tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog/292 2008-09-02T04:17:32Z A look at the entertainment and nightlife in and around Ocean City Movable Type 3.36 tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.124472 2008-09-01T15:38:25Z 2008-09-02T04:17:32Z

I can't believe it's over. The surf, the sand and the sun are gone until next Memorial Day. This summer, we lost Crabman's, one of the best seafood joints, but we also gained On the Bay Seafood, a suitable replacement....

Peter Arrabal lost Crabman's, one of the best seafood joints, but we also gained On the Bay Seafood, a suitable replacement. We took you to Ocean City's first ever air show, and a sequel is planned for next summer. We listed rainy beach day activities and got seasick on the Morning Star. We tried to explain coastal upwellings and cold water, but that probably went over most people's heads. We downed some donuts and gained some weight. And who can forget the irritating beach habits? Sand-throwing little kids, seagull-feeding fools, oversized people in undersized suits and more made the list of things never to do on the beach. Readers spoke out loudly about pizza at the beach and shared memories about the top five things that are gone from OC. When August hit, Ocean City was invaded by grasshoppers and the White Marlin Open brought tons of fish and millions of dollars to the docks. As the summer season ends, autumn blossoms. Life slows down and the nights are quieter in Ocean City. But there are still plenty of things to do. The loudest event in the fall is Bike Week from Sept. 11-14. Nearly 100,000 motorcycle enthusiasts will fill Delmarva and roar down Coastal Highway all week. It's loud, it's fun and it's a very different experience from normal summer activities. The most obvious fall event is Sunfest, which starts Sept. 18 and ends Sept. 21. This year's lineup features country's Rodney Atkins and the 1960s group The Commodores. Tents fill the inlet parking lot and thousands of people wander the stands and musical shows. For the fishermen, late September, October and November are the best times to catch some big fish in the ocean. Red drum, striped bass (rockfish), bluefish, seabass and tautog are available in good numbers right off the coast. If you like seeing pumpkins flying through the air, check out Delaware's Punkin' Chunkin' contest on Oct. 31 in Millsboro. Winterfest makes November and December interesting, as lighted displays fill Northside Park and the inlet parking lot from mid-November through the new year. Take a ride through, or risk missing out on the uniqueness that is the Eastern Shore winter. Life is slower, traffic lighter and people are friendlier in the winter. The Beach LIfe isn't just lived in the summer, it extends through the whole year, just in different forms. Eastern Shore weather is unpredictable and usually exciting, so keep an eye out for Nor'easters and hurricanes. I have enjoyed bringing you a look at life at the beach and I've had a lot of fun doing it. I hope you learned some new things to do that were better and bigger than Seacrets and Thrashers. Come back next time; you're always welcome for another visit to The Beach Life]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.124036 2008-08-29T05:46:13Z 2008-08-29T11:56:19Z

On the long shot that you make it through the Bay Bridge traffic and diversion, make the best of this weekend, as it is the official end of summer in Ocean City. If the kids aren't back in school, they...

Peter Arrabal MTA will run an extra six trips across the bridge in an effort to reduce congestion starting Tuesday. For your convenience, here's a Google map to get you from Baltimore to OC without taking the Bay Bridge. Taking the roundabout way through northern Delaware is an option, and there are a number of cool places to stop along the way. Just one of them is Helen's Famous Sausages (4866 N Du Pont Highway for those with GPS devices) in Blackbird, Del. It's right along Route 13 as you come through northern Delaware. Once you get across the bridge and into Ocean City, it's time to rock with Separate Ways, the Ultimate Journey Tribute Show. Don't stop believin' that this will be an awesome show, and welcome the imitation rockers with open arms. The concert will be held Sunday at North Division Street on the boardwalk. Saturday's concert is Dr. K's Motown Revue, but that doesn't sound nearly as fun as a Journey tribute. No, wait, the ULTIMATE Journey tribute. Definitely more fun than motown. You should also check out Ocean Downs this weekend, and place some bets before it loses its charm when slot machines are installed. Just off Route 50 on Racetrack Road, Ocean Downs is one of the only places you can watch harness racing in the mid Atlantic area. It's thrilling, and a few $2 bets can make the night cheap and fun. With the uncertainty surrounding slots, racetracks and gambling, take advantage of the charming little track just west of Ocean City before it evolves into something new and unusual. It wouldn't be a summer-ending weekend without a crab feast. The poorly named On the Bay Seafood (it's on the ocean side of Coastal Highway at 40th Street) has the best steamed crabs in all of Ocean City. There's really no contest here. Every other establishment has served me sub-par steamed crabs at some point this summer, except for On the Bay. They are heavy, full, and always cooked when you order them. They don't play those pre-steaming shenanigans that a lot of restaurants do, so the crustaceans are always hot and fresh. Grab some corn, some brown paper, a roll of masking tape and half a bushel of crabs, and enjoy the farewell to summer. Sing along with a Journey knockoff, and put off the traffic-laced trip back home. Don't let go of summer, and she won't let go of you.]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.123753 2008-08-28T06:09:34Z 2008-08-28T15:08:06Z

