The annual Ocean City Air Show happened over the weekend and if you’re somehow unfamiliar with the event, fighter jets and other military aircraft take over the skies for two days and fly and perform over spectators on the beach and boardwalk. It’s a marvel that’s unlike anything else in Ocean City, and I was lucky enough to attend for the first time this year. Below are the photos by BL and me (admittedly, mostly BL) and a little bit about our first Air Show experience. We took a bunch of shots but there are 6 of our favorite Ocean City Airshow Photos.
This stunt plane was the first one we saw as we headed down the boardwalk, and it was doing some incredible tricks in the sky – flips and turns and loops that made me nauseous just looking at it. It was hard to take my eyes off the performance, but the boardwalk was so packed on Saturday that I needed all of my focus to weave in and out of the crowd.Another stunt plane. By this point, we’d arrived at our location – the rooftop of a hotel where we have connections with one of the maintenance guys (shh, don’t tell anyone!) – and the view was spectacular. Plus, there was a bar downstairs, so we were sipping on fruity cocktails while we watched the show. It was heaven.Here, a Coast Guard Helicopter conducted a simulated rescue operation, and at first we were worried that someone really did need rescuing. Luckily, the key word here is “simulation,” and it was pretty cool to see, especially when you know someone’s not really in dire need of rescue.I honestly have no idea what this thing is, but it looks intense. As you can tell by the clear, blue sky behind every plane, it was a beautiful day. It would have been perfect if it was just a few degrees cooler, but I really can’t complain. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring sunscreen and my nose is still red from the sun beating down on us all afternoon. Air Show pro tip: come prepared with sunscreen, sunglasses and maybe a sun-shielding hat.Overall, the Air Show was a really neat experience, and I’ll be sure to go again next year. I never thought I’d say this, but it’s worth sitting in traffic and facing hoards of people for.Pictured above are plumes of smoke from descending skydivers. The camera died before we could get any pictures of the famed Blue Angels, but I have a feeling they’ll be back again next year.
OC Screams might be spooky, but it might also actually behaunted.
The two-year-old haunted house on Worcester Street is one of three supernatural walk-throughs by Steelhead Productions, and it’s plenty creepy without the presence of real apparitions. According to manager Holly Starkey, last year’s guests would claim that they felt their ankles being grabbed as they traipsed through the imitation shipwreck’s dark rooms; but this was impossible, she said, because while OC Screams utilizes live actors to amp up their scare factor, the actors aren’t actually allowed to touch anybody. Follow you around and shriek in your ear, yes. Touch you, no.
At first, Starkey thought that the feeling of an ankle grab might be a response to fear. After all, OC Screams is pretty terrifying – floors shake and move beneath your feet, zombified actors jump out of the dark, ornaments hang from the ceiling and brush against your face as you walk by – it’s not hard to believe that, in a petrified stupor, a guest might imagine that a hand has reached out and grabbed them.
But then employees started feeling it too, Starkey said, and that’s when the OC Scream team realized there might really be a ghost on their premises. And the employees take their jobs seriously. Many of them are trained actors, and others are theatre students who just really love Halloween.
“It’s a really awesome summer job, you get to let out a lot of stress just screaming at random people,” said Kelly Starkey, an actor and makeup artist at the haunted house. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Kelly Starkey is one of the few actors who says she hasn’t been desensitized by all of the jump-scares although, for her, they’re just part of a day’s work.
“I don’t like haunted houses at all, but I work in one,” she said. “They still get me.”
Kelly Starkey has been an actor and makeup artist at OC Screams since it first opened last summer
Ocean City locals and frequent vacationers are already familiarized with one haunted house on the boardwalk. The Trimper’s dark ride, guarded by a giant bat and the famously decapitated count Wolf Von Vinderstein, has been an OC marvel since the 1960s. But that ride, for all of its classic camp and nostalgia, doesn’t offer the horror-movie-level terror that OC Screams does. In fact, in the newer, two-story haunted house that’s just off the boardwalk, an entire narrative lies within its walls.
