I have only been to the beach at Ocean City MD, I was wondering if there is a nicer ( cheaper and closer to Cburg) beach then OC? I seen someone posted a few yesterday.


Thanks in advance.

The nicest beaches are all further away. IMO nothing worth what you pay for it until you hit Hatteras Island. Though admittedly OC, MD is awfully filthy and expensive so it's not hard to beat it - just about anywhere else you go will be better.

Heading to Myrtle beach this Saturday!!!! OC is a s**t hole! If you want something within 4 or 5 hours id try bethany or Jersey shore. If you want to go somewhere nice you have to at least go to Outer banks

I don't think you'll find anything cheaper. If you're taking kids Bethany and Ocean City, NJ are nice. IF you like to party and go to nice restaurants Rehoboth - Dewey is OK. Cape May and Cape May Point are interesting for the Victorian architecture.

Alright, this is a little further away, but since its about beaches... my two favorite beaches are Daytona and Cocoa Beach. I'll never forget going to Daytona for spring break for the first time when I lived in FL... it was quite literally a jaw dropping experience that I will never forget. Oh and the beach was nice too. At night, it was just crazy in so many ways. No words can explain it.

Cocoa Beach was much less crowded and more mellowed out. Not as much night life, but that was the nice thing about it... it was a good spot for a quiet, romantic getaway. If you see a black Wrangler around town with a RonJon sticker on it, its me.



I haven't been to any beaches outside of FL, MD and DE though I've driven through Myrtle Beach.

In general, I like the Outer Banks, but it's a hefty drive.

We don't fool with OC either. when the hubby's mother lived in Bethany,we did the boardwalk once and that was enough! We're doing Fenwick this time. Got a great deal on a first floor room,1 block from the beach for only $107 p.nite. thats pretty good for peak season. we get up so early that we plan on going for breakfast,then come back,go to the beach till the early afternoon,and then go back and get cleaned up and hit the road for some things to get into. theres a shipwreck museum thats peaked the hubby's intrest. And I came across an ad for a store in Lewes that carry small telescopes for the hubby's ren faire getup I also thought that maybe we could go to Bethany beach one morning although those two beaches are pretty much the same thing I have some links for web sites. Let me look for them.

http://www.beach-net.com/beachnetboard//mo...ewforum&f=1

hope that works. theres a message board for the beaches and also some links for web cams at the beaches. it's fun to look at them and see how crowded it gets during the day

Fixed.

So I've heard but it is only for a weekend trip so more then 4 hours worth of driving is hardly worth it to me for 1 whole day.

I've always like Virginia Beach the best, instead of the MD/DEL beaches. It doesn't take that much longer to get there, and has always been a lot nicer. You may want to check it out Wrangler

I like OC, but that's because I'm drunk almost the entire time I'm there and it doesn't matter what it looks like. I like going there about a month before the summer season starts because there aren't any people there but the all the hotels are open.

Thanks for the help all. You have been alot of help.

Oh for pity's sake, Ocean City and the surrounding beaches aren't that bad. Sure, other places can be better, but in my case, beggars can't be choosers.

It's not like you run the risk of stepping on a used needle on the beach. Hell, I love Myrtle Beach the best, but we were all called out of the water once so that they could pull an old, rusty coke machine out.

I can't say whether OC is dirty or not... Just in my early twenties I discovered VA Beach and it seemed a lot nicer.

I haven't been to OC since high school. We camped out and partied all weekend. Ahh, good times!

I have all our stays at the beach on video... pretty wild stuff!

One of the guys staying with us stopped this chick from stripping once. Too bad, maybe she could've seen herself online.

So are most of the other people there. That's the problem. For anyone who's actually gotten PAST puberty, there are nicer places to go. Nearby, you have Bethany and Rehobeth which are both much nicer than OC Maryland.

Assateague is really nice. I actually witness a pony giving birth in the middle of the road there...she picked the darndest spot!

www.bethanycam.com

www.oceancitycam.com


oc is always crowded!

I thought Assateague was plagued by biting flies. Have they finally actually managed to get rid of them? If not, I wouldn't even consider it.

Haven't been there in a few years, but it's the horseflies that occasionally will get ya. I wouldn't call it a plague.

I guess to answer Wrangler's question, it all depends on what he's looking for. For a party time, OC seems to be the place to go (I've also heard that Dewey is wild.) For family time VA Beach, Bethany or Rehobeth. For a more nature oriented beach stay, Assagteague is great.

