Sometimes, you just gotta get away from it all… While still seeking out some thrills, beating the summer heat and keeping the little ones happy, too.
It sounds like a lot, but it can truly all be accomplished at Jolly Roger Splash Mountain Water Park. Surely you’ve seen the Jolly Roger Ferris Wheel as you drive past 30th Street on Coastal Highway, but look a little further towards the bay and you’ll also see slides that tower hundreds of feet into the sky, and hear the screamin’ sounds of kids having fun.
I recently spent the day at Splash Mountain, and even though I’m a giant kid and thoroughly enjoyed almost all of the slides (only chickening out of one!), I found that there’s a good amount of fun for adults, too, thanks to the wave pool, the lazy river and the general sunbathing. There were plenty of food and drinks available for purchase, but what’s nice about the park is that you’re allowed to reenter and bring outside food and coolers in, too. On certain days you’ll find the Splash Mountain Mermaids lounging around the kiddie pool, and on every day you’ll find lots of fun and excitement of every thrill level.
You’ve got the ocean to the east and the bay to the west, but sometimes the only water you want is careening down a fiberglass slide at 1,000 miles a minute.
BEFORE: The Jolly Roger pirate sits innocently at the top of the Rainforest Play Area. It’s one of the first things you see when you walk into the park, and you’ll want to walk around it, not under, when staking out your lounge chairs, because…AFTER! It soaks everyone in its path (if a rambunctious park-goer didn’t already get you with one of the many water guns).Flowers are in bloom all around the park. Here, they frame the 6-Person Speed Slide, but don’t let this view fool you…It’s called a Speed Slide for a reason! Going down on just a tiny raft, you almost feel like you’re flying as you race down. (By the time you get to the bottom, your heart’s racing too fast to even care who won).Charlotte and Yasemin goofing off near the Splash Pad.Tops of the Eye of the Hurricane and the Aqualoop. For those thrill-chasers wondering what the most treacherous slide in Ocean City might be, I will direct you to the Aqualoop. The ground literally is pulled from beneath your feet, sending you speeding down 480 feet and through a 360-degree loop before you hit the bottom. (This is the one that I did not try!)Here’s the top from another angle… As soon as a person is sent down via the trap door, the transparent slide allows you to see their shadow flying through. (Again, no, I did not participate!)This one is called Stealth. The vertical ramp is kind of shaped like a half-pipe, so it feels just like skateboarding, only much more terrifying.Here’s another look at the Hurricane and the Aqualoop, and the wave pool just below them, a much more relaxing attraction.The Jolly Roger ferris wheel through the gate bars of Splash Mountain. Once it gets dark and Splash Mountain shuts down, it’s time to head to the dry rides.
Ocean City, MD – (August 10, 2018): Although a fine art event is not new to the portfolio of special events in Ocean City, a cultural exhibition with a wide array of offerings is different for our coastal community. ArtX, which focuses on artistic expression as the fundamental theme, will celebrate its inaugural year August 25-26 at Northside Park. Allowing it to grow beyond the boundaries of the 17-year-old Art’s Alive event, ArtX will host fine artisan exhibits, musical performances, activities, short films and paid workshops by the Art League of Ocean City.
Most long-time Ocean City visitors and residents are familiar with ‘Arts Alive,’ the weekend-long fine arts show in Northside Park each summer where artists showcase their work and families walk around enjoying food, drinks and live music.
ArtX will feature art categories including painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, mixed media and fine wood. Visitors can take in artisan demonstrations, participate in children’s activities and go one step further by joining an Art League of Ocean City workshop on site to polish their own ARTistic Xpression.
At the end of the first day, guests can stay for a special concert by The Original Wailers – produced and sponsored by T.E.A.M. Productions. This special free concert will take place at 8 p.m. on ArtX’s West Lagoon Field of Northside Park. Bring your own chairs or blankets for seating.
ArtX will feature additional music from up and coming artists on the outdoor stage, including Robert Paul Canfield, Pressing Strings, Rivers and Rhodes, Cecilia Grace Taylor Knox and The Breakers. Paige Glass – a 13-year-old singer and songwriter, and BITSUNE – an up and coming electronic music duo out of Spain, round out the list of talent to appear on stage at ArtX.
For the film enthusiasts, ArtX offers the best of the best from Art League of Ocean City’s Film Festival. Short films and documentaries are scheduled both days with opportunities to interact with the producers. Saturday brings in films from Ocean City locals and films about Ocean City. Sunday focuses on youth films in the morning and documentaries in the early afternoon.
“Ocean City is a wonderful destination for all ages and ArtX is designed to be a valuable experience for that wide demographic as well,” said Frank Miller, Director of Special Events for the Town of Ocean City. “You can bring your chair, find your plot of grass and enjoy a day of unique music; shop for true artwork and creative additions for the house; then take part in activities and workshops. It’s not all outside either; so you can get out of the sun and into air conditioning for the films, workshops and some of the activities.”
Food and beverages are also available on site including a selection of beer, wine and craft beer benefiting the Art League of Ocean City with special thanks to ShoreCraftBeer.com. Event hours are Saturday, August 25 from noon to 8 p.m.and Sunday, August 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.The event is quickly followed by Sundaes in the Park at Northside Park, which includes live music by Ragdoll (a Frankie Valli Tribute Band) and fireworks.
Just kidding. But because we received a wide variety of submissions this week, I decided to not pigeonhole them into any specific theme and just arrange them from sunrise to sunset. In between you’ll find beach, Boardwalk, birds, and lots of kids having fun, which is exactly what Ocean City is all about.
This week we have two winners. Kathy, who submitted a super-cute photo of her grandson Brady feeding the seagulls (see below) is getting two passes to Jolly Roger, because she actually mailed her photo to our office, and it’s the first mail-in submission I ever received. And I love getting mail. So thanks, Kathy, and we’re happy to hear that Brady had a fun vacation! The second winner of the week, chosen at random, is Christy, who submitted a picture of her boogie-boardin’ daughter.
From the looks of the submissions we’ve received this summer, lots of families are having lots of fun here on vacation. Take advantage of these last few weeks before back-to-school season hits, and soak up all the sun you can!