“The story basically is that a ship went missing a little over 50 years ago in Ocean City and popped back up last summer in the ocean, and we dry-docked here off the boardwalk,” Holly Starkey said.
While the haunt is, right now, understandably ocean-themed, Starkey speculated that this could change in the future.
“The theme is the same as last year, we’re still on the ship and I’m not sure if we’ll do the ship theme again next year, or maybe change a few things around to keep everybody interested,” she said. “But it’s mostly our actors – our actors try to change things up and give everybody a new experience every time they come in.”
OC Screams opened its doors for the season over Memorial Day Weekend, and it’ll be open full-time – Tuesday through Sunday – starting this Tuesday, June 20.
A brief “training” period for new actors began only a week before Memorial Day, at a day-long orientation followed by a dress rehearsal where employees’ friends and family were given a sneak peak of this summer’s terrors. Much of the actor’s job is improvised, and the jumping-out-of-the-dark-and-screaming thing is pretty self-explanatory.
I can’t go into too much detail of what’s inside the shipwreck without ruining the surprise or spoiling the fear that will surely strike your heart upon entrance. Most of the magic of OC Screams relies on the fear of the unknown.
I will say that the animatronics and props are uber-realistic, and the actors are very skilled at what they do. After my heart had already stopped a number of times after being scared, I literally held my breath and tiptoed around one bloodied prop – the only one that didn’t end up screaming in my face.
What I saw of the haunted house was great, and I was satisfied. Admittedly, I did not stay the whole time, as my videographer partner BL was too spooked to go through the curtains of a pitch-black room on the second floor. I was trembling a little by this point, so that was fine by me. We walked out of through the red curtains that signify an emergency exit, where many panicking guests have been escorted out before.
You’ll certainly enjoy the experience if you’re a thrill-seeker who’s outgrown the rides on the boardwalk. You will not enjoy it if “Titanic” gave you nightmares.
Ocean City, Maryland – (June 20, 2017): The arts are alive at Northside Park this weekend, June 24-25, for the 17th Annual Art’s Alive fine art festival. Encompassing the park’s picturesque lagoon, this bayside event offers attendees a scenic stroll with music, free children’s activities, food, beer, wine and art.
Art’s Alive hosts over 90 artists displaying and selling their work while competing for over $5000 in prizes. These local and travelling artists come to Ocean City to demonstrate their creativity and skill in 12 categories including painting, jewelry and ceramics. Children will get the opportunity to try their hand at various art activities at no charge. From soap carving to painting, families will be able to take home their own Art’s Alive masterpiece.
“If you’re looking for a family-friendly outdoor event this weekend, this is the one,” commented Ocean City Special Events Director, Frank Miller. “Arts Alive is more than a fine art festival. We have music by Janet Spahr (both days), Island Fusion (Saturday) and River & Rhodes (Sunday), activity stations all around the lagoon for kids to take part in and beverages to make that stroll through our 58 acre park just a little more enjoyable.”
While at Art’s Alive, event participants can purchase and enjoy a craft beer or glass of wine from the Art League of Ocean City. In addition, Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli will provide a variety of delicious food options. Also, smoothie lovers can stop by the Maui Wowi smoothie stand and cool off as you make your way around the lagoon.
Art’s Alive will take place rain or shine from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. “Bring the whole family and enjoy art and Ocean City this weekend at Art’s Alive,” Miller finished.
For more information on this free event, call 410-250-0125 or go to ococean.com.
More than a quarter of a million people come to Ocean City in the summertime and thousands of them walk the 27 blocks of the Boardwalk each day. In “What Are You Doing Here?” we stop a few of them and find out what brought them to our corner of the Eastern Shore.
Meron Alemayehu arrived on the Boardwalk at the wrong time. She was bundled up in a jacket that was too large for her on a cold and overcast day. The wind whipped the hair around her face while she leaned on the railing while waiting for a friend to get off of work.
