Ocean City MD Advice

[smile145]

I am planning a trip in September that will include a couple of days in Ocean City MD. It will just be my husband and I. We have never been and looking for some advice.

I booked the Courtyard by Marriott hotel because I could use points for the stay and because the location looked good. We like to park at the hotel and be able to walk everywhere (beach, boardwalk, restaurants). Is this a good location?

The dates we will be there coincide with Sunfest. Is this good or bad? I mean will it be too crowded?

Also looking for recommendations on activities besides the beach (mini golf etc) and restaurants. We tend to like more pub/tavern style but will take any recommendations.

Thanks!

 

[Christine]

My cousin has her second home there and spends every weekend. One of her favorite weekends there is Sunfest. No, it won't be too crowded. The major summer crowds are gone and it's mostly locals that go to Sunfest (and people like you!!). It's not a major draw beyond that.

It looks like your hotel is around 15th Street. That's pretty walkable for the boardwalk area. I don't know if you'll be able to hit all the restaurants. OC goes up 120 streets so if you find a good place in North OC then you'd have to drive.

I don't really have any recommendations--I haven't gone and stayed in OC for several years and things change so much that I'm out of the loop. Last year I went to Rehobeth Beach instead and LOVED it along with all the great, unique restaurants there. That's about a 45 minute drive from OC if you felt like exploring.

 

[rottiemom]

We went to Ocean City for the first time last summer and loved it so much we went back in the fall. We stayed right on the ocean and it was bliss, about 7 blocks north of the boardwalk. We would get up at 5AM and go walking on the beach as the sun came up, there would be handfuls of people doing the same looking for shells, righting horse shoe crabs, etc.
Go to Fractured Prune for fresh, hot donuts. There's one on the boardwalk but there are a few others scattered around.
We heard that Thrasher's Fries were legendary but we never made it there. There is a local liquor store, Anthony's, that makes the most amazing sandwiches. We joked about getting lunch from the liquor store every day but the sandwiches were that good. Assateague Island is a quick drive away with it's wild horses and salt marshes. Go early in the morning because it gets really hot.
Shotti's Point, next to the K Coast Surf Shop, was very good, laid back bar food with a quirky menu. There are also Crab restaurants a plenty (including Phillips) if that's your thing.
Have a great time. I found the area to be very walkable and it's only a couple of blocks from ocean to bay. The beaches are clean and well maintained.

 

[mikehn]

Even in September, go during the week if you can. And yes, Anthonys subs are amazing. Like $14 for a footlong but worth every cent.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

I am planning a trip in September that will include a couple of days in Ocean City MD. It will just be my husband and I. We have never been and looking for some advice.

I booked the Courtyard by Marriott hotel because I could use points for the stay and because the location looked good. We like to park at the hotel and be able to walk everywhere (beach, boardwalk, restaurants). Is this a good location?

The dates we will be there coincide with Sunfest. Is this good or bad? I mean will it be too crowded?

Also looking for recommendations on activities besides the beach (mini golf etc) and restaurants. We tend to like more pub/tavern style but will take any recommendations.

Thanks!

I highly recommend driving a couple miles south to Assateague National Park right on the ocean where you can see wild ponies and beach area in more of it's natural state. Magical place. We like the National Seashore side.

 

[Lady Gaga]

Weather should be much cooler in September and the crowds for Sunfest are not overwhelming!

I love to have breakfast at the Bayside Skillet! Everything is incredibly delicious there!
Like another post, I also rise around 5 am to walk down to the ocean to photograph the rising sun.

We've done parasailing and rented jet skis. There's also a turbo boat that you can ride and you can also do a Nautical Boat Tour that takes you to see the wild horses.

Thrasher's Fries on the Boardwalk are very yummy.
The Crab Bag is a good place to eat.

My true happy place is at Assateague! Great sunset in the bay and I love to watch and photograph the wild horses. (Lots of new babies this year!)
We build a fire on the beach at night and cook hotdogs and marshmallows.

There's a casual barbecue restaurant on the way to Assaateague, Smokers BBQ Pit, that is fantastic.

If you go over to Berlin - it's a quaint little town with shops and Drummer's Cafe at the Atlantic Hotel has good food.
Burley Oak Brewery, also in Berlin, is a good place, too.