Morning 8/1/2018. Photo taken 82nd street balcony.Sunrise over the ocean with lifeguard stand near 89th St. July 30th 2018 at 6:26am.My husband and I biking on the boardwalk at OC in 2016.My grandson, Brady Park 18 mos) had a great time feeding the birds.Grandson Haakon 15 mo old , Frontier town water park on 8/7/18My son enjoying a refreshing fruit punch bowl at Da Lazy Lizard in OcMD on June 19th 2018.All American fun in the sun!Katrina digging in the sand at 41st un july.Taken on 94th street beach. July 2018. This is my 6 year old daughter with her brand new boogie board from K-Coast.My mermaid boogie boarding on 139thI took this photo of my very fancy 6 year old daughter, Annabelle last Sunday on the beach at 83rd street, where we are lucky enough to spend the bulk of our summer. I love that my kids are able to spend so much time in a place like OC! I love that they are spending so much time outside enjoying such a beautiful place, away from tablets and the TV.This is one year old Hudson Alexander chilling out on 12th street beach in Ocean City.3 year old Sawyer Alexander jumping waves on 12th street. Pure joy. Ocean beauties!!Rainbow on the Boardwalk. 14th Street after a brief rainshower that chased everyone off the sand. This was taken in front of the Harrison Hall Hotel where we are staying at 4pm on August the 8th 2018. It was so beautiful to see!!Rainbow after storm on 134th street on 7/29/18Submission from Amy Smith on Facebook.Ocean City Beach Patrol walking a lost boy back to his momma taken on 72nd streetSunset on the bay- taken on July 26th. 2018 at mackeys in ocean city, Maryland.My Irish dancing daughter dancing on the beach at Sunset.Grace Bailey dancing on the beach in Ocean City during the 10pm light show! Saturday August 4th.Moonlight on 13th, Beach Plaza Hotel Bocon Apartments, July 30th, 2018.
En plein air means, simply, outdoors. Plein air painting is the act of painting outside. Ocean City, with its dunes and marshes and myriad other natural wonders, is a plein air destination. Every summer, 50 artists who hail from all across Maryland and beyond spend a week capturing Ocean City on their canvases with oil, watercolor and chalk pastels.
The Art League of Ocean City hosts the event, and after three days (and one Saturday morning) of painting, the artists return to the Art League with their finished works where paintings are juried and prizes are awarded. The week culminates with a Quick Draw competition on Sunday morning in downtown Ocean City, followed by a Wet Paint Sale where the general public can purchase the very work they just saw in the process of creation. The unsold paintings will then be on display in the Galleria of the Ocean City Center for the Arts from Aug. 12 – Sept. 4.
There’s nothing more magical than taking an early-morning sunrise walk, or sitting out at the docks watching fishermen sail in with the day’s catches, while an artist works beside you to recreate the entire scene on their canvas and depict a small but dazzling slice of life in Ocean City.
BL was working on a documentary about the annual plein air event, so I followed him around while he followed the artists around, and together we documented the painters in their most natural habitats. I also decided to work “learn to paint” and “become a plein air artist” into my 50-year plan for life (I’m a little busy now, so it might have to wait until I retire in 40 or so years). The photos and screenshots below are mostly by BL. They were taken on Wednesday, Aug. 8, the first day of the plein air event.
Barbara painting in Northside Park, taking the occasional break to chase cars away from parking in a spot that would block her view.
Barbara Stepura
White Plains, Maryland
I’ve been doing plein air for 10 years. I’m a nurse, that’s what I do for a living. But now I’m retired. You’ll get there someday, don’t worry.
I had my favorite little secret spot… It’s down on the backside of Jolly Roger. You can see the Ferris Wheel. And there’s a tiny little beautiful marsh there, and I painted it every single year.
But today I’ve been running people off — they want to park in that spot right there and I go, ‘no!’ But they’ve been really sweet. I just run over there and say, ‘could you please move your car?’ And everybody does, no problem.
What do you enjoy about doing plein air in Ocean City?There’s such variety. The people are great, for one thing. And there’s a lot of life here, a lot of activity. A lot of beautiful places. You’ve got the marshes, you’ve got the ocean, you’ve got everything, everything’s here that you could possibly want to paint outside. No mountains, but hey. You can’t have everything.
Ray Ewing
Ray painting by the Oceanic Motel at the Inlet.
Swan Point, Maryland
This is my fourth year here. And I say that they don’t like me because the first two years I won first place, and last year I won second place. So people don’t like me to come!
The first year I went over to Chincoteague or Assateague and painted, and then two years ago I stayed over in West Ocean City, so I painted those docks over there where that big fishing regatta is in West Ocean City, but it’s too crowded over there today. And I painted, I think it’s called Stinky Beach, but they just had a big incident there yesterday, so I went over there yesterday, and you couldn’t even get close to that beach.
Work-in-progress.
What I like about all the events is the camaraderie, all the artists know each other. I always said the artists are like professional golfers. The golfers at the PGA Tour go somewhere every week, they know each other, their families know each other, they go out to eat, they drink, they travel together, but they’re competing. They’re competing against each other, but they’re friends, and that’s what I like about it.
If I quit, I’m 75, so it’s kind of hard for me to stand up all day and paint. The thing I’m going to miss isn’t so much the painting, I can paint in my studio, but it’s being out with the other artists.
Dennis painting on the Boardwalk.
Dennis Young
Newcastle, Delaware
I’ll paint a quick one here, then I’ll go over to the Frog Bar and get lunch and a beer… If it’s sunny I’m good, if it storms I’m good, but if it’s lightning I’m fried.
Me, peering through Dennis’ viewfinder.
I live in Newcastle, Delaware, where I have an art gallery right in the tourist section. I have a gallery right smack in the middle of town. Actually it’s called my Man Cave, ’cause I go there and I paint a lot and I put things up on the wall. People come in and look and if they critique, that’s okay, but if they criticize, they’re out!
The people at the Art League are so friendly, that’s how I got in in the first place, years ago. They got me in and I’ve been happy to come back year after year and enjoy the Life Saving Station, and that place with the flags — the Kite Loft — and you’ve got Thrashers french fries and soft shell crabs and Higgins crabs. So I’m just all about the crabs, you can ask Rina about that and she’ll tell you.
Brian painting in a nice shady spot under the pier.
Brian McKenna
Crofton, Maryland
I’ve been painting off and on my entire life. I was a firefighter for 26 years, so that was a big distraction.
