Editor’s Guide to Ocean City, Maryland
Website design By BotEap.comOcean City, Maryland Vacation Planner:
Website design By BotEap.comHaving visited Ocean City as a child, as a parent, and now living here with my grandchildren has given me a unique insight into what Ocean City has to offer. From a day trip to an annual vacation, I’ll offer my advice on things I’ve enjoyed over the years.
Website design By BotEap.comThings have changed over the course of 50 years, but not as much as you think. Gone are the sand dunes and desert that existed north of 60th Street when I was a kid. They have been replaced by high-rise condominiums, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, and residential buildings of all possible configurations.
Website design By BotEap.comThe boardwalk now stretches from the Inlet at the southern end of Ocean City to 26th Street. Most of the “action” is from 4th Street-South. If you want to stay where the action is, I recommend staying on the boardwalk. This is a great area if you have teenagers or just like the hustle and bustle atmosphere. Even the boardwalk can be broken down further depending on how much action you want. The further you get from the entrance, the more relaxed the boardwalk becomes. Check out my article, Where to Stay, for a complete list of what each area of Ocean City is like.
Website design By BotEap.comWhile not everyone likes the same entertainment, I’m going to guess that the main reason to come to Ocean City is the ocean. Our beaches are fairly consistent throughout Ocean City with fairly wide stretches, very clean, and lifeguards stationed on every block with communication systems connecting the entire beach. The only major exception to this is from the entrance to approximately 6th Street; This area has a very large beach area with volleyball and games areas. This is good for daily visitors and children, but difficult for the elderly and disabled. Access to the beach from the north end of the boardwalk is limited to trails through the sand dunes at the end of each street. Chair, umbrella, and boogie board rentals are available at each beach entrance block (at the time of this writing). There are plenty of lunch spots along the boardwalk, but make other lunch plans if you happen to be staying off the boardwalk.
Website design By BotEap.comTo get away from the action and have a more relaxed day at the beach, I recommend Assateague Island State and Assateague Island National Park. Although the actual park starts at the entrance, you need to drive about 15 minutes to reach the parks entrances. Take Route 50 West, then Route 611 South. Route 611 ends at Assateague Island. Here you will find the State Park and the National Park. The State Park is somewhat more expensive to enter but has a snack bar. I personally prefer the National Park because it has more to offer. While the State Park is limited to a snack bar, the National Park has canoe rentals; towers, a crabbing pier, and a 4×4-only area (permit required). Campfires are allowed on the beach at night from the low tide mark to the high tide mark. Both areas offer patrolled beaches, picnic tables, grills, restrooms, and showers. Campsites are available at both parks, but advance reservations are almost always required.
Website design By BotEap.comThe entertainment doesn’t stop at the beach.
The boardwalk offers rides, games, arcades, shops, and of course, food for the kid in all of us. Here again, the action is centered from 1st Street to the entrance. To keep kids and kids at heart entertained, I would suggest Splash Mountain at 30th Street and Coastal Hwy. There are several types of water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, cafes, and my favorite, the Rain Forest. The rainforest is fun for everyone; it has oversized water guns to shoot people passing by (my favorite – I get into battles with 6-60 people), water slides, a giant pirate hat that slowly fills up and dumps its contents on everyone who They are below, and water jets at you from everywhere. Trust me; this giant-sized aquatic version of a jungle gym is worth the price of admission alone. It’s so much fun having the lifeguards wear hats and rain coats. Website design By BotEap.comThere are numerous race tracks for all ages and miniature golf courses offering something for everyone. For a full list of fun things to do, visit our entertainment page. Website design By BotEap.comFor adults there are nightclubs for all ages and bars with different themes. Seacrets is so popular with young adults that it has its own radio station, while Fager’s Island is popular with the more sophisticated crowd. In the middle there is everything from karaoke to beach bars. Website design By BotEap.comYou can spend a rainy day; go to the movies, go shopping, visit the indoor pools located in many hotels, sit on your balcony overlooking the ocean, take a day trip to historic Berlin, Md., or simply enjoy a long lunch at one of the beachfront restaurants. Website design By BotEap.comDining in Ocean City for most of us is like Family Feud. There are so many options and no one feels like the same thing at the same time. My family starts discussing dinner plans early so reservations can be made if needed. During peak season, be aware that lines at popular restaurants can be long (even if the food is so-so). My personal recommendations are:
