Sunday, May 31, 2009

Ocean City Weekend

We've lived here on and off since 1984, and have never been to Ocean City - so that's where we took this year's "hotel vacation."

Our balcony overlooked the ocean. We loved sleeping with the windows open listening to the pounding surf.


View from our balcony down the beach and boardwalk. Our hotel was at the very north end of the 3-mile boardwalk.

Assateague ponies.

Assateague wild ponies have roamed the beaches, pine forest, and salt marsh of Assateague Island since the 1600's. Assateague Island National Seashore has a combined total of over 300 wild ponies in Maryland and Virginia. Some people believe the horses arrived on Assateague's shores when a Spanish galleon ship (with a cargo of horses) sank offshore. Others believe the horses arrived by early colonial settlers that allowed them to graze there. A Spanish ship wreck was discovered recently in the waters off Assateague which lends credit to the first theory.


Brrrrrr. The Atlantic in May is cold. This was Lily's first view of the ocean. She did get plenty of swim time in the heated indoor pool at the hotel.

Lily's first experience at miniature golf was a big hit.


Lots of fun things to see and do on the boardwalk - not to mention eat! We didn't have the famous Thrasher's fries, but did have Fischer popcorn and funnel cake. And several crab cake sandwiches and crab soup.

Sand Jesus.

Trimper's Rides
A trip highlight was definitely Trimper's, which has been operating in Ocean City since 1900. Many of the kiddie rides still exist and operate. The carousel is one of the oldest in the country.


Mommy and Daddy were very generous with the tickets. We bought a lot of sheer joy for $25.



She nailed that dork with the purple hair. (Did I mention there was a "Raven's Roost" convention in town - hundreds of purple-clad Ravens fans.)


The "Fairy Whip," one of the original rides and a big hit with Lily. Definitely built in the days before lawsuits - you get whipped around the turns pretty hard for a kiddie ride.


Fun house mirrors. There's Mommy.

See the big ferris wheel?