I'm taking the family to Ocean City, MD next week. Is anybody familiar with the area?
We're not big time partiers so I'm not interested in bars and night clubs. I've already done the requisite Internet searches for Things To Do but I'm hoping for some personal recommendations.
I'm looking for things to do like Assateague Island State Park, the best spot for crabbing, etc. Day trips by car to surrounding areas would be fine.
It'll be the wife and I and four "kids" ages 18 - 24.
Just go to the beach and walk along the boardwalk like everyone else. The Salisbury Zoo is a nice 1-2 hour stopover on the way in, but for the age of your kids I'd say the beach, bars, and amusements there are probably more appropriate. Supposedly there are things like GoCarts in the area just outside of the main island which they would probably like. I don't know what direction you will be coming from, but I also like to stop in Cambridge at the visitors center and walk around as well. Worth stopping there just for the bathroom.
Is your son over 21? If so, while the girls are shopping, head an hour north to the Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, DE. They make some of the best beers in the US. Take the brewery tour, drink some free samples, and buy some six packs (or cases) to to take home. They also have a restaurant in Rohoboth Beach, DE, a little closer to Ocean City.
The ponies are nice of course. I'm sure the tourist stuff mentinoed that. I think the annual roundup was only a few weeks ago, but they only take 5 or 10% so there are plenty still there. Just keep your eyes open. They may be right by the road or a couple hundred feet away. They tell you to leave them alone, but I walked over, kept my hands in my pockets or out of range of his mouth, and one didn't seem to mind me. I don't know if kids' behaviour would upset them or not.
And there's one other animal that lives there much more than elsewhere, and I forget what it is.
re: "I think the annual roundup was only a few weeks ago, but they only take 5 or 10% so there are plenty still there."
FYI...the things I learned:
There are actually 2 separate "herds" of wild horses to view.
One herd is on the north end of Assateague Island - in Maryland - (home of the "Assateague Island National Seashore" and "Assateague Island State Park"). The horses in this herd are not rounded up, but are managed by vaccinations to keep the herd at 80 - 100 horses.
The other herd - on the south end of Assateague Island, in Virginia - is owned by the Chincoteague Fire Department from Chincoteague Island, VA. They are the ones who do the round-up, the Pony Swim and auction the foals once a year. It's my understanding that the Pony Swim is well-attended. 40K plus spectators. No thanks, way too many people for me.
We went to the Assateague Island State Park beach where a pair of horses came right up to our blanket. The male opened our plastic tub with his nose looking for food. When all he found were towels, they walked right across our beach blankets to the people further down the beach. The male tried to open their cooler but the guy shooed them away.
The area around Ocean City, away from the maddening crowds, is beautiful. We went crabbing with chicken legs and caught enough Maryland Blues to feed the 6 of us. We took a little 2 car ferry across the Wicomico River. We went body surfing in the pouring rain. The only thing that we actually did in Ocean City itself (other than swimming at the beach) was go parasailing. The rest of week was spent taking day trips to some very beautiful spots in Maryland.
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