When we’re going to the beach we say,  “goin down the shore,” it’s a regional thing, I guess.  I might ask a friend, “you going down the shore this Summer?”

Anyhow, the past few Summers we’ve gone to Ocean City MD  to stay for a couple days with my husband’s daughter and family at a condo they rent for 3 weeks every Summer. Yeah, I did say 3 weeks!

The condo has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and while not luxurious, it’s great for a family. It has anything you might need….. dishwasher, granite countertops, 3 tvs, cable, 2 small balconies, washer and dryer and could sleep 8 people with the roll away bed and pull out sofa bed. Plus, since it’s on a side street with little traffic, the kids can ride their bikes.

It’s just a few steps from the beach and about 20 blocks from the boardwalk. Walk one block and there’s always a bus going by on the main street. Hop on and get wherever you want to go, which is the best way to get around, unless you like driving in traffic.

It was hot, too hot. You can almost see the heat in these pictures on the boardwalk. Hazy, hot and humid.

Boardwalk smells made me hungry…pizza, cotton candy, gigantic soft pretzels, BBQ and the best french fries in the world! Thrashers fries, but make sure you douse them with apple cider vinegar and salt.

You just have to get a big bucket of greasy fries!

The shops beckon you to come on in and spent your money on overpriced stuff. Maybe you’d get a tattoo, boogie board or an itsy bitsy bikini, or not!

Just look at that blue sky! So much to see. Beautiful hotels and lots and lots of eye candy are everywhere you look. I loved these little balconies

and this dolphin bench.

The next day we drove to Assateaque Island. It’s about 9 miles from OC.

There’s a wooden walkway heading to the beach at Assateaque and sparkling pure white sand.

It’s beautiful and much less crowded than the beach at Ocean City.

If you buy a special permit you can drive right on the beach.

I could never stand to camp on the beach in 100 degree heat, but it must be nice at night. Campfires are allowed. You could have S’mores.

It’s thrilling seeing the horses. I know we’ve all seen horses before but these are  wild horses that graze openly in the marshes and sometimes near the road.

The feral horses and ponies living on Assateaque and  Chincoteague are thought to be descended from survivors of shipwrecked Spanish galleons off the coast of  Virginia.

Ever been to Assateaque?  It’s a beautiful place.

I really love Ocean City MD and plan on going back next year and staying longer. What’s your favorite beach?

Debbie (((xx)))