Red dots from laser pointers once danced across the boardwalk, while hermit crabs crawled up cages in hotel rooms. Today, anoles scurry around plastic cages and mopeds zip up the highway. In just the past few years, Ocean City has...

Peter Arrabal Bonus strange law: Above the third floor of new buildings, railings on porches have to be specially designed so that the rails are in a certain pattern. There are two arguments to this change, one involving keeping toddlers from falling off, and the other to help people who suffer from vertigo. Even stranger: Mayor Rick Meehan, a realtor in the area, is afflicted by vertigo, and approved the building code change.]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.123464 2008-08-27T06:35:24Z 2008-08-27T21:09:09Z

There are awkward, uncomfortable nights at bars. Latin Night at Fish Tales in May was one of them. Reggae Night at Castaways (64th Street) was another, and probably the most fun awkward night of the summer. Unlike the Fish Tales...

Peter Arrabal There are awkward, uncomfortable nights at bars. Latin Night at Fish Tales in May was one of them. Reggae Night at Castaways (64th Street) was another, and probably the most fun awkward night of the summer. Unlike the Fish Tales experience, Castaways was fun and exciting, despite the complete lack of rhythm exhibited by me and my group. The Zion Reggae Band took the stage after about an hour of DJ-led Caribbean dance music. Every other week in August, Zion and S.T.O.R.M traded off Thursday night appearances. The show was excellent and the venue is decent. Castaways has a number of bars surrounding an indoor dance floor and outdoor seating on their deck. Rainy nights are not good nights if there's a crowd. The drink prices left a lot to be desired, as they were significantly higher than most special nights around town. It wasn't outrageous, but it certainly made me cringe every time I handed over another couple of bills to the bartender. Tuesday night is another thrilling night at Castaways, as they have their deck party on the outdoor area. Prices are better on Tuesdays, as they extend their Happy Hour until closing. During the day, Castaways is an awesome restaurant owned by the same people that run the Dough Roller franchises. The dinner menu is filled with quality food at decent prices. Don't worry about your lack of rhythm. Less than 25 percent of the patrons at Castaways can actually dance to the music, so you'll fit right in. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.123138 2008-08-26T12:16:08Z 2008-08-27T21:35:29Z

Peter Arrabal Surf lessons. I tried to book surf lessons advertised for $40 an hour, but that was a group rate and I was quoted $135 for an individual lesson. I'm sure they were quality lessons, but that's not quite in the budget. This was with an independent instructor, but I've heard many good things about the surf shops' lessons. K-Coast (35th Street) charges $100 for the first lesson and offers 40 percent off beyond that. Malibu's (8th Street) offers surf lessons, but they price it individually. • Sling Shot. Despite my irrational fear of heights, I would have loved to shoot a hundred feet in the air at ridiculous speeds. The Sling Shot is part of the revolution of rides on the boardwalk and is a definite must-do attraction. • Shorebirds game. I really wish I could get to Nick Markakis bobblehead giveaway night, but it's not in the cards for me. I love Shorebirds games. It is great to watch the young Orioles talent develop and rise through the minor league system. The tickets are cheap and the entertainment between innings is always hilarious. Just wait for the mascot to ride by and get hit by a bucket of water from the bullpen. One of my most memorable moments at a Shorebirds game was when I realized for the first time that I was older than professional baseball player, which, along with a billion other young kids, was what I always dreamed about becoming. • Offshore big-game fishing. My seasickness aside, deep-sea fishing is what makes Ocean City unique on the Maryland coast. I like to try to get out once a year for some tuna and dolphin, but fuel prices crushed that idea. The charter captains suffered from slow business this year, despite the spectacular catches of bluefin tuna. • Water taxi ride. I really wish I had been able to do this one. I saw one of the water taxis pull up to the docks almost every night I spent at a waterfront bar. They offer bar-hopping trips, which would probably be a lot more fun for those who don't get queasy on the sea. There are other things I regret missing out on, like going to the biker bar across from White Marlin Marina on Dorchester Street, but that one was because I wouldn't have fit in ... at all. I managed to spend the entire summer with only one visit to Seacrets, and that was just to see what went on at Jamaica U.S.A. As I scan the summer checklist, I see so much completed, and so much left empty. With only a few more days left with this blog, it struck me that slightly more than three months of summer is never enough to accomplish all of one's goals. I'm not unhappy with what I missed doing, but I wish I could add another day, week, month or year to the summer. I think the feeling extends to everyone who lives The Beach Life.]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.122811 2008-08-25T05:21:06Z 2008-08-25T15:14:59Z