Timing hasn’t really worked out Meron. She’s been in Ocean City for a few weeks on a F1 work study visa, and the weather has been pretty cold. But she’s optimistic her luck will change.
“Man, I’m from Mississippi! It’s too cold out here for me!” Meron said with a laugh. “I’m literally waiting for summer, so I can go in the water. It’s too cold for swimming…. I can’t wait!”
Meron decided to come to the regional family-friendly resort for the same reason like other international students do: the work. But she’s different from others that hold a J1 visa that have trouble with biking on the wrong side of the street and use Ocean City has a means to explore United States treasures like D.C. or New York. She’s a junior at Jackson State University, studying business and finance. Meron is from Ethiopia, but decided to come to the United States because the schools were better than the options back home. Meron did not choose Ocean City, but rather followed her sister’s footsteps. The two came from Ethiopia together, but the sister came to the resort last summer.
“She started dating a store owner here and when she told me about it, she said it was fun, good hours and a lot of money,” Meron said.
Her older sister didn’t lie. Meron’s working 10-15 hours a day at a Boardwalk T-shirt store she can’t remember the name of. She knows it’s near Second Street, though, but they all blend together in cramped storefronts in splashes of loud colors.
“They all kind of look the same to me,” she said.
Like with this blog, Meron quickly picked up that the Boardwalk is one place where truly all types of people, from different religions, races and places, all convene in a single moment. In her brief time working in customer service, she said she came across some characters. Senior week in particular brings out some amusing interactions. Meron noticed that there’s been less than savory behavior from some eccentric customers on the Boardwalk, even though there’s signs posted everywhere saying “No Profanity” or “Keep Our Boardwalk Air Clean.”
“The craziest family that came in our store bought shirts that have “bitch one,” “bitch two,” you know, and they bought some for the whole family,” Meron said. “I’m thinking the dad was “bitch one,” and the little girl was “bitch five.” I was like, ‘What?! Ocean City’s wild.’”
Meron’s plans for the summer hopefully include taking a walk on the wild side herself.
“I want to check out the nightlife, I hear it’s pretty cool at Seacrets. I hear there’s go-karting,” she said.
But the number one priority is Ocean City’s main attraction: the beach.
“As soon as it gets hot, I’m going to be on the beach 24/7. I’m just waiting for the weather to come out. So far, it’s all living up to my expectations – it’s so beautiful and busy! I work a lot of hours, so there’s not enough of time to do things. But hopefully, I’ll make time,” she said.
Tips to Help Rental Property Owners Be More Successful in Ocean City Maryland.
The summer rental season is upon us here in Ocean City, Maryland. The time has come for rental property owners to prepare vacation properties for summer time guests. The following paragraphs contain some helpful hints for a successful and trouble free summer.
One of the more important chores to prepare your vacation property is a complete spring clean. Check mattress pads, pillows, pillow protectors, shower curtain liners, replace any worn or stained items and be sure all comforters are cleaned/dry cleaned. Turn all your breakers on and test your air conditioning system to be sure it is functioning properly. Change out the air filter each Spring and Fall. Make sure there is a broom, mop and vacuum in the property. Tenants will use them and it will help to keep your unit in good condition through the season. Using a canister type vacuum will more likely be used since replacement vacuum bags may not always be available.
Photo by Svetlana (Lana) Leahy
Check for leaks or drips under sinks and behind water closets . Occasionally seals and washers dry out over the winter while not being used regularly, they often crack, and can cause major water damage if not noticed early on.
Check the window sills and door tracks. Dirt can accumulate in windows, screens and sliders over the winter. Dirt in slider tracks may cause the rollers on sliders to wear down, and make them difficult to open and close in the rental property. Lock any owners’ closets to protect private possessions. Leave notes for tenants explaining any unusual procedures necessary for easy operation in the property (I.e. If the TV works by a switch, or if instructions and password is required for Internet access). Check door locks to be sure they lock and unlock smoothly. Sometimes the salt air can cause the locks to stick, frequently a lubricating spray will take care of the problem. If there is a glass slider to a balcony make sure the lock does not automatically engage and therefore lock prospective tenants out on the balcony.
