfort food,” and small plates at the lobby bar.

Do: A time-honored, POTUS-approved Jefferson Soak at Jefferson Pools bathhouses (11 Bath St., Warm Springs, 800-838-1766) is a must.

For a night out, check the calendar at the Garth Newel Music Center (403 Garth Newel Lane, 540-839-5018), a year-round chamber music venue with a house piano quartet and frequent guest performers.

Take Flight: 8 Great Getaways

We get it. Your wanderlust pushes you beyond local boundaries. Leave your car behind and expand your vacation horizons with a nonstop flight from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport to one of these watery destinations. You’ll be in new waters before you can say “Marco Polo.”
Tap to Expand

Boston

Flight time: 1 ½ hours. Airlines: JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit. Why: Eat creamy clam chowder; visit nearby Cape Cod.

Cancun, Mexico

Flight time: 3 ½ hours. Airline: Southwest. Why: Burnish your tan on a sandy playa; explore Mayan ruins.

Charleston, South Carolina

Flight time: 1 hour, 40 minutes. Airline: Southwest. Why: See antebellum houses from a horse-drawn carriage; stroll The Battery, Charleston’s scenic waterfront promenade.

Fort Myers, Florida

Flight time: 2 ½ hours. Airlines: Southwest, Spirit. Why: Collect colorful seashells on Sanibel Island; visit the waterpark in Cape Coral.

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Flight time: 3 ½ hours. Airline: Southwest. Why: Snorkel stunning coral reefs; tour a centuries-old rum distillery.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Flight time: 1 hour, 15 minutes. Airline: Spirit. Why: See the sea from 200 feet up on SkyWheel; walk the mile-long boardwalk.

New Orleans

Flight time: 2 ½ hours. Airlines: Southwest, Spirit. Why: Restaurant hop in the French Quarter; ride an airboat through the bayous.

Portland, Maine

Flight time: 1 ½ hours. Airline: Southwest. Why: Eat “lobstah” in Old Port; tour Casco Bay on the mail boat.

When the nation’s largest estuary is your next-door neighbor, why wouldn’t you indulge in its briny waters, blue crabs, and boating lifestyle? Whether it’s a fashionable Eastern Shore retreat (St. Michaels), a Western Shore boaters’ mecca (Solomons Island), or a historic hamlet in Tidewater Virginia (Irvington), the Chesapeake Bay makes for a refreshing staycation.

Chesapeake Restaurant at The Tides Inn in St. Michaels.

St. Michaels

Go: If the Chesapeake Bay is indeed The Land of Pleasant Living, this Eastern Shore town could be its capital. Home to a genteel world-class resort and second home to many urbanites, laid-back-but-sophisticated St. Michaels showcases bay culture, cuisine, and history.

Stay: Facing the Miles River, The Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond (308 Watkins Lane, 410-745-2200) provides deluxe accommodations, landscaped gardens, a fine-dining restaurant, and a spa/fitness center.

One of several old homes-turned-B&Bs, The Old Brick Inn (401 S. Talbot St., 410-745-3323) offers elegant guestrooms and an innkeeper-curated selection of bottled wines.

The water views from Black Walnut Point Inn’s cozy cabins are stunning (4417 Black Walnut Point Road, Tilghman Island, 410-886-2452).

Driving Distance: 79.5 miles, 1.5 hours

Best Boat Trip: Let Capt. Ed regale you with bay factoids and lore on a cruise by Chesapeake Skipjack Sailing Tours (213 N. Talbot St., 410-745-6080).

Eat/Drink: Gina’s Café (601 S. Talbot St., 410-745-6400) is a tiny jewel with a bohemian vibe and Southwestern fare, including to-die-for seafood nachos heaped with crabmeat.

Bistro St. Michaels (403 S. Talbot St., 410-745-9111) serves creative New American cuisine with Parisian ambience.
Get steamed bay crabs, steamed clams, and Eastern Shore sides at The Crab Claw (304 Burns St., 410-745-2900).

Or take the historic Oxford-Bellevue Ferry to renowned chef Mark Salter’s Robert Morris Inn (314 N. Morris St., Oxford, 410-226-5111) for gourmet Chesapeake fare.

Do: The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (213 N. Talbot St., 410-745-2916) and its Hooper Strait Lighthouse are must-sees.

Afterward, stroll Talbot Street—which is lined with intriguing shops, cafes, and historic homes—and then sample small-batch rums and whiskeys on a tour of Lyon Distilling Co. (605 S. Talbot St. #6, 443-333-9181).

Golf course at The Tides Inn in Irvington, Solomons Victorian Inn on Solomons Island, and Cove Point Lighthouse on Solomons Island.

Golf course at The Tides Inn in Irvington Solomons Victorian Inn on Solomons Island, and Cove Point Lighthouse on Solomons Island.

Solomons Island

Go: Piers filled with recreational and fishing boats, a major maritime museum and historic seafood plant, and a nearby naval air station give this small island on the lower Patuxent River its nautical flavor.

Stay: Enjoy an elegant respite and three-course breakfast at Solomons Victorian Inn (125 Charles St., 410-326-4811), once a yacht-builder’s mansion.

Facing a quiet cove, Back Creek Inn (210 Alexander Lane, 410-326-2022) features lovely gardens, charming rooms, and full country breakfasts.

Sleep with history: Rent the restored and modernized light-keeper’s lodgings at the 1828 Cove Point Lighthouse (3500 Lighthouse Blvd., Lusby, 410-326-2042, ext. 17).

Driving Distance: 82 miles, 1.5 hours

Best Boat Trip: Wm. B. Tennison (410-326-2042, ext. 41), the Calvert Marine Museum’s vintage oyster dredge boat takes passengers on a 1-hour tour past Solomons Island’s harbor, the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, and the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge.

Eat/Drink: Intimate C.D. Café (14350 Solomons Island Road, 410-326-3877) serves innovative seafood like grilled ahi tuna with grilled shrimp chimichurri.

Try the scallop and crab entree at yachting-themed Dry Dock Restaurant (245 C St., 410-326-4817).
Lotus Kitchen (14618 Solomons Island Road, 410-326-8469) is a local favorite for breakfast, lunch, light dinner, and killer Key lime pie.

Slake your thirst with Ruddy Duck Brewery’s seasonal ales (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell, 410-394-3825) or mai tais at imbibers’ mecca The Tiki Bar (85 Charles St., 410-326-4075).

Do: Hunt for fossilized sharks’ teeth at Calvert Cliffs State Park beach (10540 H.G. Trueman Road, Lusby, 301-743-7613).

Explore more recent history at the Calvert Marine Museum (14200 Solomons Island Road, 410-326-2042), where you can tour two lighthouses, watch boat-builders, learn about local seafood processing, and observe playful river otters.

Corkscrew sculptures greet you at The Dog and Oyster Vineyard in Irvington, the marina in St. Michaels.

corkscrew sculptures greet you at The Dog and Oyster vineyard in Irvington, the marina in St. Michaels

Irvington, Virginia

Go: A steamboat stop in the 1800s, this small town on Virginia’s Northern Neck has become a popular destination once more. It is home to a world-class resort catering to golfers, boaters, and spa-goers, and to one of the East Coast’s most romantic inns.

Stay: The Hope and Glory Inn (65 Tavern Road, 804-438-6053) offers three ultra-romantic lodgings: cheery rooms in an 1890s schoolhouse, garden cottages on the schoolhouse grounds, and “tents”—Gothic-style cottages—at the inn’s vineyard.

On beautiful Carter’s Creek, The Tides Inn (480 King Carter Dr., 800-843-3746) boasts spacious rooms and suites, a deep-water marina, an 18-hole golf course, a full-service spa, and activities from s’more roasts to on-site sailing lessons.

Driving Distance: 157 miles, 3 hours (via Route 3E)

Best Boat Trip: Faded Glory, Hope and Glory Inn’s classic Chesapeake workboat (804-438-6053), takes passengers for cruises along the town’s “main street,” aka Carter’s Creek.

Eat/Drink: The Tides Inn’s Chesapeake Restaurant (804-438-4489) offers fresh seafood, Southern hospitality, and splendid creek views.

Under new ownership, Trick Dog Bar & Bistro (4357 Irvington Road, 804-438-6363) upholds its reputation for refined local dining.

Hope and Glory Inn’s Dining Hall (804-438-6053) serves locally sourced, fixed-price dinners, and its vineyard, The Dog and Oyster (170 White Fences Dr., 804-438-9463), serves award-winning wines paired with Byrd’s Seafood Co.’s fresh seafood, like Rappahannock River oysters.

Do: The Dog and Oyster is but one of the many wine-producing properties in the region. Visit others on the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail (chesapeakebaywinetrail.com). Attractions like the Steamboat Era Museum (156 King Carter Dr., 804-438-6888) and the 1735 Christ Church (420 Christ Church Road, Weems, 804-438-6855) reflect rich Tidewater history.

The first Saturday of each month, shop the Irvington Farmers Market (98 King Carter Dr., 804-480-0697) for artisanal food products, handmade crafts, furniture, clothing, and local art. The 100-vendor-strong marketplace, which also offers live music, was voted the best farmers’ market on Virginia’s East Coast in 2015 by Virginia Living magazine.

On sultry afternoons, there’s nothing more refreshing than hours of immersion at one of the region’s ultra-cool waterparks. Foster family togetherness at an all-in-one destination (Hershey), double dip at the seashore (Rehoboth Beach), or mix leisure and learning (Williamsburg). Just be sure to take the plunge this summer.

Hersheypark, treatment products at The Spa at The Hotel Hershey.

Hersheypark, treatment products at The Spa at The Hotel Hershey.

Hershey, Pennsylvania

Go: The Boardwalk, the beach-themed aqua-musement portion of Hersheypark (100 W. Hersheypark Dr., 717-534-3900), offers Chocolate City visitors more than a dozen ways to keep it chill: wave pools, water slides, a lazy river, waterworks, a bodyboard wave, and five twisty tube rides with names like Vortex and Whirlwind. Hersheypark admission includes Boardwalk attractions, roller coasters, and other rides, including a new pick-your-thrill-level drop tower.

Stay: The amusement park has two on-site hotels: The Hotel Hershey (100 Hotel Road, 844-330-1711), a luxury resort boasting elegantly appointed rooms, suites, and cottages, and the family-oriented Hershey Lodge (325 University Dr., 844-330-1802), which offers rooms and suites for up to eight guests, plus a kids’ activities pool.

Driving Distance: 90 miles, 1.5 hours

Best Ride: Tidal Force, a wave-spewing splashdown coaster

Eat/Drink: Each hotel provides varied dining options. Try cocoa-dusted scallops at The Circular (717-534-8800), Hotel Hershey’s upscale restaurant overlooking the Hershey Gardens.

