Ocean City MD. I don't get the appeal???? (Gaithersburg, California: oceanfront, amusement parks)

[I'm Retired Now]

I went out to Ocean City MD to check it out over the Labor Day Weekend.

I don't understand the appeal. Please help me understand why people spend hundreds of dollars for a tacky motel room per night in one of the most tacky towns in America!

Miles of gas stations, Taco Bells, Strip Centers, on the main road without any attempt at landscaping or environmental or architectural controls. It might have been pretty forty years ago but now it is commercialism gone wild.

To me, if I want to see the ocean I want to go to a beach in a place like Hawaii, The beautiful Oregon Coast, Big Sur in California, or the rocky shore of Maine.

Ocean City is the worst beach town ever. What is it's appeal?

[rwfloberg]

Its close.

[L in sobo]

I was there too- I love oc. Funnel cake, pizza by the slice, putt putt golf, movies and scooters. It is family fun. Or get frozen mudslides at fish tails or see a concert at secrets. There is plenty to do for everyone.

If you are looking for good food- road side produce, crabs and fried chicken is the only way to go- forget the restaurants with the dated menus. Peppercorn ranch and raspberry vinaigrette circa 1994

Try assateque beach with wild ponies -it is gorgeous. We saw the wild ponies everyday this weekend.

Sounds like you drove up and down ocean boulevard and didn't figure out what to do

[rdflk]

I don't get it either. Now. granted, I'm not much of a beach person anyway -- but when I DO go, I go to a better beach area, that's smaller, where fewer people go and not as 'tacky' as you say. A place I won't name here lest more people spoil the reason I enjoy it there.

I have coworkers who LOVE them some Ocean City, and like you. I'm like -- "OK, if you say so." They'll drive five hours (from Gaithersburg to OC in all that traffic) on a Friday evening -- for a day and a half there -- and back in traffic, too.....whatever.

(Close is relative. I wouldn't and don't drive FIVE HOURS to ANYWHERE for only a day and a half...and certainly not in heavy traffic.)

[I'm Retired Now]

And it took us 6 hours in bumper to bumper traffic on Highway 50 to get back too.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

To me, if I want to see the ocean I want to go to a beach in a place like Hawaii, The beautiful Oregon Coast, Big Sur in California, or the rocky shore of Maine.

Ocean City is the worst beach town ever. What is it's appeal?

East coast states like Maryland are much more densely populated than the places you mentioned. That's why threre's all the traffic and crowds. People flock to Ocean City primarily because of the boardwalk and also the rides and hot babes. ;-) Also, because summer is the only time most people head for the beach here. You must not have done a lot of exploring if you only saw chain restaurants in Ocean City.

But if you wanted somewhere quieter, then you could have just gone to Fenwick Island to the north. I went to Rehoboth Beach a few weeks ago and thought it was better than Ocean City. Extremely crowded though.

[reiflame]

Originally Posted by rwfloberg

Its close.

There's still way better places to go in the same general vicinity, though. I don't get the appeal either. It's gross.

[MacSmooth]

I've been to Ocean City at least once a year for most of my life and I always have a great time.

Here's what I liked about Ocean City:

- It's close/convenient - Only about a 3 hour drive from where I live in Maryland. It's a perfect desintation when I only have time for a weekend trip

- It's affordable - If you plan your trip in advance, you can find plenty of good deals on hotel rooms. There is no reason to spend hundreds of dollars per night on a hotel room. There are plenty of hotels with rooms in the $150-$200 range and a number of hotels that are less than that if you don't care about staying on the boardwalk or having an oceanfront view

- Plenty of activities - Jetskiing, parasailing, boating, hiking, fishing, minigolf, amusement parks, go-karts, arcades, movie theaters, biking etc.

- Great food & drink - Plenty of great junk food (pizza, burgers, fries, ice cream, funnel cake), a nice selection of restaurants (especially for those who like seafood)

- The boardwalk - Sometimes I just like taking in the sights on the boardwalk (the musicians, artists, performers) or going for a morning jog or bike ride when the boardwalk is almost empty

- The people - A nice family oriented beach town with people from all ages, races and backgrounds

That's the appeal for me. But everybody looks for something different when they go to the beach (or on vacation in general). I've been to a number of beaches (East Coast, West Coast, Hawaii and Caribbean), but nowhere does it for me like Ocean City.

[MacSmooth]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

And it took us 6 hours in bumper to bumper traffic on Highway 50 to get back too.

The Ocean City traffic can be horrendous at times, but can't that be said for most beach towns on holiday weekends?

[Moth]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

I went out to Ocean City MD to check it out over the Labor Day Weekend.

I don't understand the appeal. Please help me understand why people spend hundreds of dollars for a tacky motel room per night in one of the most tacky towns in America!

Miles of gas stations, Taco Bells, Strip Centers, on the main road without any attempt at landscaping or environmental or architectural controls. It might have been pretty forty years ago but now it is commercialism gone wild.

To me, if I want to see the ocean I want to go to a beach in a place like Hawaii, The beautiful Oregon Coast, Big Sur in California, or the rocky shore of Maine.

Ocean City is the worst beach town ever. What is it's appeal?

I tend to agree, but there has always been a side to beach culture that is tacky. OC is like Vegas- a good place to be drunk and stupid. It has that overcrowded/built up look also seen in places like Coney Island and Atlantic City. Fit as many people into a stretch of the shore as possible. Luckilly, Assateague is a stone's throw away and one of the wildest places around.