FUN IN THE SURF!
A sign in type guest book is a handy way of receiving feedback from your tenants. Use the first page to welcome guests and encourage them to use the remainder of the book for comments, suggestions or to memorialize their best vacation ever in beautiful Ocean City, Maryland!! Further it gives tenants a contact with that property and provides memories they may likely revisit in the future.
By making a rental property as user friendly as possible, and showing guests that their comfort is important, it will encourage guests to return year after year. Remember, repeat tenants feel a sense of belonging in properties where they have had a wonderful experience and they feel their needs were heard, and met, right here in Ocean City, Maryland!!
We’ve had such a great response to our weekly photo contest, that we thought we would expand it to include a separate category for sunsets. You guys do a fantastic job of posting sunsets on our Facebook page, so we thought you might like to submit them for a chance to win Jolly Roger tickets. Here’s how it works. Each Friday we’ll announce the sunrise sunset winner. We will update this page every day as new entries come in. Feel free to look at them all and to share.
“The Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office received a request last summer from a woman who believed it was her constitutional right to be bare-chested on Ocean City’s beach. At that time, the State’s Attorney reached out to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office for an opinion on the matter, which we are still anxiously awaiting. The Mayor & City Council are strongly opposed to this idea and are taking the matter very seriously by exploring what legal actions can be taken to prevent this from happening. While we respect Ms. Covington’s desire to express what rights she may have, Ocean City is a family beach resort and we intend to do whatever is within our ability to keep it that way.”
There was a request to the Worcester County States Attorney last summer by a woman who believes it is her constitutional right to be on Ocean City’s beach without a top.
The states attorney has reached out to the attorney general’s office and is waiting an opinion. The Police Department is working closely with the states attorney and Beach Patrol on how to properly enforce any incidents that arise. The mayor & city council strongly oppose this idea (one assumes they mean toplessness and not working with the states attorney and beach patrol–Ed.) and are working to determine what legal actions can be taken to prevent this from occurring.
Another summer is upon us, and that means it is time to announce the Best of Ocean City for 2017. These are your favorite businesses in town who produce your favorite foods and drinks. The Best of Ocean City is the only “Best Of” type event that is not dependent upon advertiser input. These are purely the most popular businesses that are the most popular with their clientele.
Millions of people visit OceanCity.com each year to find the best things to do, the best places to go. Many of them also share their experiences by voting in the Best of Ocean City each year. To you folks, Thanks for the recommendations and keep up the good work!
P.S. If you don’t like the results, The Best Of Ocean City 2018 begins soon, so stay tuned!
Rebecca Hardy and Seth Irwin were lounging in the shade, enjoying a pair of the adirondack chairs placed strategically around the Ayers Creek Adventures property. A couple, Peter and Linda Hutchinson, already was out on the creek. The next school tour wouldn’t arrive for another few hours, so there were some minutes of quiet to enjoy. And I cannot impress upon you enough the depth of the quiet that can be found less than 200 yards from Assateague Road. Ayers Creek Adventures is entering its 8th season and each year, so far, has been better than the last for owners Suzy and Steven Taylor. When they started the business, it was just the two of them taking tours out on the creek, renting people kayaks, and designing excursions. Over the last several years, a combination of return guests with positive experiences and the people who they’ve told, has helped sustain and grow the business.
New digs on old land
Suzy Taylor, owner of Ayers Creek Adventures behind the counter in the ecotourism company’s remodeled field house.
Steven has been fixing up the different aspects of the property bit by bit over the years, making the entire place more efficient and welcoming. The most recent addition is a converted chicken house. It acts as the retail counter as well as a canoe and kayak display area. Ayers Creek Adventures sits on Steven’s family property. As with so many of the other places on the Eastern Shore, it used to be a farm. The early 20th century chicken house required significant restoration.