End your meal at Harvest (717-534-8800) with the house specialty dark chocolate cream pie.
Fire & Grain (844-330-1802), Hershey Lodge’s newest restaurant, serves re-imagined comfort food. The Bears’ Den is its popular sports bar/grill.

Looking to leave the hotel entirely? Enjoy pub grub and tasting tours at Tröegs Brewing (200 Hersheypark Dr., 717-534-1297).

Do: The Hotel Hershey’s high-end amenities include The Spa at The Hotel Hershey (717-520-5888), which offers the Whipped Cocoa Bath and other chocolate-influenced treatments.

Making your own candy bar at Hershey’s Chocolate World (101 Chocolate World Way, 717-534-4900) seems like an act of edible civic pride.

Dolle’s Candyland in Rehoboth Beach.

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Go: Waterparks at the shore might seem superfluous, but Rehoboth’s parks offer a refreshing break from sand and surf. Driving Distance: 121 miles, 2.5 hours (via Route 50); 151 miles, 2.5 hours (via I-95)

Stay: Newly renovated, The Avenue Inn (33 Wilmington Ave., 800-433-5870) offers spacious rooms for couples and families, plus an organic spa and indoor pool.
Kids 14 and under stay free at Oceanus Motel (6 Second St., 302-227-8200), a motel with an outdoor pool close to the beach.

Near Jungle Jim’s and Tanger Outlets, Holiday Inn Express (19953 Shuttle Road, 302-227-4030) gives family discounts: Children 19 and under stay free.

Driving Distance: 82 miles, 1.5 hours

Best Ride: Anaconda, Jungle Jim’s signature serpentine water slide

Eat/Drink: Check out the daily blackboard specials at local favorite Big Fish Grill (20298 Coastal Hwy., 302-227-3474).

Small plates and craft beers are highlights at The Blue Hen (33 Wilmington Ave., 302-278-7842), a new restaurant by two of Rehoboth’s top restaurateurs.
For sweeping views of the Atlantic and the stunning Indian River Inlet Bridge, visit Big Chill Beach Club (27099 Coastal Hwy., Bethany Beach), an outdoor eatery slated to open this summer.

For snacks, keep it casual and munch caramel corn from Dolle’s Candyland (1 Rehoboth Ave., 302-227-0757).

Do: The largest water park, Jungle Jim’s (36944 Country Club Road, 302-227-8444), features a lazy river that meanders past a wave pool/patio, children’s sprayground, tipping buckets, kiddie pool, and several water slides.

White Water Mountain (18645 Coastal Hwy., 302-645-8064) has two pools, spraygrounds, and several water slides.

Letting the kids loose at Shell We Bounce (20699 Coastal Hwy., 302-727-5416), an indoor palace of inflatable bounce houses, should burn off whatever excess energy the waterparks haven’t sapped.

Family fun at Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

Family fun at Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Go: Better known for its preserved 18th-century village, Williamsburg is also an epicenter of theme-park fun, featuring both the state’s largest waterpark, Water Country USA, and the ever-popular Busch Gardens.

Stay: Golf-centric Kingsmill Resort (1010 Kingsmill Road, 757-253-1703) on the James River offers luxury guestrooms plus multi-room condominiums and riverfront cottages.

Amenities include golf, a spa, a pool/beach/lazy river complex, on-site dining, and free shuttles to the waterpark. Rental villas at Marriott’s Manor Club at Ford’s Colony (101 St. Andrews Dr., 757-258-1120) accommodate families with full kitchens, an activities center, and movie theater.

Driving Distance: 191 miles, 3 hours

Besyt Ride: Colossal Curl, a scream-inducing, multi-person ride with a wicked-high wall

Eat/Drink: Food venues at the theme parks serve light fare, kids’ treats, and frozen drinks. For a grown-up meal, reserve the chef’s table at up-and-comer Cochon on 2nd (311-106 Second St., 757-229-1199) and enjoy a personalized multi-course dinner.

Close to both amusement parks, The Whaling Company (494 McLaws Cir., 757-229-0275) serves fresh seafood in a nautical atmosphere.

In Colonial Williamsburg, order gourmet sandwiches (don’t forget the house dressing) at The Cheese Shop (410 W. Duke of Gloucester St., 757-220-0298).

Do: If you spend a day in Colonial Williamsburg (101 Visitor Center Dr., 888-965-7254), you can tell yourself the vacation had educational value.

Reward your studiousness with a two-park ticket to enjoy Busch Gardens (1 Busch Gardens Blvd., 757-229-4386) and Water Country USA (176 Water Country Pkwy., 757-229-4386), which offers 43 acres of rides, pools, lazy rivers, and children’s splashgrounds. Highlights include a large wave pool, fast- and slow-paced rivers, and Rock ’n’ Roll Island, a family water-adventure center. Popular thrill rides include Big Daddy Falls for tubers and Vanish Point for body sliders.

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Shore Things

Jess Mayhugh — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 08:30:00 +0000

1. Puravida Drift clutch ($30) at Fells Point Surf Co. 2. Jane Austen Classic Novels ($18.95) at Anthropologie. 3. Dolce Vita Coral Stella sandals ($60) at Sassanova. 4. Spitfire Astro polarized sunglasses ($59) at Brightside Boutique. 5. S’well Birchwood water bottle ($35) at Trohv. 6. Olivine Love & Salt spray ($12) at South Moon Under. 7. Hudson Jeans Croxley denim shorts ($99) at South Moon Under. 8. Kate Spade Bolsa Chica polka dot bustier and hipster bikini ($159.50) at South Moon Under. 9. Sun Bum sunscreen lotion ($12) at Fells Point Surf Co.

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Travel to Myrtle Beach

Jess Mayhugh — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 08:30:00 +0000

Smack dab in the center of 60-plus miles of sandy beaches known as the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach is one of South Carolina’s top tourist destinations. It is also, apparently, one of Maryland’s. According to the Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Old Line State is a top 10 visitor point of origin for Myrtle Beach, with Baltimoreans comprising the greatest contingent of Marylanders. Once you get there, it’s easy to see why. Myrtle Beach has the same unpretentious, family-friendly vibe as our own Ocean City—and many of the same types of attractions—but with an extra dose of Southern hospitality and Low Country charm. And now that low-cost Spirit Airlines flies daily direct from BWI to Myrtle Beach, popping down to the Palmetto State for a long weekend is both an economically viable and timely option.

Packed with amusements, entertainment venues, world-class golf, casual restaurants, and, of course, wide white-sand beaches, the city of Myrtle Beach makes a good base camp for a family vacation, but branching out into the greater Myrtle Beach area, which runs from the North Carolina border down to the resolutely laidback Pawleys Island, yields many pleasures, as well.

Getting from the bright and airy Myrtle Beach Airport to what locals call The Strip—beachfront, hotel-lined Ocean Boulevard—in Myrtle Beach takes about 10 minutes, maybe 15 in summer beach traffic. Many of the mid-rise hotels and low-slung motels offer the same basic amenities—beach access, pools, air-conditioned rooms, Wi-Fi—but some do it with a little more luxury and style than others. The recently renovated Island Vista Resort (6000 N. Ocean Boulevard, 843-449-6406) is a nice higher-end option offering sizable rooms and plush beds, three pools (two outdoor, one indoor), two Jacuzzis, a lazy river, oceanfront cabana massages, a fitness center, a tiki bar, and an award-winning restaurant, The Cypress Room, serving breakfast and dinner daily. Its location, a couple miles removed from The Strip’s nightlife hub, makes it an excellent choice for those who want more relaxation and less recreation in their vacation.

Still, a trip to The Strip is de rigueur. As with Ocean City, the fun centers on the town’s boardwalk, with arcades, ice cream parlors, souvenir shops, bars and clubs, and amusements lining the way. But unlike the boardwalk in O.C., The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk & Promenade is not historic. In fact, the 1.2-mile path only opened in 2010, but that hasn’t dimmed enthusiasm for it with both Travel + Leisure and National Geographic naming it one of the best boardwalks in the U.S. Many of Myrtle Beach’s most iconic attractions can be accessed from the wending walk, which starts at the 2nd Avenue Pier (110 N. Ocean Boulevard, 843-626-8480), a 906-foot wooden landing built in 1936 with one restaurant and one bar attached. Like all the piers in Myrtle Beach, it is privately owned, which means there are fees associated with its usage, but they are nominal. It costs $1 to walk on the pier and $9 for an all-day fishing pass (bait and tackle cost extra), a good value since the pier is open until 1 a.m. all summer. On Wednesday nights, the pier closes, but for good reason, as it hosts a fireworks display that all can enjoy for free. Continuing up the boardwalk, do peek in to the improbably named Gay Dolphin Gift Cove (916 N. Ocean Boulevard, 843-448-6550), which has been hawking its wares since 1946 and bills itself as the East Coast’s largest gift shop. When combing its nine cluttered floors crammed with over 70,000 items of bric-a-brac ranging from novelty shot glasses to shark’s teeth, it’s easy to take this as fact rather than boast.

The SkyWheel’s one million LED lights sparkle in a light show each evening.

Further vestiges of old Myrtle Beach, Family Kingdom Amusement Park (300 S. Ocean Boulevard, 843-626-3447) and the adjoining Family Kingdom’s Splashes Oceanfront Water Park (843-916-0400), are the only oceanfront amusement parks in town and compulsory stops for thrill-seekers. All attractions are pay-per-ride, and those rides include corkscrew waterslides, two roller coasters, a log flume, bumper cars, go-karts, and a Ferris wheel, which was the highest in South Carolina until 2011. That was the year the postcard-perfect SkyWheel opened (1110 N. Ocean Boulevard, 843-839-9200). Rising 187-feet above the boardwalk, the SkyWheel is a smaller, faster version of London’s Eye. Ensconced in glass pods, riders get three full rotations (lasting about 10 minutes) to take in the spectacular views of the Atlantic, The Strip, and the surrounding Low Country. The wheel’s one million LED lights sparkle in a light show each evening, and, since it’s open until midnight during the summer, it’s a great perch for enjoying the fireworks.

While there are many places along the boardwalk to grab a hot dog and fries, more refined fare can be found at the storied Sea Captain’s House (3002 N. Ocean Boulevard, 843-448-8082), which began life as a modest vacation cottage but has been a restaurant since 1962. Today, it serves three meals a day and is known for its sea views from the enclosed porch and several house specialties, including she-crab soup and hummingbird cake, a Southern layer cake featuring pecans, pineapple, and bananas, and slathered with cream-cheese frosting.

