Going to a Mid-Atlantic US beach town in the middle of winter might sound a little crazy, but there’s a number of reasons it can be a surprisingly fun mini-getaway to fight off those winter blues.
1. For the Festivals
Year round entertainment in Ocean City includes events like boat shows, kite festivals, arts and craft fairs, fireworks, even a Crab Soup Cook-Off party in the spring. But our mission last weekend was to get to an “Oyster festival” for unlimited local oysters, craft beer and BBQ ribs – all for the price of $30 (that’s 18 pounds for all my UK friends) for a four hour feast.
I’m not a huge fan of oysters but the craft beer alone was worth the admission price, with a selection like Evolution Craft Brewing’s Oyster Stout and Flying Dog’s Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout.
At Fager’s Island bar, our afternoon sped by as we “partied” away the afternoon listening to live music, feasting on oysters and beer and hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law, parents and cousins who all made the trip to Ocean City, too (thanks to my sister for organizing!).
2. The Boardwalk is still here in the winter, along with all that great boardwalk food…
Spending a night walking the boardwalk and snacking on Thrasher’s French Fries or Fisher’s Caramel Popcorn brings me back to my childhood memories in Ocean City. We’d arrive for our family beach vacation every year in June and a night out on the 3 mile long OC boardwalk would be the exact sign I needed to confirm that summer had officially started. In the winter, a highlight of the boardwalk is that the lines for all that fattening but delicious boardwalk food are a lot shorter!
3. You can still feel the sand on your feet
Since we stepped off the plane from London in January, we’ve been bombarded with snow, snow and more snow…everywhere. I enjoy the snow but moving and getting settled again back in the U.S. in the midst of all that snow hasn’t exactly been fun. So by heading a little south, we were finally able to see a town without snow, where the sun was shining and we could walk in the sand. Wonderful! I highly recommend it.
4. Being Near to the Water = Tranquility
The strip of land that makes up Ocean City is about 4 square miles and water surrounds it, the Isle of Wight Bay on the west side and the Atlantic Ocean on the east side of the town. For me, it’s a sense of peace to know I’m surrounded by all that water and often frequenting bars and restaurants with views of the bay or ocean.
5. The Party continues at Seacrets all winter –
When you step inside Seacrets, you’re transported to your own kind of tropical island complete with various cocktail bars, palm trees, sand and music. It’s surprising how that sort of environment can immediately make you forget that you’ve just come from cold, snowy winter conditions where you’ve regularly been bundled up in at least 5 layers of clothing and are always freezing cold!
At Seacrets you can order frozen drinks like Rum Runners or a Pain in De Ass, a concoction made with half Pina Colada, half Rum Runner and stay warm inside the heated bar overlooking the bayside.
Winter in Ocean City..
is worth checking out, a nice weekend retreat for those within driving distance from other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.
To find out more about what Ocean City has to offer, check out the Ocean City Visitor’s Bureau website.
March 31, 2014 at 4:20 pm
I love Ocean City! Seacrets is the best – it’s probably better in the winter, less crazy people who have been drinking all day in the sun.