Toward the end of the year, we’re started thinking about what kinds of memories people like to take with them from the beach. Certainly, sandy sun-kissed ones are the best bolstered by pleasant memories of briny hair and coconut oil and tan lines. Sun rises and sets come in a close second followed by barhopping, boating, and eating steamed crabs by the score. But what I’ve found as I’ve started sharing more of these photos on Instagram, and interacting with our Facebook followers on Facebook Live is that beyond the instances of Ocean City, it is the fact of Ocean City, the idea of it that keeps people interested. You guys like to look at it year-round, even when the weather isn’t fair, because it holds the promise of summer, or of getting away any time, in a way that is easy to miss once you’ve gone. So, as promised here are 6 Ocean City looks before the year comes to a close.
The winter always brings a brisk wind off the ocean that keeps the flags snapping, ensuring that even in the very quiet, you remember that they’re there.Ducks swim wit impunity in Ocean City during the wintertime, as if they have the place to themselves, just as may we all.The Boardwalk has a wintertime symmetry that is so attractive. As I watched both the Jogger and the truck got up to their maximum safe speed as they headed along the boards, eventually pacing one another.
It’s still quiet on the beach, which is not ever a problem when you’re looking for a little solitude, but there’s also plenty of work to be done to get the town ready for the summertime when people come to see the same old new Ocean City.It was the kind of absolutely quiet day where I was pretty easy to track along the beach. One person went to the water’s edge and one person returned (feeling a little lighter for the fresh air). Here’s to a lot of trips to the beach in the New Year!The sun sets fast in the winter, but provides plenty of opportunity for some close-ups of the tiny shells left by the tide. There’s something particularly beach-wintery about long shadows from small shells.
Tony Russo has worked as a print and digital journalist for the better part of the 21st century, writing for and editing regional weeklies and dailies before joining the team that produces OceanCity.com and ShoreCraftBeer.com among other destination websites. In addition to having documented everything from zoning changes to art movements on the Delmarva Peninsula, Tony has written two books on beer for the History Press. Eastern Shore Beer was published in 2014 and Delaware Beer in 2016. He lives in Delmar, Md. with his wife Kelly and the only of his four daughters who hasn't moved out. Together they keep their two dogs comfortable.