Of course, for many, Myrtle Beach is all about one thing—golf. The course that put Myrtle Beach on the map is The Dunes Golf & Beach Club (9000 N. Ocean Boulevard., 843-449-5236), which opened its first nine holes in October 1949. Extensive renovations—especially those made by famed course designer Robert Trent Jones in the early 1990s—have kept the facility in demand. Unfortunately, it’s a members-only club and opportunities to play are difficult to come by unless you know someone or are staying in an affiliated hotel. Never fear though, because you are never far from a first tee in Myrtle Beach. There’s the Caledonia Golf and Fish Club (369 Caledonia Drive, Pawleys Island, 843-237-3675) with its ancient oak-lined fairways or the Arnold Palmer-designed King’s North at Myrtle Beach National (4900 National Drive, 843-448-2308) with its treacherous par 5 sixth hole known as “The Gambler.” Several sites, including myrtlebeachgolf.com and golfholiday.com aggregate golf vacation packages for easy browsing. Plus, there are the bounteous mini-golf complexes boasting every theme from Peter Pan to Polynesia. Taken together, it proves that Myrtle Beach earns its title as “the supermarket of golf.”

From left to right: Aerial shot of Barefoot Landing; Utan's feeding time at Alligator Adventure. - left to right: Courtesy of Barefoot Landing; Courtesy of Alligator Adventure.

Sometimes it rains, even at the beach. On such days, it’s best to head up to North Myrtle Beach and its Intracoastal Waterway-adjacent entertainment complex Barefoot Landing (4898 Highway 17, 843-272-8349). A hive of dining, entertainment, and shopping options, the sprawling campus is clustered into villages connected by footbridges, and includes concert venues (House of Blues, Alabama Theatre), clothing stores such as Izod and White House Black Market, plus dozens of eateries, including a fudge shop, ice cream parlors, steakhouses, seafood grills, and Italian restaurants. If you’re not in the mood to dally though, head straight next door to Alligator Adventure (4604 Highway 17, 843-361-0789) an indoor/outdoor zoo specializing in Crocodilians—alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and the like—plus numerous other exotic species, including red kangaroos, gray wolves, red-ruffed lemurs, and macaws. Oddities abound, including albino alligators (referred to as “swamp ghosts” by Low Country locals), a tailless American alligator named Bob, and 50-year-old, 2,000-pound Utan, the largest croc on exhibit in the U.S. Don’t miss the five daily feeding shows. They’re as fearsome and fascinating as you’d imagine.

From left to right: Courtesy of Express Watersports; Courtesy of Kimberly Miles, Fahlgren Mortine. - From left to right: Parasailing with Express Watersports; Gulfstream Cafe.

Once the sun reappears, head to Murrells Inlet at the southern end of the Grand Strand for water sports. The area is peppered with outlets willing to fly you above, tow you through, or plunge you under the water, but Express Watersports’ (4042 Highway 17-Business, 866-566-9338) U.S. Coast Guard-inspected boat and highly experienced staff set it apart. Whether you choose to scuba, parasail, jet ski, kayak, paddleboard, or cruise off shore in search of dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, and rays, the team at Express Watersports can get you out there safely and bring you back with a smile on your face. While at the inlet, partake in one of the many casual seafood restaurants that line the creek. Many, like Bubba’s Love Shak (4037 Highway 17-Business, 843-651-5850) ooze a sort of swampy bohemia that can’t be faked. (Bubba describes himself on his restaurant’s website as “a big fan of NASCAR, country music, fishing, eating crabs, adult entertainment, shagging, and taking care of Goat Island,” the latter of which is a thin sliver of land on which he tends goats and peacocks during the warm months.) If real-estate daydreaming is your thing, across the marsh, there are the million-dollar beach houses of Garden City and the fine views and fresh seafood of Gulfstream Café (1536 S. Waccamaw Drive, Garden City).

Continuing off the beaten track, discover another side to Myrtle Beach at Huntington Beach State Park (16148 Ocean Highway, 843-237-4440), a secluded, peaceful 2,500-acre tract of protected wilderness just south of Murrells Inlet and Garden City. Formerly the estate of American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband, Hispanic scholar Archer Milton Huntington, the couple’s Moorish Revival-style winter home Atalaya Castle is open for tours as is an adjacent sculpture park, Brookgreen Gardens, which showcases over 1,000 works by Hyatt Huntington and her American contemporaries. Named one of the Top 10 Public Gardens in the U.S. by Coastal Living magazine, the serenity of the space is the perfect counterbalance to the frenetic fun of Myrtle Beach, a place to recharge before heading back to The Strip’s electric night.

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Must-haves for your next beach getaway

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 23 May 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Being at the beach is relaxing and enjoyable. Packing for the beach? Not so much. Simplify things by only taking the necessities, which will save you time and space. Here are a few must-haves to take with you on your next beachy getaway.

TOTE: Multicolor Rafé Playa tote ($95) at Treasure House Accessories.

CAMERA: White Nikon 1 AW1 ($749.95) at Service Photo.

BOOK: A Tale for the Time Being ($15) at The Ivy Bookshop.

BRUSH: Goody brush ($2.50) at Target.

WALLET: Hobo Kai cardholder ($48) at Poppy and Stella.

SANDALS
Jack Rogers Georgica leather sandals ($128) at Sassanova.

BATHING SUIT
Marie Meili halter-top bathing suit ($28) and bottom ($22) at Polina’s Privé Fine Lingerie.

NAIL POLISH
Butter nail polish in Jaffa ($15) at Poppy and Stella.

TOWEL
Nate Berkus blue and white towel ($17.99) at Target.

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What is your favorite beach-time activity?

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 23 May 2014 10:30:00 +0000

Minnie Shorter, retired:
“Watching the sun set at Lewes Beach in Delaware.”

Amber Larimore, brand sales rep, Boar’s Head Deli:
“Listening to a jam session at Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach.”

Josh Lukin, director, MLB Advanced Media:
“An iced latte from The Coffee Mill in Rehoboth at 9 a.m. on the boardwalk.”

Man Woman Statue via Twitter (@manwomanstatue):
“I’d say, ‘getting a tan,’ but it’s hard to get an even one on both of me.”

Katie Blaha, alumni and special events coordinator, McDonogh School:
“Laying out on the [O.C.] beach all day, followed by Grotto Pizza and capped off with an Orange Crush at The Starboard!”

›› Do you have a question you want answered? E-mail us at mjess@baltimore magazine.net and your question may be published in an upcoming issue

Source

How to Have Fun in the Sun at the Beach

Jess Mayhugh — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 08:00:00 +0000

>> Fireworks-lovers won’t want to miss the
Ocean City Beach Fireworks (10 p.m., Ocean City). The eight-minute
displays are visible along the boardwalk every Monday and Tuesday.

>> Indulge your competitive side with Family
Beach Olympics (6:30-8:30 p.m., Ocean City) every Tuesday through Aug.
6. Participate in free contests for building sandcastles, tug-of-war,
and relays.

>> Bring the whole gang to Movies on the Beach
(Mondays, Wednesday, Thursdays, and Fridays, various locations in Ocean
City) for family-friendly flicks. Bring your own beach chair or
blanket.

>> Snap up work in a variety of mediums by talented local artists at Arts on the Dock (Thursdays, 4-7 p.m., Ocean City).

>> The 35th Annual Sandcastle Contest (Aug. 3,
12-4 p.m., Rehoboth Beach, DE) always amazes spectators with intricate
designs ranging from swamp animals to mermaids.

>> Bring your kids to the 2013 Children’s Day at Sunset Park (Aug. 4, Ocean City) for children’s games and educational activities.

>> Gearheads unite at the O.C. Cruzers Car
Show and Music event (Aug. 4 & 18, 2-7 p.m., Ocean City) for this
custom-car show featuring live music.

>> Experience some wholesome family fun at the
2013 Worcester County Fair (Aug. 9-11, Snow Hill) with livestock and
horse shows, children’s rides and activities, live entertainment, and
food and craft vendors.

>> Marvel at the thrills and spills of riding
the pipeline during the Delmarva ESA Surfing Competition (Aug. 10, 6
a.m.-7 p.m., Ocean City) for youth and adults.

>> Fitness buffs might be interested in
participating in the 5th Greene Turtle Lewes 5K (Aug. 18, 8:15 a.m.,
Lewes, DE). Did we mention there will be beer afterward?

For more information, visit ococean.com or delmarvabeachguide.com.

AFTER THE FLOOD: The Ocean City Inlet was created during a particularly strong 1933 hurricane.

Source

Joe Kro-Art created an Ocean City landmark

Jess Mayhugh — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It all started with a bay window. Joe Kro-Art installed a bay
window, which he’d salvaged from a demolished Baltimore townhouse, on
the side of his fledgling Ocean City gallery in 1972. Kro-Art needed a
show window for displaying artwork and, hopefully, catching the eyes of
tourists strolling the Boardwalk. It worked. People noticed the
art-filled window, liked it, lingered by it, and often came inside to
browse. And that’s the objective of every Boardwalk business, whether
it’s selling French fries and funnel cake, beach chairs and hermit
crabs, or thrill rides and games of chance—siphoning customers from the
ocean of humanity surging past the front door. Sensing he was onto
something, Kro-Art began nailing all sorts of things to the building.
He’d been scavenging materials from old buildings for years, so he had
plenty to work with: panels of stained glass, shingles, fireplace
mantels, grates, fencing, gutters, light fixtures, chains, paint can
lids, siding, and even a coal chute. He painted many of the items bright
yellow and white, adding splashes of blue and red to intensify the
overall effect. He tacked on silver reflectors, plastic flowers,
Christmas lights, and an astounding number of hand-painted signs that
didn’t announce, so much as shout, the place’s attributes: “Best in
USA!,” “It’s Astounding!!!,” “#1 In Home and Condo Decorating!”

The old structure virtually vanished under the dense jumble, which
came to resemble a gaudy frigate run aground at Second Street. But
Kro-Art left no doubt as to what it housed, mounting three large signs
spelling out the business’s name in orange, DayGlo letters—O-C-E-A-N
G-A-L-L-E-R-Y.

He stuffed it with upwards of 20,000 paintings, prints, and posters,
and, in the process, created an Ocean City landmark that—counting two
previous, but short-lived locations—celebrates its 50th anniversary this
summer.

“The building has a magic about it,” says Kro-Art, standing behind
the cash register the weekend after Memorial Day. “It attracts people
year after year, and I have customers who have been shopping here for
decades.”