1-Marina Deck, great crab chowder and seafood dishes, and it’s on the water
2-Waterman’s Seafood Restaurant, very good crab and seafood feast
3-Nick’s Original House of Ribs, very good ribs and beef
4-Harpoon Hanna’s, very good seafood and on the water (somewhat slow service)
5-The Crabcake Factory USA, the best crab cakes,
6-Higgins Crab House, very good crabs and good seafood,
7-Bull on the Beach, excellent pit beef and good meat entrees,
8-Adolofo’s Italian Restaurant, excellent Italian dishes (expensive),
9-Embers restaurant, very good buffet of seafood and ribs,
10-Pizza Ponzetti, my favorite pizza,
11-Lombardi’s, another good pizzeria and Italian,
12-Sakura, excellent Japanese steakhouse,
13-Phillip’s Crab House, good seafood (worth a visit but no longer the best seafood in Ocean City),
14-Outback Steakhouse, the same food you have at home but it’s good when you get tired of trying new places. Website design By BotEap.comThese are my favorite restaurants. There are so many great options and so many different ideas about what makes for good food. For me, a good restaurant is a combination of very good to excellent food with reasonable prices, good service and a varied menu for the whole family. Leave reviews of the restaurants you visit during your stay to help others choose a good restaurant. Website design By BotEap.comI hope this article gives you a general idea of what Little Resort Town is. We hope you enjoy your stay and return year after year. You may be joining a growing number of people who have decided to invest in our community by buying a summer place or even moving to Ocean City for a great lifestyle.
The boardwalk offers rides, games, arcades, shops, and of course, food for the kid in all of us. Here again, the action is centered from 1st Street to the entrance. To keep kids and kids at heart entertained, I would suggest Splash Mountain at 30th Street and Coastal Hwy. There are several types of water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, cafes, and my favorite, the Rain Forest. The rainforest is fun for everyone; it has oversized water guns to shoot people passing by (my favorite – I get into battles with 6-60 people), water slides, a giant pirate hat that slowly fills up and dumps its contents on everyone who They are below, and water jets at you from everywhere. Trust me; this giant-sized aquatic version of a jungle gym is worth the price of admission alone. It’s so much fun having the lifeguards wear hats and rain coats. Website design By BotEap.comThere are numerous race tracks for all ages and miniature golf courses offering something for everyone. For a full list of fun things to do, visit our entertainment page. Website design By BotEap.comFor adults there are nightclubs for all ages and bars with different themes. Seacrets is so popular with young adults that it has its own radio station, while Fager’s Island is popular with the more sophisticated crowd. In the middle there is everything from karaoke to beach bars. Website design By BotEap.comYou can spend a rainy day; go to the movies, go shopping, visit the indoor pools located in many hotels, sit on your balcony overlooking the ocean, take a day trip to historic Berlin, Md., or simply enjoy a long lunch at one of the beachfront restaurants. Website design By BotEap.comDining in Ocean City for most of us is like Family Feud. There are so many options and no one feels like the same thing at the same time. My family starts discussing dinner plans early so reservations can be made if needed. During peak season, be aware that lines at popular restaurants can be long (even if the food is so-so). My personal recommendations are:
1-Marina Deck, great crab chowder and seafood dishes, and it’s on the water
2-Waterman’s Seafood Restaurant, very good crab and seafood feast
3-Nick’s Original House of Ribs, very good ribs and beef
4-Harpoon Hanna’s, very good seafood and on the water (somewhat slow service)
5-The Crabcake Factory USA, the best crab cakes,
6-Higgins Crab House, very good crabs and good seafood,
7-Bull on the Beach, excellent pit beef and good meat entrees,
8-Adolofo’s Italian Restaurant, excellent Italian dishes (expensive),
9-Embers restaurant, very good buffet of seafood and ribs,
10-Pizza Ponzetti, my favorite pizza,
11-Lombardi’s, another good pizzeria and Italian,
12-Sakura, excellent Japanese steakhouse,
13-Phillip’s Crab House, good seafood (worth a visit but no longer the best seafood in Ocean City),
14-Outback Steakhouse, the same food you have at home but it’s good when you get tired of trying new places. Website design By BotEap.comThese are my favorite restaurants. There are so many great options and so many different ideas about what makes for good food. For me, a good restaurant is a combination of very good to excellent food with reasonable prices, good service and a varied menu for the whole family. Leave reviews of the restaurants you visit during your stay to help others choose a good restaurant. Website design By BotEap.comI hope this article gives you a general idea of what Little Resort Town is. We hope you enjoy your stay and return year after year. You may be joining a growing number of people who have decided to invest in our community by buying a summer place or even moving to Ocean City for a great lifestyle.