Ocean City, MD is presented with the support of these local businesses:
Ocean City, Maryland is a great vacation destination. It offers many enhancements to the beach experience: water attractions, surf fishing, golf courses and antique shopping dot the island. It boasts ten miles of white, sandy beaches and the most spectacular sunsets in Delmarva Peninsula.
[/caption]Perhaps Ocean City is best known as the White Marlin Capital of the World. It earned this title by hosting the annual White Marlin Open: the world’s biggest billfish tournament. Taking place in August, the best fishermen compete for huge prizes, to a tune of one million dollars, for the largest white marlin catch. Spectators are welcome. For the fishermen who do not want to compete, Ocean City offers hundreds of square miles of opportunities for great fishing. In abundance are white marlin, blue marlin, bigeye and yellowfin tuna, to name a few.
Beside being the White Marlin Capital of the World, this seaside city is known for its steamed crabs (which can be found in practically every beach restaurant in town), its three mile long boardwalk, and its many varieties of beach hotels. Some of the best steamed crabs can be found at Crab Alley, Hooper’s Crab House, or Crabs to Go (a local favorite.) The beach restaurants boast a mean, spicy steamed crab as well as tangy, smoked barbeque and thick, sizzling steaks. Beach restaurant dining is a definite feast for the senses. Check out Bull on the Beach, Phillips By the Sea Restaurant, and Ocean View American Grill for better than average beach restaurants.
Dollies saltwater taffy, sweet, creamy fudge, funnel cake, and boardwalk fries are all staples on the Ocean City boardwalk. This wooden boardwalk has been pleasing visitors for decades. The boardwalk is the main shopping district and entertainment area of the town. The visitor can ride a bike, walk or take the boardwalk tram, all the while enjoying a beautiful ocean view.
The best view in town is at the boardwalk, atop the Ferris wheel. Take a spin on the Ferris wheel at night and marvel at the twinkling lights of the city as they shimmer on the water. For a slower pace, take a leisure turn on the 1902 carousel, a magnificent display of a bygone era. At night, the boardwalk fills with music and fun, that is when it comes to life with rides, arcades, performers, and the best people-watching around.
It is on the boardwalk and the sand that most of the beach festivals and events take place. Some favorite family events are Sundaes in the Park (a free concert with ice cream for a small fee at Northside Park), Bonfire Hour ( free beach event on Thursdays nights), and Movie Nights (free beach event on Monday and Friday nights from the end of June to mid-August.) Don’t miss out on the beach festivals which include Winefest on the Beach (wine-tasting never looked this good!) and Sunfest on the beach (held in September.) Another popular beach festival is Sunfest Kite Festival and the Arts Alive Festival (more than one hundred artists display and sell their treasures in mid-June.)
After a fun-filled day on the boardwalk, it is nice to return to a cozy room in one of the many beach hotels that dot Ocean City’s shoreline. Beach hotels offer a variety of prices, but they all have a wonderful ocean view. The Atlantic Oceanfront Inn, Breakers Hotel, and Beach Walk Hotel are some of the lovely beach hotels that will not disappoint the visitor.
Ocean City is not just a summer resort, it is an all-year-round resort that offers its infamous steamed clams and crab cakes, its wooden boardwalk, and some of the best while marlin fishing in the United States. The beach restaurants and beach hotels used to close during the winter months, but now a lot of them are open year round, making this seaside town a getaway escape any time of the year.