Johnny Unitas was a customer (a fact that’s noted on a sign nailed to
the building) and media outlets such as USA Today, CNN, and the
Discovery Channel have visited the gallery over the years (all duly
noted on signs). Ocean Gallery also turns up in books such as Maryland
Curiosities and Weird Maryland, which called it “the most wild, crazy,
and unique shop on the boardwalk.”

That reputation has been furthered by Kro-Art’s appearances on WJZ
(dressed in his trademark tuxedo and red bow tie), a series of wacky TV
commercials (with the gallery owner outfitted as Batman or maybe a
character from the film 300), and stunts that include sinking a Titanic
car in an offshore reef and appearing to ride a bicycle off the
gallery’s roof. He also created a series of “art cars” before they
became trendy, and the Batmobile he made with his kids is usually parked
behind the gallery.

But in all the chaos, two things tend to go unnoticed about Kro-Art:
He is a shrewd businessman and a serious artist himself. But you’d need
to visit him at home in Monkton to get a sense of that.

Kro-Art—who began hyphenating his name (Kroart) 25 years ago,
because it was mispronounced so often—lives on an 18-acre spread across
the road from a horse farm once owned by Jim McKay. The spacious brick
Colonial he shares with his wife, Adele, sits at the end of a winding,
tree-lined drive. There are no coal chutes nailed to its exterior. It
is, in fact, the antithesis of Ocean Gallery: understated, pastoral, and
quiet.

Kro-Art spends as much time as he can here, though he shuttles
between Monkton and an Ocean City house behind the Plim Plaza Hotel,
around the corner from the gallery. Dressed in a white shirt, jeans, and
loafers, he sits on a sofa in a spacious living room that is,
surprisingly, not cluttered with art. In fact, the only artworks
displayed are paintings and drawings by his three children (now grown
and out of the house) and photographs Kro-Art took around the property,
shots of a frozen pond or horses in the snow.

He decompresses in Monkton, where he’s lived for more than 30 years.
“Because Ocean City is such a zoo,” he says, “there are times I have to
get my head straight and put ideas together. This place provides the
peace and quiet I need for that.”

Kro-Art personally chooses the artwork he sells, though he’s quick to
point out that he simply stocks what people want and tries to keep it
affordable. (Prices range from 99 cents to a couple hundred bucks.) The
head-spinning mix includes a generous selection of work with local ties:
A. Aubrey Bodine photographs, nostalgic Ocean City scenes painted by
Paul McGehee, prints by “blue- crab artist” Jonathan Brown (his
rendering of steamed crabs spread over a newspaper with the headline,
“Ravens Win,” is especially popular), and signed prints by local artist
David Schroeder, who works in Ocean Gallery’s frame shop.

“People love to visit the gallery Joe created, and they actually buy
pictures there,” says Jennifer Bodine, who’s been selling her father’s
work at Ocean Gallery since 2005. “He has a goldmine, a winning
formula.”

Paul McGehee concurs. He’s been selling prints at Ocean Gallery for
33 years and, when asked about Kro-Art’s success, says, “The guy’s a
retail genius.”

On the side, Kro-Art furnishes artwork to various businesses,
including local hotels and health-care facilities over a four-state
area. He makes the deliveries himself, using an old Lincoln that’s
parked outside. “I do business in a very conservative way,” he says.
“I’m very hands-on and involved, and I work at making a good impression
and making people comfortable enough to buy something. I’ve been that
way from the very beginning.”

The Baltimore native started his first business at the age of 12,
after noticing a lot of broken gates in his Northwood neighborhood. So
he taught himself how to install a gate latch, bought a dozen of them
from the local hardware store, and went door-to-door looking for
customers. It didn’t go so well at first. “People didn’t take me
seriously,” says Kro-Art. “But I gave it some thought and remembered
that people talked to me a lot more when I went to church on Sundays,
when I was dressed in a suit and tie. So I put on a tie and tried
again.”

It worked. “I ended up selling a lot of gate latches that summer,” he recalls.

Around the time he was developing his sales skills, he was also
developing an interest in art. As a youngster, he loved art more than
any subject in school, more than recess even. “So I went to Maryland
Institute [College of Art] when I was eight years old for some classes,”
he says, “and I absolutely hated the formality of it. I couldn’t stand
it. But I never stopped drawing and painting.”

The experience instilled in him a feeling that “art should be fun, and that’s primarily what it should be about.”

After graduating from Poly, he got a teaching degree from Towson
University and taught art and science at Herring Run Junior High. While
still at Towson, he went to Ocean City during the summer of 1963 with a
car full of his paintings (landscapes, still lifes, abstracts) and a
notion of selling them to tourists. He found a sympathetic landlord who
rented him a space, a former chicken carryout, at Baltimore and Caroline
streets for 20 percent of whatever he sold.

“All I had to do was sell something, and I’d be ahead,” says Kro-Art,
grinning at the memory. “I didn’t sell much, but I survived. And I
established the first Ocean Gallery.”

The following summer, the landlord rented that space to someone else,
and Kro-Art moved his gallery to the Boardwalk—first, to a porch at the
Colonial Hotel, and then to his current location after a fire destroyed
the hotel. He also stopped focusing on his own work and began stocking a
wider variety of pieces.

“The magic really began on the Boardwalk,” he says. “There’s an
electricity on the Boardwalk that is incredible. If you try something,
you know instantly whether it’s working or not. I would watch people to
see how they reacted. Then, I just gave them more and more of what they
liked. That’s the whole secret to Ocean Gallery.”

Now, Kro-Art hopes to show more of his art at Ocean Gallery. He
already sells poster-sized prints of his Monkton photos, but he’s
culling through his many paintings with an eye toward creating a series
of prints.

He unlocks the door of a barn near the house and switches on the
overhead lights to reveal a studio full of paintings, many of them
Jackson Pollock-like abstracts. A few pieces are Impressionistic and
bring to mind Monet’s garden paintings. It’s a riot of color, with
canvasses big and small covering most of the walls and floor.

Kro-Art roots through them and points out a large, rectangular
abstract that used to hang in the Carousel Hotel. He extracts a
splattered and swirled piece that catches his eye. “I’m putting together
a collection of my best paintings,” he says. “It’s been a long time
since I’ve focused on my art.”

He looks wistful. “You know, when I first moved to Ocean City, I
painted anything I thought people might buy,” he says. “I painted
pictures of candles, somebody’s poodle, and I even painted an
advertisement on a girl’s stomach so she could walk the beach in a
bikini and advertise some piano and organ company.

“Then, I spent all my time creating a fun environment for people to
access art and get comfortable with it, but I’m not taken seriously
because of the crazy stuff I do to reach out to them. But I know art
brings them back to the beautiful side of life, and I’ve made thousands
of homes a more comfortable place to live.”

Kro-Art returns the painting to the pile and flashes a smile. “I think I could sell some of these,” he says.

Source

Beach Bargains

Jess Mayhugh — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Sandcastles and flip-flops. Orange Crushes and Dewey Devils. The
Hurricane and the Tidal Wave. Soon, summer’s abiding pleasures will be
yours. As the countdown begins, we’ve found more than 50 ways to stretch
your beach bucks a little further this summer.

Ocean City & Assateague Island

There’s plenty to do at the resort town and the national wildlife refuge.

Deals Under $10

Grab a phaser and join your comrades for a game of laser tag at Lasertron
(33rd Street). The objective is to score as many points as possible by
trying to deactivate other players with your laser light. Cost: $9. planetmaze.com

Try summer ice-skating at the Carousel Oceanfront Hotel’s indoor rink (118th Street). Five bucks buys you an hour of ice time. Add $3 if you need to rent skates. carouselhotel.com

Sip summer’s favorite elixir, an Orange Crush, at the cocktail’s reputed birthplace, Harborside Bar & Grill in West Ocean City. The refreshing blend of vodka, Triple Sec, fresh-squeezed OJ, and 7Up fetches $5.50 at happy hour. weocharborside.com

Get spooked at an all-star boardwalk attraction, Trimper’s Haunted House.
Designed by a master of macabre amusements, this “dark ride” features
zombies, torture chambers, and spine-chilling stunts for The
Munsters-era prices—$4 per ride. ochh.net

Ride the Beach Bus all day for $3. Hop its Park
& Ride shuttle to West Ocean City to shop the new Under Armour and
Crocs stores at the Tanger Outlets. In Ocean City, the Coastal Highway
route is a steal: 24 hours of unlimited-stop downtown service. oceancitymd.gov

A Priceless Souvenir

Buy Ocean City, Maryland: A Pictorial History, perfect for beach
nostalgists; $19.98 at Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum gift shop
(813 S. Atlantic Ave.).

Watch For. . .

The release of Ping Pong Summer.Mt. Airy native
Michael Tully’s coming-of-age-in-Ocean City comedy starring Susan
Sarandon, Amy Sedaris, O.C.’s own Emmi Shockley, and the resort’s
rebuilt boardwalk.

Thrifty Day Trips

Assateague Island is a must visit. Go beachcombing, swimming, surf
fishing, clamming, and searching for all sorts of wildlife, including
the famed feral horses. Just $15 per vehicle for seven days’ access to
Assateague Island National Seashore and $4 each (Maryland residents’
rate) for daily entry to Assateague State Park. Admission is free if on
foot or bicycle. nps.gov/asis/index.htm.
Designate a driver and hit the Delmarva Wine and Ale Trail. Burley Oak
Brewing Company in Berlin offers free tours of its
barrel-factory-turned-brewery on Saturdays, Sundays, and rainy days. The
Maryland Wine Bar in Berlin is a one-stop winery tour, serving $1
tastings ($10 flights) of more than three dozen Maryland wines. toastourcoast.com

Cheap Dates

Romantic romps don’t have to cost a lot.

