More Than Just a Tourist Town: Ocean City
Ocean City Maryland is famous for fairs, amusement parks, and summertime excitement during the peak tourist season. However, the city is much more than a tourist trap: it warrants a visit year-round. For over one and a half centuries, millions of people have visited Ocean City to leave their busy lives for a while, enjoy the cool ocean breeze, and relax. The beach is perfect for relaxing in a reclining chair, and you can spend the evening enjoying Ocean City's top-notch food scene.
01 Stroll the Ocean City boardwalk
The fairs and amusement parks are one of the most famous features of Ocean City, and the boardwalk is the heart of it all. During the summer, the boardwalk is a bustling center of people having a great time and enjoying life. If you look inland, you’ll see carousels, Ferris wheels, and dozens of shops. In the other direction, the Atlantic stretches off endlessly. If you visit during the offseason, you’ll feel a much more relaxed atmosphere as you stroll the centuries-old storefronts.
02 Visit Northside Park
Northside Park is home to one of the nicest beaches on the Ocean City coastline. During the summer, the sight of the sunlight dancing across the ocean and the feeling of soft sand underfoot are unbeatable. The view of the city in the background is stunning, too. All sorts of coastal wildlife make the park their home, particularly migratory seabirds moving North and South with the seasons. During the holidays, you can visit Northside Park to watch an amazing light show.
03 Explore the Ocean City Life-Saving Museum
This museum is dedicated to the men, women, and equipment used to save lives off the coast of Maryland. Besides historic boats and testimonials about lifeguards who risked their lives to save others, there are old surfboards, dollhouse replicas of buildings around Ocean City, and all sorts of living marine animals kept in tanks. If you have children, they’ll love exploring the museum during a scavenger hunt.
04 Learn all about the bewildering attractions at Ripley’s Believe it or Not
The Ocean City Odditorium is home to hundreds of unique, quirky, and weird attractions. Among the attractions are things like a piece of the Berlin Wall, a wax recreation of the largest man in history, and a model of the largest shark ever caught with a rod. If you’re fond of the bizarre, amazing, and unbelievable, this museum is for you.
05 Rent a jet ski
If you’re a fan of watersports, Odyssea Watersports should be high on your list of destinations. The company rents out kayaks and jet skis, plus it offers to take high-quality photos that’ll make you the envy of your social media followers. Is there a better way to spend a warm, sunny day than gliding across the ocean?
06 Design-a-Donut at Fractured Prune
You can have great donuts anywhere, but can you have a great donut tailor-made anywhere? Fractured Prune has the unique appeal of allowing you to combine all kinds of dough, filling, glazes, and toppings to create a unique gourmet donut. Mix and match classics like maple and blueberry glaze with unconventional toppings like cookie crumbs and crumbled bacon. You might end up inventing some new, sensational sort of donut while you're at it.
07 Tour the historic Atlantic Hotel
Before Ocean City was a thriving coastal city, one lone resort started it all: the Atlantic Hotel. The lobby is beautifully furnished in the style of the 19th-century and bears visiting as a historic site. Even if you don’t book a stay there, you’re welcome to check out the second-floor balcony and enjoy the view of the city.
08 Visit the Whispering Giant of Maryland
The Trail of Whispering Giants is a series of sculptures across North America that pay homage to Native American culture and history. In Ocean City, Maryland, you can find one of the Whispering Giants. The wood carving, the Assateague Indian, depicts a grief-stricken chief with tear-grooves running down the right side of his face. It’s a powerful monument to all that’s been lost with the passage of time, and it deserves a spot on your itinerary.
09 Go fishing on the Atlantic without a boat
Most piers in Ocean City reach into the bay. However, there’s one that goes into the Atlantic ocean. The Atlantic pier is easily the best spot to go fishing in the city. You can hope to catch Atlantic Sturgeon, Rainbow Trout, and many other prized catches. If you’re an aspiring or professional photographer, you need to pay The Pier a visit, too. The panorama view of the city, the coast, and the ocean will leave you breathless and inspire countless amazing photos.
10 Take the Ocean City Foodie Tour
If you love to eat good food and immerse yourself in a destination, the Ocean City Foodie Tour is for you. It’s about three hours long and takes a leisurely pace through several iconic local restaurants. There are several tours, tailored for a variety of tastes and flavors. Along the way, the guides will tell you all about the growth of the Ocean City food scene and all the places in town that the locals love. As far as food goes, you'll be full by the end of the tour. You'll certainly crave more adventure, but hopefully, you have enough extra travel days to satiate that craving.
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