Where’s your favorite place to paint here?The shade, right now. You can take a beating out there. I’m waiting until sunset… The big problem with plein air is how quickly the light changes. It can change your painting. It doesn’t give you a whole lot of time — but that’s also the benefit of plein air painting. Trying to capture the light before it disappears, the whole painting can change so quickly.
Barbara Kern-Bush
Barbara painting on the sidewalk around 67th Street.
Berlin, Maryland
How long plein air, hmmm… Maybe 10 years? And I really didn’t start painting seriously until about 15 years ago. 16, 17 — the years add up. I’m from the Pittsburgh area, so I’ve done other ones in Pittsburgh.
What do you like to see in an image?First and foremost, and I learned this from photography, I like to see a powerful composition. I like to see the color be deliberately handled. Because the color of light, the color of shade, it’s not just that shade is darker than light. It’s a completely different color, and I like to see color handled really well. I like to see energy in the composition. The human touch. I don’t like to see something that looks like somebody drew it and colored it in. I like to get the eye moving.
What do you do when you’re not painting?I read about painting.
Ocean City, Md (Aug. 8, 2018): Norwegian viking ship Draken Harald Hårfagre — the largest of its kind in modern times — has announced Ocean City as the ninth stop on its Expedition America: East Coast Tour 2018 “presented by Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky.” The ship began its tour in July. It will be docked in Ocean City for eight days, from Aug. 22 – 29, beginning with an arrival ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. and continuing with seven days of ship tours and activities in the Draken Village. The Draken visit promises visitors an engaging look at the modern-day Viking spirit.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming the Draken ship to Ocean City this August,” said Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan. “As a family-friendly destination that strives to offer a wide variety of events and features for our visitors to enjoy, we feel the Draken ship will provide vacationers with a unique opportunity to experience a piece of Viking history while staying here in Ocean City.”
Hosted in partnership with the Town of Ocean City, the Draken will dock at 3rd Street and Chicago Avenue on the bay and will offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors to relive history in a way never experienced before. The Draken will allow guests to not only marvel at this stunning Viking ship, but also to interact with the crew as they share their personal experiences of thrill, fear, and exhilaration while enduring the ship’s 2016 transatlantic crossing – reliving the Viking discovery of the New World more than 1,000 years ago.
The Draken Experience in Ocean City (dates and times subject to weather)
Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Draken Arrival Ceremony
Guests are invited to greet the Draken ship as it sails into port with a display of Viking valor and excitement. Captain Björn Ahlander and his crew will step ashore to welcome the crowd and introduce the Draken. This event is free and open to the public. A small, private welcome reception will follow.
Thursday, Aug. 23 – Wednesday, Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Draken Village & Deck Tours
Beginning daily at 10 a.m., Draken will be open for timed and ticketed deck tours. Tour tickets, which run $6 for kids (ages 5 to 15, free admission for ages 4 and under); $12 for adults (ages 16 and over); and $30 for a family pack (includes two adults, and up to three children) can be purchased online at www.drakenhh.com now, or on-site at the Draken Village. During each 30-minute tour, guests are guided through the ship and offered a look at a day-in-the-life of the crew and the historic craftsmanship used to build the ship with oak, tar, hemp, iron, and silk.
Within the Draken Village, which is free and open to the public, guests can experience a photo and video exhibition illustrating Viking history, modern explorers, and the adventures of the Draken; land-side views of the ship; the Highland Park Whisky hospitality tent; local food and beverage vendors; official Draken merchandise, and more.
Additional ticketed Draken events include a lecture with Captain Björn Ahlander outlining the adventurous expeditions of the Draken (Friday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m., $25) anda screening of the newly released Draken documentary: Expedition America – a Modern Viking Adventure(Saturday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m., $20).
“The Vikings were accomplished navigators, artisans, traders and storytellers, but their greatest triumph was the ships they built,” said Captain Björn Ahlander. “Each Draken stopover offers guests a tangible tie to history. We hope our visitors are inspired by the vigor of the Viking spirit and our modern-day adventures.”
Following the overwhelming response from the 2016 tour, the next leg of the Draken Harald Hårfagre North American tour will consist of stopovers across the U.S. East Coast states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and more. The final tour schedule and all stopover ports are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
The crew on board Draken is a team of 35 men and women from all over the world, representing a diverse mix of age, gender, nationality, and background. The Draken is now accepting applications for public volunteer crew positions. To take part in this rare opportunity visit: www.drakenhh.com/join-the-crew.
I’m a coffee addict, and I like to drink local. Whenever I have friends in town, many of them fellow coffee addicts, I make some recommendations based on which coffee shops I know to be good and which, in most cases, you won’t find anywhere else. While Boardwalk Birdie has already written the definitive list of the best coffee shops in the coastal Maryland region, Ocean City alone has a handful of small businesses that can whip up an excellent cup of java. Here are five of my favorites, and a bonus number six if you’re a creature of comfort and familiarity. Let me know what you think and if anyone major is missing from this list!
The Muze Café
Somerset Street
The first time I stopped by The Muze Café was just to get an iced coffee before rushing to an appointment in Ocean City, but I was really tempted to stay for an entire meal (and I absolutely would have, had time allowed). First of all, their outdoor patio just off the Boardwalk on Somerset Street is super charming, and provides a quaint downtown café atmosphere like nowhere else in Ocean City (sitting out on their patio almost feels, dare I say, European). Secondly, there aren’t many places where you’ll find savory crepes in OC, so The Muze is there to sate your crepe cravings. The Nutella crepe is a favorite among many. It’s a really nice place to rest your tired feet after a long walk on the Boardwalk, enjoy a quick bite and some caffeine, and, you know… Just muze.
The cutest logo.
A Latte Enjoy
2nd Street on the Boardwalk
Since the Boardwalk is the best place in Ocean City for an early-morning stroll, it’s no wonder that there are two excellent coffee shops that make the morning just a little more convenient for joggers, bicyclists and sunrise-chasers. Even if you’ve never gone in for a latte at A Latte Enjoy, you’d probably recognize the shop from the black octopus sign that sits out front. It’s worth stopping by the stand for a quick caffeine fix, as long as you have cash on hand, as the business is cash-only. While The Muze makes for a good place to rest after a busy day on the Boards, A Latte Enjoy is your Second Street-stop for coffee when the day is just getting started and you’re still waking up. And for the rare few who don’t like coffee, their smoothies are pretty delicious, too.