1. Alaska Stand burgers, Thrasher’s French fries, a
Dumser’s Dairyland milkshake with two straws: What’s more romantic than
sharing a boardwalk meal? Escaping afterwards to a secret beach. Anglers
like Homer Gudelsky Park aka “Stinky Beach” (an outdated description,
BTW) in West O.C., but it’s also an uncrowded option for watching
Tuesday night fireworks. co.worcester.md.us

2. Go stylin’ at Macky’s Bayside Bar & Grill
(54th Street). Tailor your attire for Tuesday night’s wacky themed
parties—anything from hippies to rednecks to nerds—to get discounted
drinks and prizes as you kick back at this open-air beach bar. mackys.com

3. On Thursdays, take an afternoon bus to West Ocean
City ($4 for two, round trip) and browse Ocean City Fishing Center’s
Arts on the Docks, showcasing local artists’ works. Return pre-dusk and
head for O.C.’s answer to Mallory Square, Sunset Park, where sunset
worshippers enjoy weekly free concerts and spectacular solar descents. ococean.com

Family Freebies

Bring blankets and munchies (don’t forget the kids’ glow sticks) and
enjoy the city’s nearly nightly entertainment: movies, concerts,
fireworks, laser light shows, and family athletic competitions. Various
beach locations and invariably free. ococean.com

Learn about Ocean City B.C. (before condos), the finer points of
tying half hitches, and other cool stuff at the Life-Saving Station
Museum’s free boardwalk educational programs, which begin July 4.
Offered daily except Sunday. Kids adore shark-seminar Thursdays and
aquarium-feeding Saturdays. ocmuseum.org

Spend a day at Northside Park (125th Street), the city’s largest,
most lavishly equipped recreation area. Play softball or soccer. Walk or
jog the extensive paths. Enjoy awesome crabbing in Assawoman Bay. On
Sundays, pack a picnic and stay for Sundaes in the Park, a sweet deal
featuring free evening entertainment and inexpensive ice cream. ococean.com

Visit the Ocean City Branch of the Worcester County Library (100th
Street). Programs like story time will enthrall youngsters while you
chill out with the latest Grisham thriller or check e-mail on the
library’s public computers. Library cards are free to Maryland residents
with an ID. worcesterlibrary.org

Bethany Beach & Fenwick Island

The Delaware towns are known as “the quiet resorts.”

Deals for $10 or less

Bike lanes make pedaling around Bethany Beach a pleasure. Rent wheels
from Fenwick Islander Bicycle Shop ($10 up to three hours, $25 for 24
hours) and tour the town. Count how many historic camp-meeting cottages
you see. fenwickbikes1.com

Save time and euros: Order an authentic Italian dinner to go from
“Best of Delaware” Italian food winner DiFebo’s (789 Garfield Pkwy.,
Bethany Beach). Pasta with meatballs, baked rigatoni, and other
family-portioned entrees run $7-10 per person. difebos.com

Pick a lucky-color ball and go miniature golfing. Captain Jack’s
Pirate Golf in downtown Bethany charges $8 each per round all day. At
Viking Golf in Fenwick, $8 buys unlimited daytime play and one round
after 5 p.m. captainjackspirategolf.com; vikinggolfamusements.com

Pay pauper’s prices to see a king’s ransom in precious shipwreck
artifacts (gold bars, silver coins, pirate booty) at DiscoverSea
Shipwreck Museum (708 Coastal Hwy., Fenwick Island). Admission is free;
donations accepted. discoversea.com

Skip Bethany Beach’s parking and traffic headaches and take the
town’s sea-blue shuttle buses (“Jolly Trolleys”) instead. The one-way
fare is $2.50. jollytrolley.com/bethany.html

A $150-Million-Dollar View

Admire ocean and bay vistas from the new Indian River Inlet Bridge, a
futuristic cable-stayed span connecting Bethany Beach and Rehoboth
Beach. Carrying busy Route 1, the bridge is toll-free and safer now for
pedestrians and cyclists, thanks to an extra-wide sidewalk.

Watch For. . .

Restaurateur Matt Haley’s newest comfort-food emporium, Papa Grande’s
Coastal Taqueria, opening next to the chef’s Catch 54 on the Route 54
bridge in Fenwick Island.

Cultural Values

Enjoy music, dance, and theater at one of Delaware’s cultural gems,
Freeman Stage at Bayside, in Selbyville. Most performances at the
open-air venue are free; others cost as little as $10-20. Big-name acts
(like Lyle Lovett, pictured above, Sheryl Crow, and Pat Benatar this
summer) fetch somewhat more. BYOC (Bring Your Own Chairs).
freemanstage.org. Believe your eyes: There’s trickery afoot in tiny
Millville near Bethany Beach. Watch top-rate magicians at Dickens
Parlour Theatre, an intimate setting straight out of Victorian England.
Tickets $20-36. dptmagic.com

Frugal Field Trips

Save money and soak up culture and nature.

1. Learn the history of Fenwick Island Lighthouse,
built in 1858, including the fight to get the decommissioned beacon
relighted 30 years ago. Admission is free, though donations are
appreciated. Visiting dates and hours vary. fenwickislandlighthouse.org

2. Organize an ocean and bay family day. Take a
kayak class ($25 for families; $50-100 for others) or guided paddle
(from $50-100 per person) from Coastal Kayak, located on Little
Assawoman Bay across from Fenwick Island State Park. Then relax on the
park’s powdery white ocean beaches (admission $4).

3. Go bird-watching, admire a wildflower garden, and
learn about Delaware flora and fauna while hiking through woods and
wetlands at James Farm Ecological Preserve on Indian River Bay (Cedar
Neck Rd., Ocean View). Admission is free. inlandbays.org

Family Freebies

Forget stadium seating; gather the gang in beach chairs on starlit
Garfield Parkway Beach for Bethany Beach’s Monday night movies. The
flicks are G or PG and no fee. bethany-fenwick.org

Arrive early to snag seats for the most popular show in Bethany
Beach: free weekend performances at the boardwalk bandstand. Most are
concerts (rock, country, jazz, tribute bands, military brass), but other
acts include dancers and children’s shows. bethany-fenwick.org

Take the kids to a school they’ll love: Saturday morning nature
programs at Bethany Beach Nature Center (807 Garfield Pkwy.). After
story time, they’ll enjoy hands-on lessons at the center’s outdoor
classroom, a pristine marshland. inlandbays.org

Fly a kite on the beach. Fenwick Island’s and South Bethany’s beaches
permit such aerial acrobatics (but always obey the lifeguards). Kite
flying is restricted on Bethany’s public beach to before 9:30 a.m. (10
a.m. on weekends) and after 5:30 p.m. (5 p.m. on weekends).

Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach & Lewes

The shore communities offer vacationers an array of activities.

Deals Under $10

Energize for a day downy ocean with breakfast at JD’s Filling
Station, a motoring-themed diner in downtown Lewes. We dare you to spend
more than 10 bucks. The Early Riser Special (two eggs, toast, bacon)
costs less than half that. jdsfillingstation.com

By now you know: Parking equals $$, so public transit makes “cents.”
For $2.50 one-way, Jolly Trolley shuttles you between Rehoboth Beach and
Dewey Beach with stops in both. Or take the bus to nearby beach towns
or the outlets. Use Reho- both’s Park & Ride Lot ($7 fee) and
everyone in your vehicle rides free that day on all buses. jollytrolley.com; dartfirststate.com

Get value and great vistas at Ryan’s rooftop mini golf, overlooking
the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach. Perched above Ryan’s Beach Store, the
19-hole course forgoes bells and whistles for family rates, $4 per
person. One-putt the 19th and win a free game. 302-227-2667.

Everyone knows about Friday night Taco Toss at The Lighthouse, part
of Lighthouse Cove Dewey Beach (Ruddertowne). At Mug Night Mondays,
drinks are discounted for those who bring/buy reusable Lighthouse mugs
($10). ruddertowneusa.com

Awesome Apps

Customize Tanger Outlets’ free location-based app to its Rehoboth
Beach mega-outlet and receive app-only deals on your smartphone while
you shop. Programmable to any Tanger location, but only Rehoboth Beach
offers tax-free shopping. tangeroutlet.com/getconnected

Bartender too busy to bring your bill? The Starboard in Dewey Beach
is trying an app for that. Like pay-by-cell parking, Tabbedout, pictured
left, lets you manage your tab and—get this—settle anytime without
barkeep assistance. thestarboard.com

Watch For. . .

The brand-new Hyatt Place Dewey Beach, scheduled to open in the
revamped restaurant/night life complex formerly known as Ruddertowne.
Also, 10 percent savings at retail stores participating in Rehoboth
Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce’s new Sand Dollar Savings program.
Pick up free, QR-coded savings cards at the Rehoboth Beach Visitors
Center. beach-fun.com

Frugal Family Trips

See wildly beautiful Cape Henlopen State Park, pictured above, by
bicycle. Its Seaside Nature Center staff will orient you and provide
free bikes if you need them. $4 per vehicle daily admission for Delaware
residents; $8 for out-of-state vehicles. destateparks.com. Some
superheroes wear oilskins not capes. Relive the days of the U.S.
Lifesaving Service at the Indian River Life-Saving Station museum in
Delaware National Seashore State Park. Self-guided tours: $4 adults, $2
kids six-12; guided lantern tours and lifesaving-equipment
demonstrations $5-10. destateparks.com

Inexpensive Indulgences

1. Visit Rehoboth Beach’s new cupcakery Cake Break
(7 S. First St.) to sample gourmet goodies like the I-rish I Had Another
(Guinness beer cake, Jameson Irish Whiskey filling, Bailey’s Irish
Cream frosting) for $3 each (12 or more, $2.50 each). Kids get free
sprinkles to decorate their cupcakes. cakebreakrehoboth.com

2. Attention curd nerds: You’ll worship the
delicacies at Morgan and Gower Cheesemongers, the hip fromagerie now
occupying a former Rehoboth Beach church (20 Baltimore Ave.). If it’s
available, try the Pick & Mix sampler: $2 per piece or six varieties
for $10. And check out the grilled-cheese “sammich” bar. Find them on
Facebook.

3. Bypass the crowd waiting to dine at Rehoboth
Beach’s wildly popular Henlopen City Oyster House (50 Wilmington Ave.).
Instead, visit off hours to slurp super-fresh oysters ($2.25 each, $12
for six) at their raw bar. hcoysterhouse.com

Family Freebies

Take in some tunes. Rehoboth Beach Bandstand hosts numerous summer
concerts: R&B, oldies, country, jazz, swing, choral, military, and
something called “yacht rock” (think “The Piña Colada Song”).
Thursday-Sunday nights. rehobothbandstand.com

Bring the family and a blanket to free Monday night movies on the
beach at Dagsworthy Street in Dewey Beach. The beach also hosts
Wednesday night bonfires suitable for s’more-making. BYO marshmallows. beach-fun.com

Come to Canalfront Park in Lewes for free entertainment, including
Cinema by the Canal on select Wednesdays and concerts one Friday night
per month. lewescanalfrontpark.org

Ride the wave and learn skimboarding at Alley-Oop’s free Saturday
morning clinics in Dewey Beach, home of the East Coast Skimboarding
Championship, located at New Orleans Street beach. alleyoopskim.com

Learn how little Lewes bravely withstood British bombardment in 1813
at “Delaware and the War of 1812,” an exhibit at the intriguing
Zwaanendael Museum (102 Kings Hwy.). Free admission. history.delaware.gov/museums

Source

Eastern Shore Guide

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Ultra-fresh seafood, walkable towns, and watchable wildlife—
there’s so much to love about the Eastern Shore. Here’s a seasonal
sampler of “Delmarvalous” diversions.