I'm not going to pretend I like golf. In fact, I wholly subscribe to Mark Twain's "Golf is a good walk, ruined." However, I've gotten some e-mails asking me about golf courses in Ocean City, and the town spends many...

Peter Arrabal OceanCityGolf.com, the "greater" OC area has 17 golf courses. That includes most of the greens and fairways on all of Delmarva. Many of the courses on Delmarva have phenomenal views of the back bays, which is a unique bonus. Eagle's Landing, Golf Digest's seventh-best course in Maryland, is one of the most popular public golf courses in the area. It's about two miles south of Route 50 on Stephen Decatur Road (Route 611) and offers a spectacular view of the Sinepuxent Bay and the Assateague Island National Seashore. The Links at Lighthouse Sound is another famous course in OC. Golf Digest named it a top 10 public course in the country, and put it on its top five list for Maryland. It is on the west side of Ocean City and has a great view of the skyline and the Assawoman Bay. Here's an interesting fact: Lighthouse Sound has the longest cart bridge in the country, taking golfers from the mainland to the marsh-side holes. Thomas Ruark Inc. developed Lighthouse Sound as well as the courses at the Glen Riddle Golf Club, Rum Pointe and Beach Club Golf Links golf clubs, and the Nutters Crossing Golf Club in Salisbury. The Ocean City Golf Club is one of the older clubs in town, and is about four miles more down Route 611 from Eagle's Landing. There are two courses at the club and both have gotten great reviews. Since I'm not the most qualified golf reviewer in town, someone else drop a comment about what the best OC golf courses are. What did I miss? On the other hand, ask me about mini-golf, and I can tell you anything you want.]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.122348 2008-08-22T12:43:05Z 2008-08-22T15:14:11Z

Who would have thought that there was only one more summer weekend left after this one? Labor Day is just over a week away, and we still have things to accomplish this summer! It's the time of year when...

Peter Arrabal Who would have thought that there was only one more summer weekend left after this one? Labor Day is just over a week away, and we still have things to accomplish this summer! It's the time of year when shop owners and food servers start to get a little short tempered and less willing to put up with guff from customers. Have some patience, and understand that it is a very difficult job to deal with a clientele that will rarely have more than one pass at the store, especially when those people think the world owes them a vacation at the expense of the locals. Before Labor Day puts the summer to bed and wakes up autumn, spend the weekend tying up loose ends and topping off that summertime list of goals. • Ride more rides. Hit up Trimper's, Jolly Roger (both the one on the amusement pier and the 30th Street one), and maybe even venture north to Rehoboth Beach, where the rides are dirt cheap. With an uncertain tax situation, Trimper's and Jolly Roger may be drastically different next year. Get on 'em while they're still around. • Spend an hour in Ocean Gallery. On Second Street, there is a lovely shop that is very famous for its beautiful artwork and ridiculous television commercials. Ocean Gallery is full of awesome and amazing paintings, photographs and more, but they also have a huge assortment of crazy posters and framed drawings as well. Spend an hour or four digging through the stacks of art and find something that you'll either love or laugh at for the next few years. • Catch an Atlantic sunrise and an Assawoman sunset. Be up early in the morning and catch a glimpse of the first few rays of the sun appearing over the eastern horizon. Sit in the sand and enjoy the peacefulness of dawn as the surfers and fishermen start their days. When the sun is ready to go away for the evening, head west and find some place on the bay to watch the orb disappear behind the distant trees. • Watch the Assateague ponies. Mystery surrounds the origin of the ponies on Assateague, but there's no questioning how cool it is to have wild horses roaming a small barrier island. Take a trip to Assateauge Island and bike, walk or drive through the National Park. If you value your fingertips, don't feed the ponies -- they bite -- and don't get too close to their powerful kicks. Take a photo (since I don't have one) and come back and share with us. • No more excuses, just do it. Whether you wanted to ride all the rides, or hop to all the bars, don't have any regrets after this weekend. It's been a long, beautiful summer, and it's time to wind it down in style. Hit up Fish Tales and Pepper's, visit the marina bars, have a drink with the locals at Buxy's, or take that surfing lesson you've been meaning to. In eight days, you are going to feel terrible for missing out on all the fun you could have had. ]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.122109 2008-08-21T06:25:13Z 2008-08-21T15:44:48Z