 

[china mom]

If you plan on indulging in adult beverages and don't want to drive, there is a bus that runs from the inlet all the way to the Delaware line. Its only a few bucks and your ticket is good from midnight to midnight. I'm not sure what the fall schedule is like but in the summer, there is a bus every few minutes.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

You are on 15th street? You are right in the middle of the boardwalk so that's great. I do the same thing, I hate driving on vacation so I go to a place and park the car and then I don't want to drive again until it's time to go home. Generally the further up the boardwalk you go, the less crowded the beach and boardwalk are. We don't have any must-see stuff there, we go for the beach! We plop ourselves in the sand under a big umbrella and sit there and listen to the waves and that's all I need from a beach vacation. I agree with others that Assateague is gorgeous and worth the drive.

 

[mrodgers]

We heard that Thrasher's Fries were legendary but we never made it there.

After our Disney trip as a first family vacation, years ago, my wife said it's sad summer is almost over once late August came around and joked about going to the beach because she had 4 days off the next weekend. So I got back from work on Monday and told her to have her and the girls all packed up to leave on Thursday.

I let her know that I hadn't been to the beach since I was 15, so she won't see me. I'll be in the water and because I haven't been to Ocean City since I was 13, I will be coming out of the water at noon to walk down and get Thrasher's French Fries for lunch. Back in the water and I'll come out of the water at 5 to walk down and get Thrasher's French Fries for dinner. I did exactly that, for 3 days, LOL.

You missed out if you didn't get a chance to have Thrasher's. It's my number 1 thing when someone asks about Ocean City, make sure you go get some Thrasher's French Fries on the boardwalk.

 

[RedAngie]

Be sure to ask for Thrasher’s special ketchup with their fries.

 

[Beach Bunny]

Be sure to ask for Thrasher’s special ketchup with their fries.

You have to get 2 buckets. 1 for you and 1 for the gulls
Love OC Maryland. Vacationed there for years when the kids were young. Always a good time going over to Assateague island to see the ponies. For adult entertainment, always had a great time at Seacrets and The Big Kahuna.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Sidebar, there are a few things you might want to know about driving there which might not add to the fun but will prevent fun from being ruined. First, if it says the speed limit is 20 MPH then do that, if you go 21 MPH there is an excellent chance you will get a ticket so heads up for all the speed traps where the MPH suddenly drops THROUGHOUT the entire region. Second, if there is a no parking sign then do not pause there find a parking lot. Third, most of the people down there rent with VBRO so traffic in and out on the weekends after is a nightmare, if you can travel mid week far away from day trip beach traffic you might want to do that. Finally, there is a bus that runs up and down the strip which sort of turns into an amusing party bus in the evenings. Pre-Covid the bus was the thing to do to avoid the strip traffic, nowadays I would probably just rent precisely where I wanted to be but since I'm live & let live I'm putting it out there. The closer to the Boardwalk (lower the cross street number) you go the rowdier the area will tend be, this is THE PLACE to spend high school senior week from all over and with last year a wash this might be a summer long party, families I know tend to stay up towards 100's so choose based on whatever you are into.

Oh, and Seacrets is a lot of fun IMO, with lots of outdoor options for the skittish so that's my fun contribution

 

[easyas123]

so traffic in and out on the weekends after is a nightmare

I'll add that Thursdays are now considered part of the 'weekend' in terms of traffic.

 

[CookieCrumbles]

My friends and I enjoyed dining at Macky's.

 

[mickeydotcom]

I'm leaving for OC Saturday! We love it there. I have stayed at the Marriott you have reservations for. It was clean and up to date. The Boardwalk is like most Boardwalks, an eclectic mix of all kinds of interesting people. I say that in the most positive way! It would be a shame if we were all alike! Enjoy OC. Get Fisher's Popcorn, Thrasher's Fries, and ice cream (I love DQ-I know, don't judge!) I hope you come to love this little treasure we have here in MD!

 

[kylekatemom]

We have stayed in OCMD several times as we have family in the area. Your hotel is close to the action. Lots of restaurants and activities within walking distance. All the above posts give excellent recommendations for food. Have fun!