Shop Art Galleries

Just guessing, but the Eastern Shore’s artist-per-capita ratio (as
measured in painters, photographers, sculptors, fiber artists, furniture
designers, printmakers, you name it) must be pretty healthy. If you’re
looking for “something special” to grace the foyer, chances are you’ll
find it. Begin in gallery-rich Easton and Chestertown. Home of the
respected Academy Art Museum, the former hosts First Friday evening gallery walks and Plein Air-Easton, a much-anticipated annual painting competition/festival (July 14-22). The latter is home to the Chestertown Arts League (with its two galleries featuring various artworks and artists, as well as summer shows). eastonmd.org; chestertown.com.

Hug a Waterman

You’ll want to do that, figuratively speaking, after devouring fresh blue crabs at popular eateries like The Crab Claw Restaurant
in St. Michaels. Honor these hard-fishing souls by visiting communities
where they live, work, and preserve their heritage. Crisfield, Rock
Hall, and Tilghman Island have small but noteworthy museums devoted to
watermen plus events celebrating their way of life. Enjoy boat-docking,
crab-picking, and crab-racing contests at Crisfield’s Hard Crab Derby (Labor Day weekend), anchor-tossing and patriotically themed workboats at Watermen’s Day (July 1) in Rock Hall, and good, old-fashioned crab eating at Tilghman’s Seafood Festival (June 23). thecrabclaw.com; crisfieldchamber.com; rockhallmd.com; tilghmanmd.com.

Be a Locavore

Foodies crave the Eastern Shore, where “farm to table” is almost
within walking distance. Many restaurant menus feature not just
Shore-grown fruits and veggies, but also local beef, poultry, eggs,
honey, and artisanal cheeses (not to mention fresh-from-the-bay
seafood). At The Tilghman Island Inn, bay crab cakes perch atop local heirloom tomatoes, and the grass-fed beef in Brooks Tavern’s BT Burger grazed 12 miles up the road from the Chestertown gathering spot. tilghmanislandinn.com; brookstavern.com.

Go Cycling

The shore’s mostly flat, always-scenic terrain suits cyclists (kinda
like a good pair of tights). One of the nicest, easiest-to-reach
destinations is Queen Anne’s County, slightly over an hour’s drive from
Baltimore. Tenderfoots will enjoy the Cross-Island Trail,
a 6.5-mile paved route through meadows and over wetlands. It links a
bayside nature preserve and boardwalk with the interactive Chesapeake Exploration Center. More experienced riders can choose from the county’s eight mapped trails covering from 18 to about 60 miles. The 22-mile Woods, Wildlife, & Water loop follows quiet country roads boasting river, creek, and critter views. parksnrec.org.

Catch Your Dinner

Spend quality time with your kids by showing them where seafood really comes from. If you’re a group, hire a charter boat
(try Kent Island, Rock Hall, Tilghman Island, or Crisfield) and fish
for tasty, hard-fighting species like striped bass, croaker, and
flounder. The easily queasy and night anglers may find 24-hour fishing
piers the ticket. Try Matapeake Pier on Kent Island for bay crabs and
fish and the Bill Burton Fishing Pier (honoring the late Sun outdoors
writer) on the Choptank River for striped bass, croakers, and catfish.
parksnrec.org; tourdorchester.org.

Live on Island Time

It has no fancy resorts or tropical elixirs (in fact, alcohol is not sold), but for blissful disconnectedness, Smith Island
makes the perfect Chesapeake getaway. Comprised of three small islands
stitched together by salt marshes, this ageless fishermen’s community
near Crisfield is accessible only by boat. Visit Smith Island Center to
learn about local culture. Savor fresh crab cakes, and sample the
island’s eponymous dessert, a gravity-defying multilayer cake. Totally
smitten? Stay the night at a waterfront B&B, watch the sun set over
the bay, and let the sound of workboats awaken you the next morning. visitsmithisland.com.

Explore Assateague

Below Ocean City lies a different oceanfront, a mellower place, where
chilling on the beach doesn’t entail plugging a parking meter every
hour. Larger, yet less heralded, than its sister seashores Cape Cod and
Cape Hatteras, Assateague Island National Seashore
offers the same natural diversions: swimming, beachcombing, surf
fishing, camping, and hiking along trails that wind past salt marshes,
pine forests, windswept dunes, and coastal bays. One of the best ways to
see and photograph perhaps the island’s top attraction—the wild
ponies—is by kayak. Book guided tours and rentals in Berlin, MD, and
Chincoteague, VA. assateagueisland.com.

Climb a Lighthouse

The tourist’s StairMaster, lighthouses combine moderate exercise with
lessons in local history. With nearly 200 steps, Assateague Lighthouse
in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge offers a cardio workout (but
plenty of rest stops). The still active, candy-cane-colored beacon has
guided mariners since 1867. On the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay
Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Hooper Strait Lighthouse’s lens
flashes, too, albeit unofficially. Visitors can tour all three floors of
this cottagey “screwpile” lighthouse that once guarded Tangier Sound.
In Lewes, DE, explore the restored 1938 lightship Overfalls, rescued
from rusty oblivion to become a floating museum. assateagueisland.com; cbmm.org; overfalls.org.

Go to the Fair

Eastern Shore fairs supplement the usual (4-H animals, gigantic
zucchini) with homespun entertainment (greased pig contests, cutest baby
shows) and unique traditions. At the Great Pocomoke Fair, known since
1901 for harness racing, the action is professional but the wagers are
friendly (Pocomoke City, Aug. 2-4). Equines also headline the
Chincoteague Volunteer Fireman’s Carnival, where fireworks will ignite
the island’s sky on July 7. Don’t miss the pony swim July 25, when
volunteers herd a flotilla of Misty’s minions across Assateague Channel
to auction. Clutch your corndog and pray no one wrecks at the
Caroline-Dorchester County Fair’s self-propelled outhouse races,
(Denton, Aug. 1-4). thegreatpocomokefair.org; chincoteaguechamber.com; caroline-dorchestercountyfair.org.

Visit a Winery

Given its mostly flat terrain, the Eastern Shore might not seem like
optimal wine country. But grape nuts will find nearly a dozen wineries
on the shore’s Chesapeake Wine Trail, including two frequent state award
winners. At pastoral Bordeleau Vineyards and Winery on the banks of the
Wicomico Creek in Eden (south of Salisbury), sample the varietals that
won Maryland best-in-class honors last year. Ensconced in an old sewing
factory on the edge of town, St. Michaels Winery offers tastings and
bottles of its 17 wines, including a gold medal-winning Syrah. bordeleauwine.com; st-michaels-winery.com.

Go Birding

Birders flock to the Delmarva for the renowned spring and fall
migrations, but summer visitors should bring their binoculars, too.
Drive or cycle Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge’s Wildlife Drive to
see great blue herons and egrets wading the marshes with ospreys and the
occasional bald eagle overhead. Wading birds also populate impoundments
at Assateague Island National Seashore, while warblers flit about the
thickets. At Pickering Creek Audubon Center near Easton, sandpipers,
yellowlegs, and ducks share pond space. Enjoy indoor birding at
Salisbury’s Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, a first-class facility
dedicated to contemporary wildfowl art. fws.gov/blackwater; nps.gov/asis; pickeringcreek.org; wardmuseum.org.

Bring Your Boat

Every summer, power and sail boaters make their way across the bay to
nautical destinations like St. Michaels and Oxford. Overnight cruisers
can anchor in a sheltered cove for a cozy, lower-cost getaway or splurge
and reserve a slip at a marina resort (think hot showers, swimming
pools, and a break from your galley). Soak up the beauty of Swan Creek
and enjoy a chef-prepared meal at Osprey Point, a Williamsburgesque
inn/restaurant and marina in Rock Hall. Cruising farther? The Hyatt
Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort marina—with access to a spa, golf, and
gourmet dining—makes a destination unto itself. ospreypoint.com; chesapeakebay.hyatt.com.

Listen to Live Music

The Bay Bridge isn’t a sound barrier; there’s plenty of good music on
the eastern side. Enjoy clubs? Visiting “westerners” can find a
familiar venue at Rams Head’s Kent Island outpost, Shore House in
Stevensville, or discover a great local spot like Nightcat in Easton,
which books nationally known indie, folk, blues, and rock performers.
Don’t overlook community concert halls like The Mainstay, a folksy venue
in Rock Hall, or the many outdoor concerts, including the pan-cultural
Chesapeake Folk Festival (July 28) at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
in St. Michaels. ramsheadtavern.com; nightcatmusic.com; mainstayrockhall.org; cbmm.org.

Discover New Cambridge

Not long ago, beach-bound travelers seeking to stretch their legs
never even considered Cambridge. This once-dowdy town is downright
fashionable now with a Hyatt-run luxury resort/spa, downtown art
galleries, studios, gourmet and gift shops vibrant with community
spirit, and restaurants praised by food critics, travel writers, and
even Tom Brokaw. Taste for yourself at Jimmie & Sook’s, the locally
owned (and recently relocated) seafood joint whose against-the-odds
startup Brokaw chronicled; Bistro Poplar, a perennial “best of” winner
among Maryland fine-dining restaurants; and the city’s new hotspot, The
High Spot, a dormant eatery reborn as a gastropub. cambridgemainstreet.com.

Dance with the Stars

Sometimes you just gotta dance to the music. Outdoors. Beneath the
stars. The Eastern Shore has its own tiki bars hidden along the
Chesapeake waterfront. Locals know the best joints, but docked boats and
potted palms signal you’re getting warm. At the end of a road, dwarfed
by The Narrows Restaurant, The Big Owl is a little hoot of a bar
offering water-level views, bands, and a patch of sand. Dance till you
drop, and then donate your sombrero to the hat collection at Harbor
Shack Waterfront Bar & Grill, a cheery Rock Hall cantina. thebigowl.com; harborshack.net.

Browse Chestertown

Chestertown hosted Delmarva’s very own tea party in Colonial days.
Now, this charming former port honors its anti-British-taxation past
with an annual reenactment and its independent present with an array of
out-of-the-ordinary shops. On South Cross Street, discover Play It Again
Sam, a comfy coffeehouse/bistro favored by the Washington College
crowd; Twigs & Teacups, an addictive home décor/gift/apparel shop;
plus bookstores large and small. Serious collectors shouldn’t miss
Chestertown Old Book Co., especially the elegant, limited-edition
letterpress volumes printed by its award-winning Chester River Press. chestertown.com.

