OCEAN CITY: The mega-resort with the hometown feel
You spent hours getting here, and as you step out of the car at the Inlet, the beach is an endless sea of colorful umbrellas as far north as you can see.
Just ahead, frothy waves crash with a roar into a pack of giggling youngsters. Somewhere, a lifeguard's shrill whistle rings out from atop a tall wooden stand. The salty air and hints of sunblock and fresh popcorn all hit your nose at the same time. The midday sun beats down on your neck, and the sand grinds between your toes.
You feel the wood planks on your bare feet as you take a step onto the bustling Boardwalk, a raging river of people, their necks craning and their smiles wide. It's summertime in Ocean City, and you're on vacation.
And you're not alone. About eight million people visit each year, flocking to Ocean City's crown jewels, the beach and Boardwalk. About 10,000 people make greater Ocean City their year-round home.
For the average family taking a week's vacation, there's no shortage of activities for any age.
The 2.25-mile wooden Boardwalk, rebuilt from 2011-13, anchors the downtown entertainment district, which includes two amusement parks and dozens of retail shops and eateries. Families can enjoy miniature golf, a water park, go-kart racing, and of course, the beach. Ocean City also has its own skateboard park and bayfront golf course, Eagle's Landing. There are also a handful of private top-rated golf courses in the area, like River Run and Lighthouse Sound.
For grown-ups, there are dozens of restaurants and bars to enjoy, from sushi to steaks, along the main drag of Coastal Highway and the downtown boulevards of Baltimore Avenue and Philadelphia Avenue. Popular hotspots for dining and dancing include Fager's Island (60th Street), Macky's Bayside (54th Street), and Seacrets (49th Street).
This seaside resort town for 140 years has been Maryland's most popular vacation spot. In its earliest days as a fishing village with a single hotel, vacationers arrived in Ocean City by train, according to a history of the town compiled by the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum.
A violent storm changed the court of the town in August 1933, when the nor'easter flooded the island and created an inlet to the sea from the coastal bays. The inlet was a boon to fishermen, but the storm had destroyed the train tracks leading to the tiny town.
The train tracks never needed rebuilding. Automobiles grew in popularity, and more and more tourists were driving to the beach. Three ferries at one point took cars across Chesapeake Bay before the Bay Bridge was built in 1952; a second span was added in 1973.
The town's year-round bus service runs 24 hours a day in the summer. Bus fare is $3 to ride all day. The route runs the full 10 miles of Ocean City, from the southern-most Inlet that kisses Assateague Island, to the Delaware hamlet of Fenwick Island at the state line.
Smoking at this time is permitted on the beach, though town officials are considering a ban. Alcohol consumption is prohibited on the beach and in public. Lifeguards are on duty during summer months from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Dogs are only allowed on the beach and Boardwalk during the off-season. In season, bicycles are allowed on the Boardwalk only until 11 a.m.
PHONE NUMBERS
City Hall 410-289-8221
Beach Patrol 410-289-7556
Police Department 410-723-6610
Fire Department 410-289-4346
Recreation & Parks 410-250-0125
PARKING
At the Inlet parking lot, summer rates are in effect from Thursday before Memorial Day through Labor Day. Rates are $2.50 per hour on weekdays and $3 per hour on weekends. Off-season rates are in effect from Good Friday through the Wednesday before Memorial Day, where parking rates fall to $1.50 per hour. There's no charge to park at the Inlet in winter. Parking is always free at the Park & Ride facility over the Route 50 bridge in West Ocean City. Metered street parking is in effect during summer months and costs $1.50 per hour.