Choosing an Ocean City - Essay Example

Every good ocean resort has a boardwalk and Ocean City is no different. Unique to Ocean City is Dumser’s Dairyland; their silky shakes are comfort food! They are worth the wait and the price (about $3.00). Hear the surf and the many footsteps strolling along, not a care in the world.

Eye candy is plentiful in the delightful tourist shops that sell the regular “I’ve Been to Ocean City” gear that will make the folks back home grin with nostalgia. There are many more shops to explore though, each one a direct reflection of its owner. Be sure to visit The Kite Loft, the source of the splashing colors against the sand in the form of displays on the beach. Inside is a kaleidoscope of kites waiting to soar.

Don’t plan on doing the South Beach Diet while you’re in Ocean City. The killer place to be is Thrasher’s Fries. This shop has been operating since 1929 and any other fry is nothing short of pathetic compared to these. Succulent and crisp, skins still on, hot from the fryer, be prepared for sensory overload between the smell of these fries mixed with ocean breezes. The surf pounds in the background and people are milling about, playing…but oh, that first bite…crisp and tender at the same time. Bliss.

For an extra couple of dollars, go to the border! Of Delaware, that is. Public transportation is terrific and inexpensive. Even the shortest attention span will be happy in Ocean City, being able to go in many different directions during a short visit. Feel the wind in your hair and watch the world go by!

History buffs will enjoy checking out old bathing suits (dating back to the early 1900s) at the end of the boardwalk in the Lifesaving Museum. Artifacts from diving missions are also on display. This little museum is not only well presented but a pleasure to visit, with friendly staff.

Okay, enough of the touristy things, what else is there? A boat trip to Assateague Island, where the green of the marsh grass tickles the legs and the wild ponies will approach people, the wind playing in their manes and tails.

Play on the beach, gorge on junk food, buy stuff, hang out and talk, and explore. Walk or build sand castles as the salt air caresses the sculpture and sculptor equally. Now let’s talk food and lodging: Ocean City has a wide budget range of hotel rooms. Pair up and save money. Rooms go anywhere from about $40/night to $450 to sleep hearing the pounding surf. Any meal can be had for under $8.00, so eating won’t interfere with shopping and other activities.

Ocean City is filled with the pleasures of any vacation, whatever the need. Be greeted warmly, fed well even on a shoestring, be pampered by hotel staff, and feel the weight of everyday life drift away on the wings of the gulls that fly with the sun. Fall asleep with the rhythm of the tide as a lullaby and just let go!