You still can see the age on some of the original beams, but it is rustic without being run down. Up against the wall you’ll find rows and rows of kayaks and canoes on mobile racks Steven built to make the storing and toting the boats easier. There also is plenty of private space in some of the other sections of the building for changing.
The best way to launch a kayak
Linda Hutchinson cruises in to the Yak-A-Launcher at Ayers Creek Adventures after a day out on the water. The launcher makes it really easy to get in and out of the vessel.
Ayers Creek Adventures was among the first in the area to put a Yak-A-Launcher to work. It’s an apparatus that floats in the shallows to help people who might otherwise have trouble getting into and out of kayaks. The launcher looks a bit like an upside down goal post on floats. You stand on the floats, holds the center bar and then ease into the vessel. From there it’s just a mild push off to start an adventure. When you return to the mainland, maneuver the kayak back through the upside down uprights, pull yourself up and step out onto the dock. It’s a piece of cake.
Spectacular views before you even get started
The view from the Ayers Creek Adventures kayak launch site.
Ayers Creek Adventures offer sunrise, sunset and moonlight paddle tours as well as tours of the salt marsh, and forested wetlands. And those are just the basics. Of course you are free to rent a kayak and explore for yourself or have a paddle tour customized for your group. Kayak excursions are great for youth trips, team building, or just having a bunch of friends get together.
Suzy said she even has had bachelorette parties take out the eight person stand up paddleboard for a few hours of fun on the creek and bay. They also rent tandem kayaks and canoes. It’s a great way to spend a couple of vacation hours, or even an entire day.
The Commissioners announce the appointment of Donna Bounds, as the new Worcester County Jail warden.
“Warden Bounds is an outstanding professional who knows the Worcester County Jail, and she is highly respected by public safety officials throughout the state,” Commission President Jim Bunting said. “She is the right person to lead the Worcester County Jail.”
Bounds is a certified corrections officer, who is dedicated to the humane treatment of legally confined inmates, and who has 35 years of experience overseeing all aspects of Worcester County Jail operations. She is part of the outstanding team whose ongoing commitment to excellence and years of leadership have played a pivotal role in the jail earning the Recognition of Achievement Award from the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards (MCCS) for achieving 100% compliance for 14 consecutive years.
“I would like to thank the County Commissioners for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Worcester County as the new warden,” Bounds said. “I look forward to continuing to work in unison with the team of dedicated staff and professional correctional officers at the jail and all our partner agencies to maintain the security and safety of the jail.”
Bounds is a 2003 graduate of Wilmington University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, and a graduate of Wor-Wic Community College, where she earned correctional officer certification in 1982 and an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice in 1989. She received certification from the Maryland State Police to collect DNA samples. Bounds is also Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) certified by the Department of Justice, and a state-certified in-service corrections instructor.
Prior to being appointed to serve as the new warden, Bounds rose through the ranks at the Worcester County Jail, where she began her career in 1982 and was most recently promoted to shift commander in 2006, operations commander in 2007, and security and custody assistant warden in 2011. She is the PREA coordinator for the Jail as well as the liaison between the jail and allied agencies, including the State’s Attorney’s Office and criminal court system. She has played a key role in developing and enforcing jail policies and procedures.
Bounds is a lifelong Worcester County resident who was born and raised in Snow Hill.
Memorial Weekend has come and gone in Ocean City and not things are about to get real. Over the holiday weekend we had a bunch of people here in town taking early summer snapshots, and a bunch more people at home remembering their own Memorial Day’s gone by. They send along all sorts of great photos, including some really great proposal memories.
Remember to send in your best vacation photos and we’ll be happy to share them here.
The best way to keep track of a three year old while on the beach!! 5/26/17 On the beach at 30th street!
