If it is stunning oceanviews, sunrises, or an abundance of activities, shopping, dining Ocean City, Maryland is your answer.
Sun, fun, and countless activities are promised every time Ocean City, Maryland is the destination of choice. Whether traveling during the summer season or the off-season, Ocean City has much to offer the traveler.
Your first order of business will be finding a hotel or condo to rent. Many of them offer a grand view of the ocean from the luxury of a private balcony. Most are also efficiency rooms that offer a microwave and refrigerator.
When searching for a place to stay, be sure to ask for an "oceanfront" room. "Oceanview" from the sides of the hotels is also available, but if a direct view facing the ocean is important to you, this is a point to remember. There are some glorious sunrises that can be seen from an oceanfront room. In addition to the sight of the sun rising, the sounds that will greet you are the waves hitting the shoreline and the sea gulls making their first rounds of the day.
When the day is drawing to a close, you can finish it in the same way it began by planning to watch the sunset over the bay. Since Ocean City is indeed an island, both sunrise and sunset are readily within walking distance. Both are magnificent, and an exquisite view of sunset is found anywhere along the bay side of the island.
As an alternative, you may want to watch the sunset at nearby Assateague Island National Seashore, on Route 611 directly outside of Ocean City. You will see the famous wild ponies that Marguerite Henry wrote of in the Misty of Chincoteague books. Deer and other wildlife also run free on this island and will boldly approach vehicles and campers to greet them. There are many places on Assateague Island that offer wonderful views of the sunset. Take a picnic dinner and find a spot to pull off for the sunset show, and it will be a truly enjoyable evening.
Ocean City is not like some of the major beach resorts that virtually close down after the summer season. There are year-round residents, so grocery stores, shops, library, restaurants, and churches are all available throughout the year.
Dining: You will be able to find everything from full and elaborate buffets to seafood restaurants to all of the national fast food chains in Ocean City. There are cuisines and prices to fit every taste and budget.
Boardwalk: During the in-season, the boardwalk offers an abundance of shopping, recreation, and dining opportunities. Ocean City's boardwalk is very near the ocean and adjacent to the sand. A lot of the hotels are also found directly on the boardwalk.
Activities: There is a movie theater, many miniature golf courses, music concerts, hiking, parasailing, and many other water sports to be found.
Shopping: This area is a shopper's utopia. There are outlets on Route 50 in West Ocean City, and many specialty shops throughout the town. The Rehoboth Outlets on Route 1 in Delaware, are just 20 miles north of Ocean City. Directly past 145th Street in Ocean City is the Delaware state line, so finding Rehoboth is simply heading north out of the city. As a side note, there is no sales tax in Delaware so many shoppers take advantage of this opportunity. The outlets consist of three shopping centers made up of more than 140 factory outlet stores.
Fishing: The Ocean City area is known as the Blue Marlin Capital of the World. One can fish from the shoreline or Charter one of the tourist fishing boats.
Golf: Golfing is plentiful here with many championship courses all within a few miles from the beach.
Inlet: At the end of the island is the inlet area. It is here where the ocean meets the bay. There is a museum as well as specialty shops at the inlet area. The inlet was formed from a 1933 hurricane and the geography of Ocean City has remained changed since that time.
Medical Needs: The nearest hospital is just minutes away from Ocean City, it is located in the city of Berlin, Maryland. For medical emergencies, four medical center buildings are found in Ocean City on 10th, 75th, 93rd, and 126th Streets. Numerous pharmacies are found throughout the town.
Frontier Town: For a trip back to the old west, stop by Frontier Town in West Ocean City. They also offer a campground, water park, and miniature golf. The theme park itself has shops, places to eat, and many things to see right out of the old west. Try a stagecoach ride or perhaps you prefer a steam train or horseback ride. There are can-can shows, Indian shows, gunfights, looking for gold, and you can even see a bank hold-up.
If you are fortunate enough to be visiting Ocean City between mid November and the first of January, you will see the Winterfest of Lights. The city and the beach are lit up with hundreds of thousands of lights and beautiful displays to help welcome and celebrate the holiday season.
For other short jaunts and day trips away from the island, try the Discover Sea Shipwreck Museum directly outside of Ocean City in Fenwick Island, Delaware or Furnace Town in Snow Hill.
The shipwreck museum is found on the second floor of the Seashell City store, directly over the Maryland/Delaware line outside of Ocean City. See artifacts from Atlantic and local shipwrecks as well as more renowned sinkings such as the Atocha, Titanic, and Edmund Fitzgerald.
Step back in time with a visit to the Furnace Town Historical Site. This Nassawango iron furnace was originally started in 1788 and restoration of it was begun in the 1970s. Today it is restored to a 19th century village where you can see costumed workers busy at their crafts, as well as purchase the items you see them crafting from the general store. There is also a public archaeology program found here.
This part of Maryland, the only place in the state that encounters the ocean, has been a resort for over 125 years. The first hotel was opened here in the summer of 1875. Guests arrived via stage coach at that point, and had the option of railroad after 1881. Today, Ocean City is easily reached from all points on the east coast.
If it is the regenerating ocean, solitude, or the sunrise that lures you, Ocean City may be the perfect vacation spot no matter what time of year you visit.