Have you ever been eating and realized in the middle of a bite that you simply can no longer fit any more food in your stomach? That's how I felt halfway through my rack of ribs at Bethany Blues in...

Peter Arrabal Have you ever been eating and realized in the middle of a bite that you simply can no longer fit any more food in your stomach? That's how I felt halfway through my rack of ribs at Bethany Blues in Bethany Beach, Del. It was that I'm-so-full-but-the-food-is-too-good-not-to-finish kind of a feeling. It was that point in the meal where swallowing would mean a ruptured stomach and a hospital visit. As I've said before, I'm not a big fat slob (actually, I'm underweight for my height), but I just got carried away with the ridiculously good food that night. Just north of the main drag in Bethany, this big rib house is one of the noisiest spots in the Quiet Resorts. The wait times are often long (call ahead, dummy!), but the anticipation is worth every second. What precisely was it that filled me to the bursting point? We started with eight Jack Daniels chicken wings. The Pigs on the Wing caught my attention on the menu, but I was planning on ribs for dinner, and two portions of pigs would make me awfully swine-filled. The wings were excellent, but I like mine swimming in sauce, which these definitely were not. Not quite the rib aficionado as the guys in the booth next to me, I didn't know the difference between St. Louis and baby back ribs. It turns out that St. Louis ribs have more meat on them and are cooked a little different. I went with the Missouri-inspired recipe and felt bold enough to order a full rack. Bad decision. It came with two sides, and I got the garlic mashed potatoes and the macaroni and cheese. (Note: I don't like pasta, but was prodded into the mac 'n cheese. Thanks, Caroline. Good decision.) Good lord was it delicious. I was so caught up in the food that I didn't realize how full I was. I must have looked like I was dying because my server's eyes grew wide as she walked by and she asked if I was OK. I felt so sick that I actually felt good. I sat there motionless for about five minutes before I realized that my parking meter was about to expire, so I ran out and added a few quarters to the machine. The walk failed to resettle the contents of my stomach, so I ended up taking half a rack of ribs home for lunch the next day. The server didn't even need to ask if I wanted to see the dessert menu. At the end of each table is a trio of barbecue sauces. I only tried the smoky BBQ and the spicy varieties, and they were very good when mixed together. Bethany Blues prides itself on the manner of cooking their ribs. They smoke them using only wood fire, never with gas or electric heat. They claim that this gives the meat a full flavor and a beautiful pink color inside. If you're lucky enough to find a parking spot nearby, drop a few quarters in the meter and stop by Bethany Blues. Make sure you park in a legal spot though, and definitely don't leave a car with a bike rack on the back in a compact-sized spot. Learned that one the tough way, thanks to a $20 ticket from the Town of Bethany Beach. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.121792 2008-08-20T13:01:15Z 2008-08-20T16:15:06Z