Nothing like Ocean City Boating
Getting ready to spend the day out on the water in Ocean City.
Boardwalk Shot
Getting photos on the Boardwalk always is worth the effort. It’s a great way to build memories while encouraging a little heightened fun!
Family Traditions begin in Ocean City
Baby Coopers first Memorial Day trip to the beach with their grandfather! Let the Ocean City traditions begin! #36weeksdown4togo
Beach babies
I think I’ll stay out of the water today…..Kids on the beach ocean city near 146th street
Day Tripping off the island
Frontier Town OCMD 2016, My Kids Chris and Gabi.
“Seriously! How cool is this ocean thing?”
This is Hoyt, my 1 year old. Taken Springfest weekend 2017! He enjoyed everything, from the beach to the food tent!
Mermaid sighting in Ocean City
Introducing a new generation to the salt life. Photo was taken in front of The Golden Sands on 109th st, July 28, 2016. Our first granddaughter was almost a year old. This picture was worth the 2x trek to the room to lug the tents, chairs, playpen, bouncer, coolers, diapers, etc. Everybody’s inner child surfaces in 0cean City. “Mermaid Reese-y princess by the sea”
Hotel views you can take with you
Beautiful, sunny Ocean City from the Grand Hotel and Spa.
When it comes to surfing, start ’em young
If you’re not exhausted, you’re doing it wrong!
The beach won. Lily Kelly 56th Street, 5/27
Desperados on the Boardwalk
This sassy little sombrero is Nolan Casey from Ridgely, Md. This photo was taken June of 2016 while we were visiting for the MML convention. Something we come to do every year. One of our favorite things to do while visiting is take Nolan to have his Old Tyme photos done on the boardwalk. A tradition we plan to do every year.
Local farmer’s markets and eating fresh have been on the upswing for the last couple of years, but Ocean City has been ahead of the curve for decades – and doing it in a low-key fashion. Did you know that the resort has its own farmer’s market, just off 142nd Street?
Visitors can stop by the Phillips Seafood parking lot near 142nd Street to shop local goods, made by the people standing behind the stall.
“We’ve been doing this for 25 years, and it’s a produce-only market,” said farmer’s market master Paul Wood. “That means what you see here is in season. When it gets further into the season, you’ll see more produce like blueberries and watermelons. That’s the summer crop.”
Paul also runs his own stall at the market with his wife, Susan. The couple owns A&W Farms out in Parsonsburg. They sell sells annual and perennial flowers at their stall the bright colors and floral aromas brighten up the farmers’ market.
Right now, the Woods are one of four stalls out in the uptown Phillips parking lot. But they said the market, like everything in Ocean City, picks up business as the summer goes on.
“We have some regulars to start out, but we get more visitors in late June. Eventually we get a mix of both,” Paul said. “People start coming through here mainly when the summer crops come in. Produce and tomatoes go quickly, it’s a great show.”
Another key point of the Ocean City’s farmer’s market is that it’s small, only with eight vendors in high summer, buts everything is produced by locals in Maryland or nearby in Delaware.
“It’s all gotta be farm fresh, and everyone who’s here has to make it themselves,” Paul said. “Out in Ocean Pines, there’s all sorts of vendors and nonprofits, but this market solely focuses on the the producers.”
While business may be slow right now, others like Great Shoals Winery came from Easton to pedal some of their wines and ciders early. Shoppers can even have a sip of their refreshing wine before making a purchase.
“I mean, we must do good business, since my boss asked me to be here,” Olga Deshields said with a laugh. Olga is a Great Shoals employee that was manning the booth at the Ocean City Farmer’s Market.
“We started out out in Princess Anne, and we always used local and the freshest fruits in Maryland to make our wines,” she said. “Our biggest sellers here the sweet wines, like Shipwreck and the Pinot Grigio. Our ciders are refreshing too.”