Rise Up
West Ocean City (next to Baja Amusements)
In the past few years, Rise Up has really taken Delmarva by storm… And for good reason. A new location just recently opened in Cambridge, Md, making for a good pit stop when you’re traveling to Ocean City east on Route 50, and the West Ocean City location has been around for a few years now — I frequent them often. Too often. They serve an array of breakfast-type foods by their “food alter-ego” Mad Eggs, and I often find myself coming in for a Rise Up burrito even when there’s like, negative money in my bank account. They also serve organic kombucha from Real Raw Organics and specialty drinks like slow pour, draft cold brew and nitro coffee, keeping crunchy Eastern Shore folks like me forever satisfied.
Satellite Coffee Shop
24th Street, 46th Street
Satellite Coffee Shop (sometimes known as the Satellite Café ) is the place to go for breakfast all-day (or at least until 2 p.m., when they close. iHop already has an unfortunate hold on the breakfast-for-dinner market). Just take a look at their unofficial Facebook page and scroll through the tons of photos that diners have posted of their Satellite breakfasts… Facebook is usually a cesspool of unhappy customers, especially when it comes to unofficial pages that customers make, but most of these posters seem pretty happy, with comments like “And of course, another favorite, classic eggs over and scrapple. Life is good. Lol. ?” and “Enjoying my regular favorite place for breakfast in Ocean City. And always the best cup of coffee, especially in the morning (they use a secret brand and brew in a huge urn). Sooo good. ??” Only the sunglasses emoji guy knows the secrets of Satellite Café coffee, and his pixelated lips are sealed.
Caffè Café
Gold Coast Mall (115th Street)
If you’ve taken a walk through the Gold Coast Mall recently, you’ve probably noticed Caffè Café next to OC Kabob. Caffè Café is actually owned and managed by the same family that owns OC Kabob, and they’ve proven to specialize in a lot of different foods and beverages. Caffè Café is cool because they’ve got a lot more than just coffee, like smoothies and sandwiches and even tiramisu, and they’ve also got a bunch of unique flavor options like raspberry, banana and toasted almond mocha.
Starbucks?
West Ocean City, 16th Street, 123rd Street
No, it’s definitely not a local option, but it appears that sometimes vacationers just want what’s familiar when it comes to their morning cup of joe (or their mid-afternoon venti caramel frappuccino). And now that there’s one on 123rd street new this summer, you won’t even have to drive the extra 15 minutes from North Ocean City to the location on 16th Street, or even further to the Starbs’ in West OC. The 16th Street Starbucks is owned by the Harrison Hotel Group, so you can’t use your rewards points, but you can crab a quick iced coffee before heading to the beach, mere steps away.
Growing up on the Eastern Shore (in the Berlin/Bishopville area), I have witnessed a number of changes to our county over the years. One of the most beautiful and surprising changes is the number of deer that can be seen every morning or late afternoon in fields across the Shore.
Thirty years ago, deer hunters, in their orange vests and camouflage garb, were also a familiar sight on the side of the road. Hunters were always arriving to hunt at daybreak, leaving in the late morning, or parked on the side of the road late afternoons until dusk. Many times these hunters left empty handed, as deer were not as plentiful back then.
However, while deer sightings are now more frequent, the sight of a deer hunter is scarce. As the number of hunters decreased over the years, the number of deer has increased dramatically.
The cost of too many deer
A sight of these beautiful creatures is always exciting to catch. That being said, in recent years, the number of deer, and lack of hunters, has caused an amazing amount of loss to farmers due to crop damage.
One Bishopville farmer was forced to replant his fields multiple times due to the herds of 10-25 deer that gather to forage on the tender crops. This loss not only affects the farmers, but the cost of producing the food, therefore increasing the overall cost of the product.
Although this may be more or less common in other areas, Worcester County farmers in particular have stated they have definitely been made acutely aware of the decreasing number of hunters in our area by the equally increasing deer population overwhelming their land.
Where are the hunters?
We are left to wonder why there aren’t as many hunters as there once was. Generations ago, fathers passed on the art of hunting and outdoor sports skills to their sons and daughters. There now seems to be fewer interested in hunting since the late 20th century.
“It’s a downward trend over the last 20 years,” said Bob Beyer, then deputy director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Division, “which gets almost 70 percent of its budget from hunting license sales”.
The statement continues: “The state sold 195,000 hunting licenses in 1975, but in 1998 the number dropped to 135,000. Estimated revenues from license sales fell about 16 percent from 1988 to 1999, Beyer said, meaning less money for program management and wildlife research and fewer employees doing fieldwork.”
These statistics indicate a loss of interest in hunting. Farmers are not limited to a specific time of year (or a certain season) to hunt deer on their own land. The farmers are therefore allowed to attempt to control the local deer population. Regardless, the chore of exterminating so many deer is daunting to say the least.
However, Mr. Brian Eyler, Deer Project Leader, Wildlife & Heritage Service of the Department of Natural Resources, reported on August 2, 2018: “The big drop in license sales was associated with the loss of small game hunters when pheasant and quail numbers dwindled.” Mr. Eyler further states since that time the “hunting license sales have been steady.”
Because of the lack of hunters in our region, while the number of licenses have been steady since 2009, the deer population has increased.
Lend a hand to your local farmer
This is a perfect example of an outside influence that can cause monetary loss to your property and/or income. Overpopulation of deer can cause hardship, not only to the farmer but ultimately to the economy as well.
For any hunters still out there, you may want to ask local farmers if you could help with their four-legged invaders. It would:
Provide income to the state programs associated with the safety of deer populations.
Help stabilize the cost of farm products.
Although there are many different scenarios of outside sources wishing to encroach on our property, herds of deer seem to be some of the most damaging and elusive for farmers.
Joanna Laslo’s real estate blog can be found here.
It was a beautiful summer day… And it was time for me to finally try out the 360 camera.
I figured I’d go around to some of the more well-known hotels in Ocean City and take panoramic photos from their pools, pool bars, balconies and beaches, because 1.) Who doesn’t like pool bars and beaches? and 2.) In case someone’s having any trouble deciding on a late-summer lodging option, this could very well seal the deal.