Peter Arrabal annoying beach habits and declining visitor numbers, but Ocean City has at least five big things that make it better than other beach towns. • Relative cleanliness. Beachcombers sweep the beach every night (or at least they are supposed to) and pick up the trash left by lazy and self-absorbed visitors. It's a relief not to find bottles and bags in the sand every morning, but instead to walk down to a nice, smooth, clean beach. Additionally, the National Resource Defense Council gave the water off the coast of Ocean City a five-star rating in 2007. The rating, which was the highest possible, meant that none of the samples taken last year ever exceeded the acceptable level for bacteria in the water. • The entire beach is public. Go a mile north of Ocean City and you find private beaches. From the Delaware line to the Ocean City Inlet, there is not a foot of private sand. It's an anomaly in beach towns, and many out-of-towners will ask the locals how to get to the beach. It's easy: "Head east." If you can't find the beach, you might want to just head home. • The only vendors on the beach are the Scopes guys. I don't want my hair braided. I don't want any T-shirts. I don't want to buy your seashell necklaces, and I certainly don't want to deal with vendors hawking their wares in Ocean City. Luckily, I don't have to. No one except the Scopes guys and gals can go around and sell anything on the beach. Even the two telescope picture companies have to bid and fight over territory. It makes for a much more relaxing day at the beach with no one hassling you over your hard-earned wages. • The OCBP. Stay in the sand 'til the lifeguard is in the stand and this one works out well for you. The Ocean City Beach Patrol are some of the finest, best-trained lifeguards in the country. There are stands every few blocks and, as a result, there are very few drownings and serious injuries in the water. They aren't just lifeguards, they are surf rescue technicians (SRTs), and they do more than sit in the stands all day: they break up fights, deal with lost children, handle minor and major injuries, and keep a close eye over every swimmer. • Lazy? Cheap? Just rent a chair and umbrella. If you're the type of person who buys $20 umbrellas and watches them blow away when a seagull flaps its wings nearby, this one is for you. Beach stands will rent you a high quality canvas umbrella with a heavy wooden handle that isn't blowing away unless the wind blows a gale. These umbrellas usually retail for over $150, but the workers will set your rental up with no questions asked (except for asking where you want it put) for roughly $50-75 a week. They also rent chairs, boogie boards and more. Other suggestions that didn't make the cut included: the ice cream man, no dogs on the beach, and no alcohol on the beach. They're good, but the ice cream man isn't always there, too many people like dogs, and I'm not going to get on the bad side of a beach drunk.]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.121527 2008-08-19T06:08:08Z 2008-08-19T15:40:43Z

With the economy in the tank and gas prices through the roof, everyone is arguing over whether Ocean City is seeing more or fewer visitors this year. Statistics on the matter are confusing and conflicting. Last week, the Tourism Commission...

Peter Arrabal The Dispatch, one of Ocean City's local papers, reported a 600-room increase in bookings, but a 2 percent decline in nights rented. Just to prove that a little number-fudging can spin a story however you want, the commission said that they had an increase from "roughly" $3.6 million to "approximately" $4 million in the room tax revenues this year. The key to the increase? A 0.5 percent jump in the room tax rate. Another local paper, Ocean City Today calculated that under the old tax rate, room revenues were actually down 2.1 percent. The room tax figures don't include under-the-counter condominium rentals, where owners don't buy rental licenses. Many will be waiting with baited breath to see how the demoflush numbers are spun. While they are known to inflate the actual population figure, the standard is the same every year, so it's easy to compare changes in population while ignoring the actual amount of people in town. The next confusing number: bus ridership. Some will say that a 13 percent increase in May bus riders was due to more people being in town. Others will say it was an early Memorial Day, or a response to high gas prices. Ocean City officials reported a 3 percent increase in June and a 1 percent increase in July. Nothing solid, of course, but it does show that more people are riding the buses, and little more. Restaurants have felt the pinch, as vacationers conserve funds by eating in or grabbing a quick bite. Unfortunately, most of the fast food chains do not offer their Dollar or Value menus, and Subway only started carrying their $5 footlongs after extremely vocal patrons forced their hands. A completely random and totally unscientific poll of servers in restaurants suggested that some old standards, like the Greene Turtle, had an increase in customers, while some of the smaller and more expensive joints like Harrison's Harborwatch saw their figures slide. I can see both sides of the argument. Traffic has definitely been lighter, as u-turns and crossing the highway have been easier than ever. On the other hand, I've seen 3-hour-long waits at the Greene Turtle North and long lines at Trimper's. (I've never understood why someone would wait three hours to eat at a bar, but I'd definitely wait for hours to ride the Tidal Wave roller coaster.) Most of the crowds have been on weekends, and some bars have been deserted on weekdays. I went to Fish Tales on a Wednesday and found myself and two friends to be the only ones at the bar at 1 a.m., which almost never occurs. It felt like May, but it was mid-August. While some establishments are posting record numbers every week, others are struggling to make their tax and rent payments. It will be interesting to see how the landscape changes next year. With an abundance of empty, unsold condominiums, developers will be less likely to bail out a failing business and build something new on top. What have you experienced? Are there any beach workers who can say that their shops have been packed or deserted?]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.121301 2008-08-18T13:11:18Z 2008-08-18T15:08:32Z

It doesn't matter if you call them Waverunners, jet skis, Sea-Doos or something else, they all do the same thing: thrill and entertain. Bouncing over the waves at speeds topping 40 mph is one of the best ways to spend...