In addition, Quindocqua Farms was selling leafy greens and other vegetables at the farmer’s market at last weekend’s farmer’s market. But as summer goes on expect the parking lot to boom as other vendors show up, including Bennett Orchards in Frankford, Delaware that sells their famous peaches and blueberries.
“Those are very popular. Once they sold out of peaches in a hour,” Olga said. “It’s fun to watch!”
Shop for fresh and ripe foods at the Ocean City Farmer’s Market on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market runs from May until October.
Ocean City is a fantastic couple’s getaway which is why proposing on the beach is so popular. It isn’t as if you need a reason to propose in Ocean City. After all, for so many people who visit here the beach is as central a part of growing up as any other of the milestones. From your first getaway alone during Senior Week, to your first getaway as a couple to (hopefully) your retirement home.
There are a million great reasons to propose in Ocean City, though, but here are four of our favorites.
1. It’s the perfect automatic backdrop
She said yes! Northside Park, Ocean City Maryland. May 23, 2017. Alyssa Davis and Bryan Nelson.
2. It’s the perfect way to commemorate something you love to do together
She said Yes during the Cruisin Ocean City Boardwalk Parade ! Congratulations Mark and Rochelle !!
3. It’s a perfect and permanent memory
This photo was taken June 16, 2016. My fiancé of now 4 and a half years proposed to me when we were waiting to go on the Get Sum fishing charters on the dock. We had always gone on vacation to Ocean City with his family or with my family. It was our first vacation together when he popped the question! We are getting married this year July 15, 2017 and of course our honeymoon is going to be well spent in ocean city! my name is Rebecca haschak and my fiancé is Brian cunningham.
4. It’s the perfect prelude to a stunning beach wedding.
Ashley K. Pasquith with Thomas Pasquith on the beach on 66th street at the Holiday Inn. We got married on 10-15-16 and it has been the best day yet between us. My dream as a little girl was to get married on the beach and we made it come too.
There are a quarter of a million people who come to Ocean City at once in the summertime, and thousands of them walk the 27 blocks of the Boardwalk each day. In “What Are You Doing Here?” we stop a few of them and find out what brought them to our corner of the Eastern Shore.
Charles Churilla was one of the 3,000 people who registered for Cruisin’ Ocean City in May, and he was rolling in style. Mercedes Fairlane 500, 1967, baby blue, top down and ready for cruising.
Instead of joining the throngs of people on the Boardwalk, watching the dozens of cruisers slowly make their way slowly from North Division Street to the inlet. Charles opted to stay where he was in the inlet lot, surrounded by hundreds of old cars, already parked and waiting with hoods popped. The cruisers all drove to him, where he waited next to his big blue.
Charles drove a not-so-great distance from his house in Ocean View, but said he’s been coming out to Cruisin’ for 12 years. Namely he likes coming for the hot wheels that gather down at the inlet parking lot. It’s almost communal, a bunch of guys getting together. It’s bragging about “their babies” and why they were so special compared to the sea of other cars, swigging water bottles and talking about what they’ve learned restoring their cars or driving them.
“Each year, I’m here it’s learning something new from others with similar cars. Exchange tips, looking at each other’s cars,” he said. “That’s the main reason I keep coming back. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about tips, since there’s a breadth cars here every year. But we’ve all got some similar ”
Charles is 71 years old, and spent some time working on his Mercedes, and holds it very dear to his heart. He said he started collecting a few convertibles, perhaps as his way to hold on to his little piece of history.
“Convertibles are just so 50s and 60s, just a hallmark of that era,” Charles said. “In the 1970s, the market demand for them went down. General Motors made their last model in 1967. They just never made them like these again, in terms of look and their engines.”
For Charles, there might be another connection with the convertibles – his own history. When Charles himself was young, learning to drive and exploring the freedom of the wide open roads, maybe he was driving down highways in a 1960s Mercedes of his own.
“Of course, this was the kind of car that was popular when I was growing up,” he said, tracing the door on the Mercedes. “It embodies my life back then, in a sense.”