Sail on a Skipjack

Name your interest (seafood? lighthouses? nature?), and you’ll
probably find a tour boat to suit your style on the Eastern Shore,
especially history buffs. Skipjacks are endangered throughout the
Chesapeake, but several of these classic sailboats give passengers
hands-on history lessons during the summer. The Rebecca T. Ruark (built
in 1886) sails daily from Tilghman Island, the H.M. Krentz (1955) has
scheduled and private tours from St. Michaels, and the baby of the
fleet, the Nathan of Dorchester (launched in 1994), offers public sails
on weekends from Cambridge. skipjack.org; oystercatcher.com; skipjack-nathan.org.

Just Chill

Finally, put a cherry on top of any summer’s day by joining fellow
travelers in line at the nearest ice-cream emporium. Our favorites? For
nostalgia, Durding’s Store, a time-warp soda fountain in Rock Hall,
where the ceiling is pressed tin, the floors are wooden, and the booths
are just right for sharing a sundae with your sweetie. And for
full-flavored adventure, it’s Scottish Highland Creamery, a store in
Oxford, whose owner tinkers fearlessly with ingredients Ben & Jerry
wouldn’t dream of. Phish Food, meet your match: Crab & Old Bay
Sorbet. rockhallmd.com; scottishhighlandcreamery.com.

Learn Boatbuilding

Watch as skilled shipwrights build or restore classic wooden
skipjacks, skiffs, deadrises, and dovetails at teaching boatyards.
Better yet, get a little sawdust under your fingernails by pitching in.
At the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Community Work Days (Saturdays,
10 a.m.-3 p.m.), visitors can help rebuild the skipjack Rosie Parks. The
new Ruark Boatworks, part of the Richardson Maritime Museum in
Cambridge, opens to the public Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (9
a.m.-2 p.m.), and Saturdays, when a docent answers questions from 1-4
p.m. cbmm.org; richardsonmuseum.org.

Tee Off

With their dramatic water vistas and peninsular greens, these two
premier golf courses have been compared to Pebble Beach. Challenge, if
you dare, River Marsh Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay
resort in Cambridge, especially the 18th hole: a par-5 white-knuckler
that flanks the mighty Choptank River. In Bishopville, near the ocean,
the Links at Lighthouse Sound boasts scenic holes hugged by marsh
grasses. The signature par-3 5th plays over the marshes onto a
water-guarded green framed by the Ocean City skyline. rivermarshgolfclub.com; lighthousesound.com.

Source

The Best Beach Houses of 2004

Jess Mayhugh — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 10:00:00 +0000

In a scant three months, you’ll be lapping up the life dangled in front of you by those tantalizingly colorful beach vacation rental catalogs and websites. Picture it: strolling hand-in-hand with your loved one on the soft white sands of Ocean City, lolling beneath a big blue umbrella along the sun-soaked beach in Rehoboth, or contemplating a crimson-rimmed sunrise from the deck of Fan-Ta-Sea VI, your weekly oceanfront cottage in Bethany Beach. ¶ Or, you could be suffering from dehydration as you haggle with the rental agency over an inoperative air-conditioner, struggling to sleep against the beep-beep-beep of a backhoe rearranging the beach, or straining on tiptoes to peer out the one upper-floor window in your rental house which offers that “unobstructed ocean view” the catalog promised. During two decades of renting at East Coast beaches, these aggravations have actually plagued my friends and me—not to mention a mandatory hurricane evacuation, a perilously tilting toilet, and assorted co-habitations with cockroaches, crickets, and spiders the size of seagulls. ¶ But with careful planning and advice from experts and the experienced, you can help ensure that your beach vacation is everything the catalogs portray so enchantingly—and not the holiday from hell. ¶ For example, let’s say you’re a couple spending a week in hip Rehoboth Beach with another twosome, and you’re seeking a house with comfort and privacy for everyone. Or perhaps you want to rent a place for you, your spouse, your mother-in-law, and your two kids, but you’re not sure which resort you want: the convenience and kid-pleasing activities of Ocean City, the compactness and quietude of Bethany and its minimalist boardwalk, or the solitude of Fenwick Island’s broad, non-commercialized beach. Feeling overwhelmed yet? Don’t be.

Getting Started

Once upon a time, some of the most welcome arrivals in your mailbox each winter were the catalogs advertising hundreds of rental homes at the beach. You’d pore over them, scrutinizing tiny photos of piling-perched houses with grand picture windows and “extensive decking,” looking for the right configuration of beds, and—most importantly—something in your price range. You’d mark your top choices, cross your fingers, and hope at least one was still available by the time you called the listing agency.

Although most vacationers still reserve houses by phone, the Internet has changed the resort rental business. “We still see more vacations booked by phone, but the callers have usually researched their choices on our website first,” says Susan Holt, regional vice president for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, which handles 4,600 residential properties on the Maryland and Delaware shores. She says callers still like the personal contact and the ability to ask questions the websites don’t address.

The advantages of online researching are numerous: It’s easy to comparison shop among many agencies; the information is there 24/7; most sites allow you to search listings by various criteria, including location, proximity to the beach, rental period, price, and maximum occupancy; some offer separate listings for pet-friendly lodgings; and others allow you to check availability instantly, then make your reservation, and even pay online. And if your preferred decision-making method is still a group huddle, you can request catalogs and brochures as well.

Jim Waggoner, vice president of the Eastern Shore resort rental division of Long & Foster Realtors, believes some vacationers are waiting longer to book houses because they can cyber-monitor their availability. “Some don’t feel the urgency to make reservations,” he says. Until about three years ago, 75 percent of Long & Foster’s Maryland and Delaware bookings were made by April 15. “Now it’s more like 50 percent,” he says of the 1,300 units the agency manages. Holt, too, has noticed the trend toward later bookings (Coldwell Banker once had 85 percent of its units reserved by March), although this year, she says, “people seem to be making reservations earlier to take advantage of the better selection.”

Repeat guests get first crack at renting the house or condo they had last summer, but generally they must do so before January 1, when it becomes open season for bagging trophy digs. That’s incentive enough for many return customers. “Some of our properties are 70 percent repeats,” Waggoner says.

If our hypothetical two couples and nuclear family haven’t made reservations yet (early April), they needn’t fear ending up in a cramped and mildewed bungalow 18 blocks from the beach. With new houses popping up like sand crabs, there is a large inventory of rentals. However, they’re not likely to get prime oceanfront houses either—at least if they plan to vacation anywhere from mid-July to late August, when housing demand is at its highest (as are prices).

The couples might consider vacationing in June, or September (when kids are back in school), and there is a greater selection of desirable rentals. “The weather is good,” Holt says, “prices are low, and there are many festivals and other events.” And most of Rehoboth Beach’s wealth of fine restaurants remain open at least through October.

Because our vacationing family consists of five members, they’ll have an easier time locating a three- or four-bedroom house searching now. At this date, an extended family of, say, 10 or 12 is going to be lucky to find sufficient bed space for everyone.

Location, Location, Location

Besides price, vacationers seeking a summer house ask about the three B’s: the beach (how close is it?), bedrooms (how many?), and beds (what size and where?). Rental descriptions answer the last two questions pretty clearly, but can be rather perplexing regarding the first.

Before e-searching their choices, our vacationers should learn location lingo. Although individual agencies’ definitions may vary slightly, these terms are commonly used to describe a property’s proximity to the promised sand:

“Oceanfront” – Primo placement, with no other homes situated between your rental and the ocean, although distance from and view of the water may vary. (With condos, “oceanfront” describes the building, so verify that the unit you’re renting also faces the sea.)

“Oceanview” – If just seeing the beach is good enough for you, this is a good way to save a few grand a week, though beware: One person’s “oceanview” is another person’s “sliver of water visible only if you tilt your head way out over the deck.”

“Oceanblock” – Located near the ocean (usually one block or less), but may have another structure or street in between; water view not guaranteed. Similarly, “second block,” “third block,” and so on describe approximate schleps to the beach.

“Oceanside” – Located on the east side of the major highway (Route 1 in Delaware, Route 528 in Ocean City), but not necessarily within walking distance of the ocean.

“Bayside” or “westside” – Located on the west side of the major highway, but not necessarily within walking distance of the water.

“Baywater” or “bayside water” – Located on Assawoman Bay or its canal; distance from and view of the water may vary.

If you want to know exactly how close you’ll be to the beach or whether that “stunning ocean view” is visible from the lower floor, call and ask. A reputable agent will give you a straight answer.

The rental unit’s proximity to the beach, the number of bedrooms, and the date of the rental largely determine its price. For example, $2,000 per week in late July or early August will get you a four-bedroom house within two blocks of the ocean in Rehoboth Beach or a three-bedroom oceanblock house in Dewey Beach, says Penny Carlisle, rental coordinator for Long & Foster’s Rehoboth office. Those properties are also among the first to be booked, though. If you’re looking for a condo in Rehoboth, for $1,700 to $2,000 per week, during the same time period you can rent a two-bedroom oceanfront or a two-bedroom oceanblock unit, the latter with access to a swimming pool.

Our two couples’ collective budget of $3,000 to $3,500 for a weekly rental will enable them to pick the Rehoboth neighborhood they want. The downtown offers both oceanfront and oceanblock high rises, as well as streets lined with older dormered cottages and small houses sporting big porches. Renting in Rehoboth is unique in one respect—parking. “Very, very few houses come with off-street parking,” Carlisle says, and even condo renters are often limited to one parking space. Buying a $30 weekly parking permit will save you from getting ticketed.

Our couples want some privacy, so they’re looking for a house in North Shores (an oceanfront community about a mile from the boardwalk) or The Pines (a popular in-town neighborhood of bungalows close to the ocean but removed from the boardwalk). North Shores’ isolation isn’t everyone’s cup of chai. “A lot of people like North Shores because it’s far from the boardwalk,” says Jo-Ann Bacher, rental manager for Jack Lingo Realtor in Rehoboth. “And a lot of people don’t like North Shores because it’s far from the boardwalk.” The Pines attracts its own set of devotees. “Bookworms like to stay there because it’s wooded and quiet,” Bacher says.

If you require only two bedrooms, $1,500 to $2,000 a week will also get you an oceanfront unit in one of Ocean City’s numerous condominiums. The same size units in the oceanblock can reduce the weekly rate by as much as $500. “Downtown Ocean City is still an attractive option because of the boardwalk and amusements,” according to Holt. “Vacationers also like High-Rise Row because of the oceanfront access,” she says. If you’re bringing your boat, many bayside rentals include dockage. (Oh, and if you’re planning on staying in O.C. the first week of August, book early; the city is packed to the gills for the White Marlin Open.)