Peter Arrabal It doesn't matter if you call them Waverunners, jet skis, Sea-Doos or something else, they all do the same thing: thrill and entertain. Bouncing over the waves at speeds topping 40 mph is one of the best ways to spend a summer morning or afternoon. If you have your own machine, you have the freedom to go whenever and wherever you want, as long as you stay out of the way of boaters. Waverunners and boats don't mix well, and it's extremely important to follow the 6-knot rule within 100 feet of any boats, piers, pilings, etc. A collision at a higher speed can do serious damage to the ski and most likely your body. For those of us who are less fortunate than owners, there are a ton of places to rent in Ocean City. I prefer Inlet Sea-Doo, as they usually have respectable prices and a large riding area. Some rental places may be cheaper, but their skis will be slower or their riding area smaller. Inlet Sea-Doo takes you back behind Assateague Island, near the Verrazano Bridge. It's best to make a reservation, and the best prices are during the early morning. Coupons for this place abound around Ocean City, so pick up any guide and cut out that $15 off coupon. Inlet Sea-Doo is on the inlet (duh!), so park on the street along Philadelphia Avenue or in the pay lot at Worcester Street. OC Bayside Rentals has decent prices but a smaller riding area. They have great machines that are usually in good shape and run fast. Action Watersports (52nd Street), Island Watersports (1st Street), Bay Sports Unlimited (22nd Street) and OC Waterways (54th Street) also do an excellent job renting out skis. The best places have hands-on guides who will give you the full length of your rental time and keep you safe while doing it. If you're looking for a great deal on buying a used Sea-Doo, almost all of the rental places will sell you their machines at the end of the season. As long as you don't mind a few hundred hours on the engines, you can pick up a great ski for dirt cheap. Riding jet skis can be an absolute rush, especially on a beautiful day. Nothing beats a bone-jarring turn at 40-knots that tosses you into the bathtub-like water behind Assateague on a 90 degree day. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.120846 2008-08-15T05:40:16Z 2008-08-15T14:59:00Z

The White Marlin Open is definitely "The Big One" in Ocean City, but the Poor Girls Open can be described as "The Great One." It started on Thursday and finishes Saturday, which is usually the most exciting and heavily-fished days...

Peter Arrabal The Beach Life has shamefully neglected is the classier side of town. Maybe it's the college student budget and lifestyle, but the high-dollar, highfalutin martini bars have escaped my grasp for too long. This weekend, check out the Skye Bar at Galaxy 66, or pick up a fancy drink at Jive inside Fresco's on 83rd Street. Skye Bar is the only open-air rooftop bar in Ocean City, and it's definitely not a place for T-shirts and shorts. While Fager's Island is known as a dress-up place, they still let in the casual crowd, but Skye Bar is a little more discriminating. Both Galaxy 66 and Fresco's have top-of-the-line food, so maybe spend the entire evening at one of these classy establishments. If $10 martinis aren't quite your style, hit up the local dive bars. Pepper's Tavern on 16th Street is a self declared "five-star dive," and it certainly has a dive bar feel to it. The drinks are cheap (comparatively) and the food is delicious. Get there early enough and you'll have a chance to meet owner Denny-o and head chef Pedro. The Dutch Bar between Talbot and Dorchester streets used to be the king of all dive bars in Ocean City. Walking the boards, you could tell you were near the Dutch Bar simply by the smell of beer and cigarettes floating in the air outside. It has since been rebuilt, but still retains that friendly dive bar atmosphere. The smoking ban definitely makes it easier for those who are sensitive to the traditional bar smell. Other things on the weekend checklist could include making up your own Beach Olympics, a horse-watching trip to Assateague Island and, my monthly favorite, watching the moon rise over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday evening. The full moon will appear to rise out of the water at 7:48 p.m., just four minutes before the sun sinks into the western sky. Just a few more weekends left. Where did this summer go?]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.120594 2008-08-14T06:13:30Z 2008-08-14T13:51:22Z