In a tribute to the nature of Throwback Thursdays, we’ve gone into the archive to choose 15 Vacation Photos you’re going to love. These are some of our favorite submitted photos of years past. Of course, you still can submit photo for a chance to win prizes, just click here for instructions.
Arrival in paradise
When I arrived the first thing I did was walk to the beach and this view just made me take a deep breath of sea air and enjoy the scenery.
In praise of the partial view
From the balcony of our hotel room at Howard Johnson last month. Beautiful view of the beach in ocean city. This room was partial view but I could see a lot, and the stay was amazingly comfortable.
Stunning Views of Ocean City, Maryland
Wonderful view from our hotel room. Breathing in all the ocean air while we can!!!!The view of assateague beach that my family and I walked all the way up along during our stay in July 2014 at Ocean City.
Great buffet at Embers, an iconic Ocean City Restaurant
That’s me at Embers restaurant in Ocean City. Best food from a restaurant buffet ever. We enjoyed ourselves so much!
A walk along the Ocean City Boardwalk
Boardwalk from July 2010. Looking down the boardwalk from I think 7th St. John Bullock.
Sunrise in Ocean City, Md
Sunrise in Ocean City at boardwalk July 2015.
Ocean City in the 1980s
Picture back in ’85 of my now 32 yr old daughter and my late husband Jerry. Stayed at the inlet that year. This is on the beach closest to the inlet. Haven’t been there since he passed away in 2005.
A Walk on the beach at Assateague Island National Seashore
My daughter walking along edge of beach on Assateague Island July 19, 2015 during our vacation.
Ocean City Watersports always deliver
On our way to parasail for the first time!!! OC Parasail July 4th.
Kids love Ocean City
Our son’s first time at the ocean and my first time in Ocean City! This was his reaction first coming into the city!
Fourth of July at Seacrets
July 4th at Seacrets waiting for the rain to slow down and for the fireworks to begin.
Movies at the Beach
Sun and Surf Movie Theater taken July 7, 2015 of my sons, Joseph and Johnathan John.
Babies love the beach in Ocean City
My year-and-a-half old granddaughter enjoying her day at the beach, playing in the sand, wearing the sand and eating the sand, LOL..in her stars bikini.
Beach art
Taken from the beach in Ocean City last month (June, 2015). Beautiful artwork!!!
The Wings and Wheels event, reminiscent of the WWII airshows, has been around for the last several years on the East Coast. To many locals, the event is a chance to witness planes and cars face-to-face and closer than ever. Free helicopter rides drew in the thrill seekers and the old Fords that shined swayed the hearts of all.
At the Salisbury Regional Airport, cars drove madly through the small gates. Ahead, a tantalizing display of military aircraft beckoned the family and I against the wind. We’d just missed the free pancake breakfast that the airport had hosted, but arrived in time to witness the oncoming state trooper helicopter take its landing.
Walking around the planes was, if nothing else, humbling. Many people (and especially in the small state of Delaware) do not have the chance to see such crafts and machinery in person. It was as though I had been living a childhood dream. The pilots and the attendants were also very sociable with the onlookers, ready to answer any question.
The air force pilots exchanged reminiscent conversations with veterans near a military-grade Skilorsky. Children pinched their eyes in the light of the sun with upright heads, attentive to the soldiers.
Only a brief walk ahead of the wings was a long line of cars and people.
People were very ready to present their car. Parked in a line, I strolled with the others as we tilted our heads at the whites and the blues, the reflections and the glares. Though not an exhausting line-up, there were enough vehicles to have made one point a finger or two. A swarm of people were obscuring the view of several old Fords.
Continuing my walk, I followed the straying people towards the center of the airport. Here, model planes, food trucks, and vendor booths were scattered on the runway. The Appalachian Band played the day away, carrying the music through the wind. A group of people sat down to enjoy the music.
Not a frown was seen nor a cry heard on this day, only the beating of the planes and the laughter of the crowds.