So enjoy a virtual tour of these Ocean City hotels as they appeared on the first day of August, and if you have any requests… Just let me know and I’ll head out there with my super-cool 360 camera.
Enjoying the view of the Inlet from the Oceanic Motel.
(Aaand another one from the Oceanic, because this POV makes you feel like you’re sitting in a beach chair looking out at the ocean!)
Listening to live music and drinking something fruity at the Plim Plaza Caribbean Pool Bar.
The Bar. Just “The Bar.” You have probably seen this place and walked by it many times. Another subtle hole-in-the-wall drinking establishment. And it is. Like a handful of other spots downtown, this dive also has a good bit of historical significance. Opened in 1945, “The Inlet Lodge” otherwise known as “The Bar,” or “The Bar at the Inlet,” is the first bar to ever have been erected on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Across the way from the Life Saving Station, and right by the entrance of the Inlet Village, this bar blends in seamlessly.
For three quarters of a century, this bar has been owned and operated by the legendary Trimper family, making it all the more special. During my visit, a Trimper boy was my bartender. I have been visiting this spot for about a year now and I have yet to be disappointed. You get what you pay for at The Bar as wood-paneled walls frame your drinking experience while you sit in a piece of Ocean City History. Considering the Trimpers’ main hustle is their amusement park, this bar has the invaluable advantage of simply not being yet another piece of a hyper-marketed chain restaurant operation. Even when the Bar is fully packed, the staff will make the time for you.
A local beer at a local bar.
As if it’s not enough to be an almost century-old bar owned by the Trimpers, but they have an incredible craft beer selection! Not just craft beer, but local craft beer. When I was in, the beers on tap hailed from Burley Oak (Berlin), Fin City (Ocean City), Evo (Salisbury) and Tall Tales (Parsonsburg). Pictured above, if I recall correctly, is actually Evo’s famous Lot 3 served in a Burley Oak glass. This kind of local beer in this kind of local bar is a moment to savor (especially considering that Lot 3 is my favorite IPA). As I have been told, and as I have observed, the Trimpers regularly rotate this menu and prioritize local brews.
Drinking at the Bar, one can almost believe that they are a piece of Ocean City history, and their understanding of our beautiful town is no longer limited to a juicy bucket of fries, mind-numbing traffic, and the Eastern Shore horizon that is the Atlantic Ocean. Combining the boardwalk experience with local beer and a historic atmosphere is tragically hard to come by in this region — so consider The Bar your one-stop shop.
Bill Tracy’s Bat.
Everyone knows this bat. So what does it have to do with the Inlet Lodge? With the exception of the obvious, that it’s the crown jewel of Trimper’s Amusements, this ride was designed by Bill Tracy. If you don’t know who Bill Tracy is, OCHH.net or this article will be happy to inform you. According to boardwalk legend, the Inlet Lodge is where Mr. Tracy would go to drink at the end of his work day building these iconic rides.
Need I say more? I am sure you all understand why the Inlet Lodge is the featured bar in our second episode of BL’s Barhop.
Everyone should wear sunscreen, but we’ve all had a day where we end up with red, tender skin—the result of overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light. In short, a sunburn.
But you don’t have to suffer through it. Here are a few tips for treating this painful skin condition.
Get indoors
A sunburn usually shows up in the first 6 to 12 hours after exposure, and the worst part of it will probably be within the first 24 hours. Take extra care to stay out of the sun, and wear loose cotton clothing as your skin recovers, and drink plenty of water.
Give your skin some TLC
To relieve your discomfort, try putting a cold, damp towel on your skin for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day to take the heat out of your skin. Cool showers or baths are also helpful.
As for a soothing lotion, use moisturizers with aloe vera or soy. Creams with vitamins C and E may help limit skin cell damage, and cortisone creams may reduce inflammation. But make sure your lotion doesn’t have petroleum, which traps heat in your skin, or benzocaine or lidocaine, which can irritate skin.
Take a pain reliever
If your sunburn really hurts, try taking some ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help relieve the pain. However, don’t give aspirin to a child with sunburn, and check with your doctor if you have any concern about the effects of a medication.
Call the doctor
If you or your child gets blisters or has a fever, chills, headache or dizziness, seek medical attention. A severe sunburn should be treated like any serious burn and could require hospitalization. Also, blisters sometimes get infected and require antibiotics.
Know the risks
It’s important to remember that sunlamps can cause severe sunburn. And the sun’s reflection off water, sand or snow can make its rays stronger. Some medicines, like the antibiotic doxycycline, and medical conditions, like lupus, can make your skin even more sensitive.
And finally, the best tip: Don’t let sunburn happen again. Keep in mind that no matter how dark your skin is, anyone can get a sunburn. But those with fair skin, as well as infants and children, are more sensitive to the sun’s rays.
Want more tips to prevent sunburn? Check out the advice in this infographic.
It has been nearly a decade since the 65th Street Slide ‘N Ride witnessed its last smile or heard its last laugh after closing its doors for good in September of 2008. Originally opening for the summer of 1972, the mid-town water slide was believed to be the oldest slide in the state of Maryland at the time of its closing. After 36 years of operating the business complete with the iconic hilltop water slide, miniature golf course, water boats, batting cage, basketball court, and ample rides and amusements for children, the owner had decided to turn in the keys and enjoy retirement. Most of the equipment on the land was sold privately, and during its final few days in existence, the property was merely the shell of what it once was. Take a look back to September of 2008 during this memorable and iconic OC landmark’s final days.
65th Street Slide ‘N Ride was located three blocks north of Rt. 90, a half-block off of Coastal Highway behind the 64th Street Shopping Center, and only a stone’s throw away from Ocean Playland Amusement Park. (Early 1980s)One of many maps made available to visitors exploring the grounds.Vintage photo of families enjoying the sights and sounds of the park.The park’s sign as seen from Coastal Highway, originally belonging to Ocean Playland Amusement Park and later repurposed for the Slide ‘N Ride.The park’s three iconic blue water slides nestled into the hillside. Slides included the Kiddie Slide, Sui-Slide, and Katie Slide.One of many small splash pools around the park.Changing rooms and another view of the hill.Remnants of what was once a thriving fleet of 19 bumper boats.Another group of kiddie boats. Children between the ages of 2 and 7 were permitted on these.Although miniature golf was once a mainstay, it now sits quietly waiting to be hauled in to storage.Additional holes of the nautical-themed course.Children would often be seen playing in the course’s center gazebo.A children’s basketball court sits abandoned. Back then, the park coined this activity “Bank Shot Basketball.”In the distance remains the skeleton of a batting cage. The park had five cages operating at one point.Pieces of the landscape are piled high ready to be taken to the dump.An eerie reminder of some of the park’s once-great features.Closed for good.One of many amusements available back then.As the water tower watches over the abandoned hill, we say our final goodbyes. In due time, the site would be demolished and turned into a parking and storage lot for the city.