My girlfriend, her 2 daughters (7 and 11) and I are going. for a weekend (of course the weekend of the funny money concert ). Not sure what we will get into. Neither one of us has been to ocean city in years (14 years for me).

I think the girls will like OC. Big boardwalk, lots of shops, carnival rides, boys, boys, boys! Could they ask for more?? (well, of course they will!! Always need lots of money too!) Have fun. My kids always hated going to Outer Banks or Rehoboth. Too booorrrring.

Personally, I love Rehoboth and Bethany. So quaint and small townish. Reminds me of Cape Cod. People have beautiful older homes and lush gardens. Such a treat to see by the beach.

Yes, the girls will definitely love OC's boardwalk!

Hated the flies at Assateague 2 years ago. Most recently went to VA Beach over Mem Day weekend. Nice little aquarium just beyond the south end of the strip and plenty of good restaurants. Thought the hotels were totally overpriced, and we ended up staying inland in downtown Norfolk our last night. Since we were there for our daughter's soccer tournament, we spent most of our time at the field and not the beach. If you like pizza, I suggest Pi around 30th and Atlantic. Went parasailing, but it was cloudy and not all that I thought it would be. An experience yes, but not worth repeating and daughter felt the same way.

We're going to OC this summer for a long weekend. It'll be me, DH, two single male friends, plus one single dad with his two kids (age 11 & 15). Definitely OC was the place to be for us, so the kids have plenty to do. Aside from the Boardwalk, there's tons of arcades, mini-golf places, movie theaters, etc. Lots for kids and families. Not to mention, with such a large group and for such a short time, it was better to opt for the shorter driving time.

And for our single male friends, we figure OC will provide them with plenty of eye candy.

As for me and DH, it'll be long romantic walks on the beach, and any beach would do for that. LOL

A few pointers to keep in mind if you're going to the beach to party and hit the bars:

1. Delaware bars close at 1 a.m., Maryland bars close at 2 a.m.
2. For those who like to smoke, or those who prefer no smoke at all, DE bars and restaurants do not allow smoking inside.
3. Bethany Beach's "nightlife" is slim to none. However, for a family trip to the beach, it is nice.
4. If you like live music, I suggest checking out the Bottle and Cork in Dewey Beach, DE.
5. If you are a beer connoisseur, I highly recommend Dogfish Head brewery in Rehoboth beach. They brew their own beer and it's good stuff!

If there's any way to change your plans, you would all like Rehoboth Beach much better. It has a boardwalk too but not so many bars with drunks spilling out of them. OC Maryland is not for families.

P.S. An article in today's Balt Sun noted that Maryland's beaches are rated the 10th worst in the nation in terms of water quality-related closures.

Yeah... and here's some lovely news about the bay:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6080201990.html

My favorite line: "But the water is so dirty that public health officials warn people who swim in it to wash with soap afterward and to avoid entering the water with an open wound."

Food for thought for you folks who like the eat fish out of it... ewwwwww....

Well OC is where we are going. Is there any must do's and places that are must eat at?




If people were dropping dead all over the place or everyone was sick there then I might worry what the media said.

This is a ritual we have..... nothing expensive. We all love Boardwalk fries and Alaska stand for their hot dogs. They split 'em and fry 'em on the grill, along with the buns. Mmmmm, good. Then, I always have to get Dolly carmel corn. Life's simple pleasures.

Boardwalk fries
Bull on the Beach sandwiches
Dolly's carmel corn

You all are making me hungry!! LOL

Some people HAVE to get popcorn from this stand on the boardwalk. I don't really understand. It's just popcorn. Others HAVE to get salt water taffy. I don't see what the big deal is about taffy either. It sticks to your teeth!

Everyone raves about boardwalk fries. I like them, but they're still just french fries. The amusement park at the end of the boardwalk is fun. You could take the kiddie winks on some rides and win the girlfriend a teddy bear.

There's miniature golf, go-carts, you can buy some junk at the shops on the boardwalk. They have jet ski rentals, parasailing and rides on the rocketship boat. I see a lot of people rent bicycles and ride the boardwalk.

Closer to the end of the boardwalk this guy makes sculptures in the sand of stuff from the Bible. They point lights at it so that you can see it at night to distract your kids from the drunks stumbling around.

I don't know how old the kids are, but there is playground equipment set up in the sand at certain points along the boardwalk for the kids to monkey around on.