Our vacationing family is looking for a modern three- or four-bedroom rental and is willing to spend up to $4,000 a week. They may still have difficulty finding oceanfront housing in popular Bethany Beach, South Bethany, or North Bethany, where such houses go quickly, even at $4,000 to $8,000 per week (yes, that’s more than $1,000 a day).

If they’re open to other options, they might consider one of the shore’s resort communities, such as Sea Colony in Bethany or Bear Trap Dunes in South Bethany, which offer additional recreational opportunities, among them indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis, and golf. In Ocean City, they could check out Sunset Island, a new gated bayside community whose homes are joining the rental market this year.

Being Comfy

With the proliferation of McMansions along the shore, guests have come to expect rental houses loaded with amenities. “They want the comforts of home,” Holt says, “such as TVs in the bedroom, VCR and DVD players, and fully equipped kitchens.”

To suit their own lifestyles and to make their homes more attractive to vacationers, homeowners are upgrading their properties to the max, adding hot tubs, whirlpools, wet bars, gas grills, gourmet kitchens, master suites, designer bathrooms, great rooms, game rooms, high-speed Internet connections, digital cable—even fireplaces for “shoulder season” rentals. While these improvements jack up rental prices, they’ve also raised the bar from the days when vacationers were satisfied with reliable air-conditioning, one working TV set, and a rusty barbecue grill.

Today, most rental units offer microwaves, coffeemakers, washer/dryers, dishwashers, multiple TVs, cable connections, VCRs, and often DVD players, in addition to necessities like cookware, dishes, bedspreads, blankets, and pillows. And what isn’t provided, you can rent from local businesses that will deliver and pick up (for an additional fee) linens, baby furniture, TVs, VCRs, and beach equipment, among other items. If our couples need a blender for the week, they can rent one for about $12; if the family wants a big beach umbrella, it will cost about $25.

Most agencies can provide linens and towels. Others offer shopping services that will stock your kitchen with groceries before you even arrive, and a concierge who can arrange everything from dinner reservations to babysitters to charter fishing trips. All, of course, entail extra charges.

“We’re moving away from a real estate-oriented business to a hospitality-driven business,” explains Long & Foster’s Waggoner. “Our competition is becoming hotels and the cruises out of Baltimore.”

Comfort can also mean peace of mind. Hurricane-prone states like North Carolina have laws allowing vacationers to recoup money when there are mandatory evacuations for severe weather, but neither Delaware or Maryland afford such protection. Refunds become the homeowner’s discretion and there are no guarantees. Vacationers can purchase optional travel insurance policies, however, that cover trip cancellations, interruptions, or delays resulting from everything from storm evacuations to job loss to emergency hospitalization. Rates are based on the price of the rental, with a policy on a $2,000 per week rental averaging $90 to $100. Waggoner says roughly 20 percent of Long & Foster’s renters buy the optional coverage.

Looking, Booking, and Fine Print

After determining their bed configuration and beach proximity preferences, our vacationers should list the amenities they desire: central air-conditioning, a washer/dryer, multiple TVs, a VCR or DVD player, maybe a screened porch and a hot tub for the couples, and an outside shower and swimming pool privileges for the family. Now the search begins.

The local Chamber of Commerce or Visitors Bureau (www.ococean.com, www.bethany-fenwick.org, www.ococean.com,) can provide a list of rental agency websites and toll-free numbers, or you can find links at www.beach-net.com. A handful of online rental services allow you to save money by renting directly from homeowners, but there’s a trade-off: They’re often hard to reach when you need to report a beach house malfunction.

Both vacation groups eventually find what they want: The couples go for a modern four-bedroom house in Rehoboth’s North Shores neighborhood through a rental agency for $3,200, while the family settles on a luxurious four-bedroom lake-view house in Sea Colony for $2,900 (well under their budget) by searching a rent-by-owner site.

Deposits of up to 50 percent of the rental price will secure their reservations, with the balance due within 30 days of check-in. Beach rentals don’t play by hotel reservation rules; if you have to cancel, you can forfeit as much as one-fifth of the total price even if the unit is re-rented at the full amount.

If you don’t want surprises once you’ve settled in, it pays to read the fine print on your contract. For example, if your fridge is on the fritz or your A/C is DOA, report the problem immediately. The agency will make every reasonable effort to fix it (they don’t want to lose your future business), and it lets them know you didn’t inflict the damage. However, less vital contraptions (TVs, phones, and microwaves, for example) are sometimes considered “courtesy” items, whose repair or replacement are not guaranteed. We didn’t anticipate finding a monstrous pipeline and a parade of construction equipment between our rental and the beach one year, but careful perusal of the contract might have turned up a caveat like this: “the Town of Sunburn Beach and the Army Corps of Engineers maintain the beach through a replenishment program. Occasional inconveniences may result.” Still, it does pay to complain; we received a 50 percent reduction in our rent for suffering the hulking pipe (through which sand was pumped onto the beach) and the beeping backhoe.

Being a Good Guest

Finally, learn to be a considerate renter. Otherwise responsible adults can morph into careless cads and juvenile jerks when they’re on holiday. They’ll drag the dining room table onto the deck—and leave it there in the salt air—so they can dine alfresco. They’ll eat their spaghetti dinners on the light-colored couch. They’ll turn on the air-conditioner and then open the windows to hear the surf, all the while running up the owner’s electric bill.

“They’re on vacation. They’re not very interested in following rules,” says one homeowner, whose framed reminder, “Thank you for not smoking,” was carefully disassembled by waggish vacationers and altered to read, “Thank you for pot smoking.” The next renters were not amused. Neither were the owners, who, after three years of renting to numerous more destructive beach-goers, finally quit in disgust.

When they’re paying a handsome sum for a vacation, people feel entitled to behave as they please, in ways they never would in their own homes. “Remember that these properties are owned by individuals,” Holt says. Consider how you’d feel in their place—and behave accordingly.

Keep in mind, too, that although most rental units are cleaned between occupants, crews must ready thousands of them in short order. If you make a big mess, clean it up. Spending 15 minutes tidying the place before you leave is a small gratuity for a week’s worth of fun and sun.

On the Waterfront

Call them second homes, investment properties, or retirement retreats—beach real estate sales are soaring. Buyers wary of investing in stocks are taking advantage of low interest loans and going with a shore thing, building their future where they’ve boogie-boarded in the past. “Our vacationers of today are our purchasers of tomorrow,” says Jim Waggoner, vice president of Long & Foster’s resort rental division in Bethany Beach, Delaware. And if you’re in the market for a seven-figure property, here’s what your millions will get you.

Source

beach – Baltimore Magazine

Greetings from Ocean City: Our Big Beachy Guide to Going Downy Ocean

Travel & Outdoors

Greetings from Ocean City

A big, beachy love letter to going downy ocean.

By Lydia Woolever

June 2024

In a series of retro scenes, a white marlin hangs on the fishing pier and a visitors go for a round on the rides in Ocean City. COURTESY NABB RESEARCH CENTER, SALISBURY UNIVERSITY.

Retro beachgoers comb the boardwalk.

A peak summer beach. COURTESY NABB RESEARCH CENTER, SALISBURY UNIVERSITY.

“There’s this feeling, coming over the Bay Bridge—like a sigh of relief...”

Explore where to eat, what to do, how to play, and more.

Engaging History

Sail Into the New Year

Playland

July 2021

Travel & Outdoors

Playland

Ocean City has changed dramatically over the past century, but it’s always been about family and fun.

June 2021

Vintage New Atlantic Hotel postcard.

Earl Shores worked at Playland in 1980 and penned a memoir of his Ocean City days.

Mural on the side of Fun City, Third Street and Boardwalk.

Earl Shores on the beach with his family in front of the Ocean City pier, 1964.

Ticket for Ocean Playland.

Top: Vintage image of Playland at dusk. Bottom: Two recent shots of the Ocean City board at dusk.

Earl Shores’ great-grandmother and Annie Bunting in the back of the Ocracoke Cottages on Dorchester Street, early 1950s.

Sportland and Fun City owner Jerry Greenspan.

On the boardwalk: Dumser’s Ice Cream; T-shirt shop.

Former Sun reporter Rafael Alvarez (left) with brother Danny on the beach, 1965.

Stuffed toys outside an Ocean City souvenir shop.

St. Paul’s by the Sea Protestant Episcopal Church at Baltimore Avenue and Third Street is one of the only two buildings in Ocean City listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

How a Beach Trip With My Grandkids Taught Me to Let Go

A Guide to the Classic Boardwalk Businesses of Ocean City

Room and Boards

Thrasher’s French Fries

Dumser’s Dairyland

Fisher’s Popcorn

Dolle’s Candyland

Hot Stuff

Shore Pours

A blackberry cobbler beer at Burley Oak and sunset at Backshore Brewing.

Pawed patron at evolution and a beer flight at Dogfish Head.

Water, Water, Everywhere

Travel & Outdoors

Water, Water, Everywhere

We've rounded up 12 destinations—from seashores to spas—where H2O is the way to go.

On the beach and an Orange Crush in Ocean City.

On the beach and an Orange Crush in Ocean City.

Ocean City

Cape May architecture and the Cape May Lighthouse.

Cape May architecture and the Cape May Lighthouse.

Cape May, New Jersey

Fresh brew at Three Ships Coffee in Virginia Beach, Bald Cypress Trail in First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, The Cavalier in Virginia Beach.

Fresh brew at Three Ships Coffee in Virginia Beach, The Cavalier in Virginia Beach, Bald Cypress Trail in First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

GO WITH THE FLOW

Deep Creek Lake, ice cream from Lakeside Creamery at Deep Creek Lake.

Deep Creek Lake, ice cream from Lakeside Creamery at Deep Creek Lake.

Deep Creek Lake

The Ledges Hotel near Lake Wallenpaupack, horseback riding, and blueberries at Paupack Blueberry Farm.

The Ledges Hotel near Lake Wallenpaupack, horseback riding, and blueberries at Paupack Blueberry Farm.

Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania

Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs, Lake Wallenpaupack sunset.

Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs, Lake Wallenpaupack sunset.

Hot Springs, Virginia

Take Flight: 8 Great Getaways

Boston

Cancun, Mexico

Charleston, South Carolina

Fort Myers, Florida

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

New Orleans

Portland, Maine

Chesapeake Restaurant at The Tides Inn in St. Michaels.

St. Michaels

Golf course at The Tides Inn in Irvington, Solomons Victorian Inn on Solomons Island, and Cove Point Lighthouse on Solomons Island.

Golf course at The Tides Inn in Irvington Solomons Victorian Inn on Solomons Island, and Cove Point Lighthouse on Solomons Island.

Solomons Island