Get your rods, reels and tackles ready — The White Marlin Open returns for its 45th year August 6 – 10, with purse money expected to exceed $5 million. The white marlin has all but been crowned the official fish of Ocean City, and every year the billfish and its annual tournament draws thousands of anglers and onlookers to the water and the weigh-ins at Harbour Island on 14th Street and the Bay.
The tournament has been on an upwards trajectory since its start in the 1970s, and if it remains on course, the 2018 WMO and the white marlin themselves will be bigger and better than ever. Records were meant to be broken, and that very sentiment is what draws so many fishermen and spectators to the mid-Atlantic every August. It’s…
In addition to white marlin, prizes are also awarded for sharks (pictured here), blue marlin, wahoo, dolphin and tuna.
The largest billfish tournament in the world.
Not only is the White Marlin Open the largest billfish tournament in the world, it’s also held in the “White Marlin Capital of the World.” It was President Franklin Roosevelt who first awarded Ocean City that title after a prosperous day spent fishing at the Inlet in 1939, and the town has more than lived up to its designation in the decades since.
The first White Marlin Open was held in 1974 and continuously awards prize money to white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and shark catches. The first tournament awarded a total of $20,000 in prize money, with a top prize of $5,000; in 2017, more than $5 million was awarded in total, with a top prize of $1.6 million.
The tournament was already a decent size in its first year, with 57 boats and 150 anglers competing for 20 grand, but since the 70s the White Marlin Open has absolutely exploded. In 2017 there were 358 registered boats and over 3,000 anglers. In 2018, it’s expected that the total payout will exceed $5 million. And still, the tournament’s founder Jim Motsko remembers a time when the White Marlin Open was only a dream.
I was on my honeymoon and I told my wife, wouldn’t it be nice to earn a living doing the job you really love to do? And to make a living out of it?
“At that time, golf had been paying prize money for people to compete in golf tournaments,” Motsko said. “Tennis just started offering prize money. I thought, wouldn’t it be neat to be a pro angler? To just put up a flat entry fee, and whoever catches whatever the most, they could win some money.”
Motsko worked his way through school at the University of Maryland by working on charter boats in Ocean City every summer. That’s where he learned how to reel in a white marlin, and eventually the White Marlin Open materialized. He himself fished in the first 34 tournaments — “I wanted to win the money so I could take it and go fishing with it, because it’s not a cheap sport or hobby,” he said — but nowadays he does most of his fishing after the tournament is over.
The White Marlin: Fast Facts
The white marlin’s upper jaw, also known as its bill, is twice the size of its lower jaw. White marlins use their bills to stun fast-moving prey, which include small fish like mackerel and flying fish.
White marlin are known to put up a fight when hooked, leaping into the air and waving their tail around.
They have an average lifespan of 25-30 years.
While they inhabit waters deeper than 100 m, the white marlin swims closer to the surface. When swimming they’re known to show off a technique called “tailing,” where the dorsal lobe of their caudal fin can be seen peaking above the surface of the water.
White Marlin in Ocean City
White marlin fishing season in Ocean City typically begins in mid to late June. The earliest documented catch was May 25, and the latest documented catch was June 20. The season is over by early September.
The Town of Ocean City awards a $5,000 prize to the fisherman who makes the first catch of the year, while the Ocean City Marlin Club and Fishermen United for Ocean City each award $5,000 prizes of their own. That’s how the crew of the Stalker took home around $15,000 this year for making the first catch of 2018.
The largest white marlin catch of the WMO was a 99-pounder caught by Steve Bass in 1980. The largest white marlin ever caught on record was 181 pounds, caught off the coast of Brazil in 1979. The state record for Maryland is 135 pounds.
White Marlin Fishing Tips
There are no age restrictions when it comes to competing in the White Marlin Open. Whether the angler is seasoned or novice, Motsko said, isn’t of much importance, although someone who’s able to catch more white marlin in general will obviously have a bigger chance catching a larger fish. But still: 2017’s top winner took home $1.6 million for his first-ever white marlin catch. Teenagers have taken home top prizes in the tournaments. Like its name says, the WMO is truly open, and full of possibilities, for any angler — regardless of age or skill level.
“We have altered the rules so anybody can hook the fish and once it’s on the line, they can give the line to someone else,” Motsko said. “That lets novices or people who aren’t adept be part of it, instead of just thinking, ‘we can’t compete.'”
Here are a few of the WMO founder’s white marlin fishing tips.
White marlin are not fish that can be hooked by the passive fisherman. The angler can’t sit back on the boat and doze off while waiting for a bite. “In order to be successful, you gotta pay attention to what’s going on,” Motsko said.
“The secret is to get to the fishing rod and get a hold of it before the marlin bites the bait.” You have to let him eat it more or less, Motsko said, for a 5 or 10 count, letting the line freespool once the fish bites so it doesn’t feel any tension. Then after that 5 to 10 seconds, put it back into gear.
Circle hooks are mandatory in tournaments that offer prizes for catching white marlin, as they’re less likely to catch in the throat or gut of the fish and allow minimal trauma to fish that are caught and released. “When you’re trolling, a lot of people just get bored and put the rod in the rod holder, wait for it to bend, pick it up and wind.” The hooks are designed for the marlin to grab the bait and swallow it, and then as the bait is winded out, the hook catches the corner of the marlin’s mouth. It’s advice worth repeating: “You gotta get to the rod before the fish gets it when you’re fishing with bait.”
The forecast for the week was dismal. Last Friday, I pulled up the weather app on my phone and saw the thunderstorm icon next to every. Single Day. I know Apple’s little weather icons are not the pinnacle of accurate meteorology, but the local news reports confirmed that this was going to be an absolutely terrible beach week.