Peter Arrabal With the 2008 Olympics in full swing, you should get in the competitive spirit by trying out this unofficial guide to your own beach Olympics. • Event One: Surfing. Just like the floor routine in gymnastics, you can score surfing based on style, perfection and athletic abilities. Getting up on the board counts for two points, catching a wave is three, riding it in is five, and doing some fancy trick can push you up to a 10. • Event Two: The Sprint. Mark off two areas on the beach of any length and race a buddy. Without sophisticated timing technology, just do a head-to-head tournament to determine the winner. Just watch out for the holes on the beach, and remember that this isn't a billion dollar stadium in China, and the shifting sands can leave dangerous low spots. And don't run anyone over, either, please. • Event Three: Volleyball. Well, this one is pretty much the same as the Olympic event, but two-on-two volleyball is ridiculously hard. Play some six-on-six or four-on-four. There are nets set up all over town, so stake your claim to a spot and get the game on. Make sure you wear some cool shades like Phil Dalhausser and pretend that you're nearly 7-feet tall and competing in China. Side out! (I still don't understand what that means, and I've been following volleyball competitively for six years.) • Event Four: The Trash Can Shoot. Warning: be careful with this one, and I take no responsibility for dinging some poor sap on the head with a rock. Dig around the surf for some smooth stones and set up 10 yards from the nearest trash can that has no one sitting near it. Draw a line in the sand, and compete back-and-forth for who can get the most stones in the plastic bin. • Event Five: Skimboarding. Skimming can only be done when the lifeguards are gone, and can be very dangerous as well. Toss the thin board in the low water left by a receding wave and try to hop on. For many, the winner of this competition will be the one who can actually get on and ride for more than a millisecond or two. Good luck! Just because Beijing is a few thousand miles away doesn't mean you can't host your own beach Olympics. If you really get into it, build a medal stand in the sand and have a little ceremony. Ignore the weird stares from the rest of the people on the beach, or get them to join in. Last-place buys dinner, agreed? [Photo by me]]]> tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.120420 2008-08-13T15:31:29Z 2008-08-13T17:28:28Z

The summer flounder is one of the most popular game fish in Ocean City, but too many people have trouble catching them. The art of flounder fishing is easy to learn but difficult to master. To catch some of these...

Peter Arrabal The summer flounder is one of the most popular game fish in Ocean City, but too many people have trouble catching them. The art of flounder fishing is easy to learn but difficult to master. To catch some of these tasty flatfish, you should fish in the Isle of Wight or Assawoman bays. Without a boat it gets a little tougher, but there are a few public areas where you can fish for them. The Oceanic Pier at the end of Philadelphia Avenue is one of the top spots, but the bulkhead from Second through Fourth Streets is a great place to catch them as well. Both are tough to fish because of all the snags on the bottom, but that's what attracts the fish. The pier at Ninth Street is small, and some nice fish come in from there as well. The farther north you go, the lower your chances of catching a keeper. Occasionally people catch flounder at the pier behind the Convention Center or at Northside Park (125th Street), but they are mostly small. Flounder have to be 17.5-inches to keep, so there are many fish that have to be tossed back. The bait of choice on your flounder trip should be either live minnows or frozen shiners. If you catch some small Norfolk spot, they are great for use as live bait also. Add a long, white strip of squid to any of these baits for some extra attraction. Remember, flounder live on the bottom, so you need a heavy sinker, usually around two ounces. Use a size one wide-gap hook for the best chance to hook up with the fish. Boat owners should try to drift near the channels. The best areas are the "Thorofare," or the west channel and the east channel near the Convention Hall. Drift these areas two hours before high tide and an hour after. The trick to hooking a flounder is to "let them eat." When you feel the bite, drop back on the line and wait for the flounder to inhale the bait. Then set the hook and reel up. Always use a net to land the fish, as a flopping flounder can throw a hook better than most other species of fish. tag:weblogs.baltimoresun.com,2008:/travel/beaches/blog//292.120105 2008-08-12T14:33:02Z 2008-08-12T15:31:14Z

As the clamming boats creep back into the commercial harbor, dozens of people crack open their steamed crabs on the deck of Captain's Galley II. The monstrous dredger joins the yachts and other commercial fishing boats in the harbor as...

Peter Arrabal Beach Life runs into the fall and winter months, don't worry: Captain's Galley stays open late into the end of the year. The crowds aren't as a bad, but the food is just as excellent as always.]]>