Keep a watch out for Jaws. Have fun.

by boardwalk fries I assume you're talking about Thrasher's?

Thrasher's fries aren't just fries.. they're heaven on earth!

Whatever those ones are that come in a cup and are golden brown.

Thrasher's fries are indeed a MUST. Heck, nowadays they're franchised because so many people love 'em.

Do eat at Phillip's, assuming they're still there.

Don't stay after dark - or if you do, watch yourself and your family, and keep to well-lit areas.

Don't stay after dark? Why? What has happened in O.C. to make you say that? Did you have a bad personal experience that happened there? Did I miss something in the news? I've never felt in danger while being there. I think if there were a danger, not so many families would go there.

Many don't. Mostly drunk and high teenagers stay there. If families don't want to drive much further away to get to truer "family" locales, they stay in Bethany or Rehoboth Beaches, which are reasonable.

Yeah, Yoss,

Thrashers! That's the name. They were maybe the first that made fries out of real potatoes and cooked in peanut oil. I remember wating in lines, sooo long, because we knew we could never get them back home.
You can get fries like that, now, in alot of places. But, Thashers is a tradition!

Heather,

The reason I gotta have Dolly's carmel corn is because they make it right there. And you can get a box while the carmel is still hot and sticky!! Yum!

I wonder if Wolfie's Pizza is still there? They used to have the best pizza!

Thrashers lines are still long. I was in OC in early June, and the line was crazy. Whacked.

Definitely check out the Jesus sand sculptures. Worth it even for the non-Christians, because they're very cool to look at.

Lots of folks like to take the kiddies to Jolly Rogers, which is a mini-golf amusement center type place. Never been there, but it's popular.

You might want to take an afternoon and go crabbing off the bay if you have kids. Kinda fun if you're into that kind of thing.

Kites are a big thing, too, if the weather's right. Fun for kiddies.

If you're looking for some nightclubs, Seacrets is one of the big ones. It's huge, right on the water, with a lot of sand area and outdoor bands, etc. Fun for the partying types.

Seacrets, is the night life place to goto. I always get a dirty Bananna drink there.
A good place to eat is Coins it`s in a little shopping mall on28th st. acrossand down one block from Jona and the Whail. Happy hour meals 1/2 price.prime rib $6.95 steam shrimp $4.00. It has a bar and resturant.
Resturant is off to the side familys welcome. We go to that place when we golf in O.C in April.

BMIC-

I can't believe that you would send someone to Rehobeth Beach, family atmosphere? I mean with your religous, right wing ideas how can you even stand to be in that town? Just incase you have never noticed look around next time you are there. You are the only heterosexual person around. I am not saying anything is wrong with this at all but I have read many of your post and can't imagine you feeling comfortable there.

Sorry hago, I haven't been there in a very long time. I had no idea it had been taken over by homosexuals. Odd that you're the first person to mention it, but I'll have to profess I don't have recent knowledge of the place. It will be interesting to hear from others if they can corroborate what you say. All I know is that it always USED TO be a very nice family-oriented beach. Much nicer than OC MD. I guess maybe that's changed.

Though actually I would probably prefer a gay growd to a bunch of drunk and/or stoned bikers. Most homosexuals I know are generally nice people and generally well-behaved, except for their chosen perversion of course.

yup, i've heard what hagopinion said for years. Rehobeth got the rep a long time ago, maybe 10-15 yrs at least, as a place that caters to the gay/lesbian crowd.

But I've also heard that the resort is still a safe and friendly place to be. Except maybe during biker week...

I would say that yes, Rehoboth does cater to the gay/lesbian community. However, I would in no way say it has been "taken over" by gays and lesbians. There are still many families that vacation there and plenty of family oriented activities available.

You know what that means.............Good Restaurants!

I've heard it's gay-friendly. Vacationed there in my younger days with the family, and would agree that it's very family-oriented and family-friendly.

That's probably why homo-phobes don't even realize it's gay-friendly.

We know we're going up to Rehobeth. theres a store there we want to take a look at,and then theres the Dog Fish Head Brewery.
Years ago when we went there,we ordered some food at an Italian place,went next door to a nice Pub,had a few and then picked up dinner and went back down to Indian River to the beach and had supper. Nice and quiet and just the two of us.

I'll be in OC in Sept. I'll let you guys know if there's a lot of drunken partying going on.