The thing about weather forecasts is, they’re usually wrong. Saturday and Sunday passed with only a scattered shower here and there. There might have been a shower on Monday or Tuesday, too, but I mostly remember the sun shining through the clouds. Wednesday was the only bad day, with a major downfall in the morning and gray skies all day, and then Thursday saw blue skies and sunshine, too.
The point is, “Rainy Day Fun” may not have been the best theme for this week’s Photo Friday, since there was only one full day where someone could have taken advantage of the weather. We did get a handful of submissions, however, and our winner this week is Rich, who submitted the cool double rainbow photo. (Remember, you have to include your email address in your submission in order to win!)
Next time I will try not to pick a theme that is dependent on something as erratic as the weather. In the meantime, feel free to submit your vacation photos above and they may be featured in a Photo Friday, and you might even win a fun prize just for submitting! Thanks to all who did brave the elements this week, and as always, keep checking back for more reader-submitted photos.
Rainy Day fun! Enjoying a walk by the OC sign.Saturday july 21 2018 assateague Island we drove from upstate new york to spend sat and sunday on the beach! We could not swim but had our feet in the sand and the ocean!‘Rainy Day Fun’. My daughter and I enjoy fishing for flounder on a rainy day as a great ‘thing to do’ when the sun is not shining. We enjoy fishing on the bay at Harbor Island.Photo by Tina on Facebook.Photo by Scott on Facebook.
And after a day of rain comes…
Taken on the beach June 13th around 6 p.m. it only rained for about 10 minutes I was getting ready to go eat some crab cakes came out of my room and saw that double rainbow and thought to myself there’s something you don’t see everyday.I took this photo at sunset from Heron Harbor on 120th bayside on July 18, 2018 during our family vacation to Ocean City, Maryland. I never planned on including the seagull but it flew into view and turned perfectly as I snapped the photo. I hope you all enjoy this photo as much as I have.
Warmer weather means a higher risk for heat illness. Plan ahead and heed the signs to keep yourself safe.
Heat may be natural in the summer, but it isn’t always harmless. High temperatures increase the risk of heat illness, especially for young children, older adults, and people who are overweight, ill, or working or exercising outside.
You can protect yourself by taking some simple precautions, and by knowing the signs of heat illness. If you or someone else has symptoms, acting right away can prevent a medical emergency.
A healthy respect for the heat
High temperatures should affect what you wear and what you do. To reduce your risk of heat illness:
Use air conditioning or cool showers or baths to keep yourself cool. If you don’t have air conditioning, spend a few hours a day in an air-conditioned shopping mall or public library, or call your public health department to find out if there’s a heat-relief shelter in your area.
Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
Drink plenty of fluids. When you’re well-hydrated your urine should be very light or clear. This is especially important when you’re active. Learn more about exercising during hot weather here.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dehydrate you.
Schedule outdoor activities during the coolest parts of the day, usually mornings and evenings.
When you’re outside, wear a hat or visor, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Signs you’re overheating
Heat illness is a sign that your body temperature is getting dangerously high. If you ignore the symptoms, your temperature can keep rising. Your body can get hot enough to cause brain damage or death.
The three types of heat illness, in order of increasing severity, are heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Heat cramps are often the first sign that your body can’t handle the heat. These muscle cramps usually affect the legs, arms or abdomen.
If you have heat cramps, stop all activity and rest in a cool area. Drink water or a sports drink.
If you have heart problems or are on a low-sodium diet, you should seek medical attention for heat cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You should also see a doctor if heat cramps don’t go away within an hour.
Heat exhaustion can come on gradually (possibly over several days). According to CDC, symptoms may include skin that is cool, moist and pale; dizziness; nausea; fainting; headache; and muscle cramps. People with heat exhaustion may also develop fast, shallow breathing and a rapid, weak pulse.
Again, resting in a cool area and drinking fluids can help your body cool down. Consider a cool shower, bath or sponge bath, and seek out an air-conditioned environment.
Heatstroke is a medical emergency. The body’s systems for cooling itself shut down, and body temperature can rise to 106 degrees or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Symptoms can include:
Red, hot, dry skin.
Rapid, strong pulse.
Throbbing headache.
Dizziness.
Nausea.
Confusion.
Unconsciousness.
Heatstroke can be deadly. If you see someone who has these symptoms, send someone to call 911 while you try to cool the person down. Move the person to a shady or cool area and use whatever means you have for cooling them, such as a bath, shower, garden hose or sponge bath. If you’re in a dry climate, wrap the person with a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her vigorously.
Be a buddy
Because people don’t always recognize their own symptoms of heat illness, it’s a good idea to use a buddy system on hot days. If you have an elderly or ill neighbor, for instance, check in on him or her at least twice a day during heat waves. If you work or exercise in the heat, assign yourself a buddy. If one of you gets overheated, the other can help.
The Ocean City Beach Patrol mans 10 miles of beach every summer from the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend to Sunfest Weekend, which is usually the third weekend after Labor Day. The OCBP guards are on duty every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and as the old adage goes, beach-goers should always “keep your feet in the sand ’til the lifeguard’s in the stand.” The waters can be rough. On certain weekends this summer, there have been up to 300 rescues over the span of three days.
Crew Chief Steven DeKemper is one of those Ocean City Beach Patrol guards, and has been for the last 15 years. He’s from Indiana — in fact, he still lives in Indiana, where he works as a special education teacher — though his mother is from College Park, and he grew up spending plenty of summers on the beach in Ocean City.
In 2003, while studying education at Indiana State University, DeKemper found himself in Ocean City, speaking with a guard who had been spending his summers on the Beach Patrol for the past six years. He decided he’d give it a try, thinking his term on the Beach Patrol would be a one-summer deal. Obviously, the universe had other plans. This is one OCBP member’s personal story from the stands, where he looks out over the sea and the sand daily at 127th Street.
DeKemper has been on the Beach Patrol for 15 years, and has been a Crew Chief for the last 10.
I still commute from Indiana every year. I’m a special education teacher there and I come down here in the summer. Every year seems to be a little different, right now I’ve been hooked up with a buddy of mine for the past four summers, so it kind of works out well. We’ll have to see. Eventually I’ll have to grow up and buy a place down here.
What’s the difference between a regular guard and a Crew Chief?
As far as the duties go, a lot of them are very similar… Being a lifeguard out on the beach and taking care of everybody. But on top of that, you do a lot more paperwork, sometimes you’ll be assigned duties as far as supervision, things like that.
OCBP guard Megan takes over the stand, because someone has to be watching the beach while the Crew Chief gets interviewed!
You’re expected to kind of be a mentor, work with the younger guards and things like that. I’m lucky enough that I have some crew members here such as Megan, who has 12 years of experience, people I can roll ideas off of. I’ve got a great assistant, so it really works out well. You’re supposed to be a mentor role to the assistant, but I’ll tell you what, she’s on it. Emma’s my assistant, she’s two stands down.
What does a typical day on the Beach Patrol look like for you?
You know, that’s one thing I like about being a part of the Ocean City Beach Patrol: Every day’s different. Today we’ve got big surf, strong rips. Yesterday we ended up with near 200 rescues — that’s not a typical day, and on certain days there’s hardly anything to do.
Each day brings it own set of unique attributes. You could have things that you’re dealing with on the beach, anything from CPR to unfortunately search and recoveries. A typical day is maybe making a rescue or two and, you know, just staying alert.
I shouldn’t say — that’s not every day, but this year’s definitely been more [rescues] than most!
The beach at 127th Street on a cloudy Monday morning.
What’s the number one cause of needing to perform a rescue?
The rip currents are by far the number one rescue. I’ll be honest, aside from that I guess heavy surf, things like that once in awhile. But I’d say 90% of our rescues are from rip currents. And that’s a made-up statistic, but still.
You can see right here, we’ve got one in front of us. Luckily we don’t have anybody in there. And they’ll move, sometimes you’ll get a fixed rip, sometimes you’ll get rips that’ll move with the currents a little bit. Those are the ones that are harder to keep people out of.
Don’t people know by now to swim parallel to the shore when they’re caught in a rip current?
It’s harder to see when you’re in it, I think that makes it a little more difficult. But people should always look for the plume of light at the top, the sediment on the bottom coming up, you get discoloration, maybe even a darker color in a deeper spot — those are some things you should really look for when it comes to rip tides.
What’s kept you coming back to the Beach Patrol every summer for 15 years?
One, probably the people. You develop some of your best friendships, some of my best friends I’ve worked with here for the past 15 years or so on the Beach Patrol.
And two, the job, it’s unique. Maybe not to someone from around here, but coming from home, it’s totally different. I’ve become addicted to the ocean.
Coming out here for these three-and-a-half months gets me through the year. And each day is unique, you could have a busy day with lots of rescues or you could have a very slow day. And I’d say your hardest days are when it’s cold, windy and you’re guarding seagulls, there’s no people on the beach. Those are your hardest days, because the days are so long. Like Saturday… that was a long day.
Will you come back next year?
Yeah, I plan on it. I enjoy the job too much to give it up. If I can make it work, I’ll be here.
The Best of Ocean City 2019 voting just started about a month ago, but the competition’s already heating up, especially in the ‘Best Bars’ category. The Best of Ocean City is our annual ‘Best Of’ competition that’s notbased on advertiser dollars, and is voted on by tens of thousands of Ocean City lovers. You may not always agree with the final verdict, but when that’s the case, we just say… Go vote!
Check out the Best Of winners of 2018 here. Below are the votes that have been garnered since the Best of Ocean City 2019 voting has been open. Definitely take these results into account when planning your next night out in Ocean City. After all, how often do you get to go on vacation? That orange crush better be good.
There is something about Coconuts’ Happy Hour that people just seem to love, and it’s really not that hard to figure out what: it’s the specials. The fastest hour on the beach is daily at Coconuts, from 5 to 6 p.m., and offers 2-for-1 specials. Beer, crushes, frozen drinks… They’re two for the price of one. Just make sure one of those drinks is the Drunken Monkey Ale, brewed specially for Coconuts by Ocean City Brewing Company.
You’re seeing the same sunset no matter where you are on the bay, but it’s where you are that makes the difference. And year after year, everyone agrees that Fager’s is the place to be. Every evening at Fager’s, the sun goes down to the sound of cannons in the 1812 Overture, and when the weather’s nice, guests can stand on the gazebo and watch the sky turn orange and pink right from the middle of the water. In fact, that might just be the most photographed spot in all of Ocean City.
It’s a bit of a change in pace for the Best of Ocean City’s ‘Best Sports Bar’ category, but Buxy’s Salty Dog currently takes the lead! Buxy’s pride themselves on being a locals tavern, but perhaps what attracts visitors the most is Buxy’s Pittsburgh roots. The bar’s owner, Douglas A. “Buxy” Buxbaum, originally hails from Pennsylvania, like many others who call Ocean City their summertime home.
Tap handles at the 45th Street Taphouse.
The Taphouse is the place to go for craft beer
Are you in midtown near 45th Street, or on the Boardwalk around 9th? Either way, there’s a Taphouse in your orbit that’s just waiting for you to take a seat at the bar and order a local craft beer. Or a not-local craft beer. The Taphouse keeps tons of local options on tap from Burley to 3rd Wave to RAR, but they’ve also got craft beer from everywhere else in the country, too. With almost 40 beers on tap, there’s bound to be something you love at the Taphouse.
Maybe it’s because it’s summer that now Backshore is leading the race for the Best Brewery, and no brewery screams “summer” more than Backshore. It’s on the Boardwalk, it faces the beach, they do tons of fun summer releases, and the Backshore van even just got a new paint job. Does Backshore have what it takes to stay the Best Brewery year-round and ultimately win the title of Ocean City’s Best? Only time will tell, and only you can decide…
Inside Seacrets’ Morley Hall.
Seacrets has the best drinks, the best live music and is the best bar overall?!
Obviously Seacrets is great, but come on people… We have to divvy up the winners at least a little bit. Seacrets is currently in first place across three categories, including Best Drinks — their signature Tropicale beer brewed by Evo comes to mind — Best Live Music — there’s really no better venue in town than Morley Hall, true — and Best Bar Overall. Okay, touche, maybe the combination of fantastic drinks and a revolving door of top local and national musical acts has led them to be Ocean City’s Best Bar Overall. Again, only time will tell.
