Ocean City, MD: For Lovers to Mend

"Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing me here!" Sash exclaimed as we walked along the shore in Ocean City, MD.

She had waded into the waters of the Atlantic, on the opposite end of the continent, thousands of miles from where she lived all her life.

Somehow, the old American charm of a beach boardwalk, the smell of salty air, the sound of breakers crashing on the sand, created a sense of romanticism that carried her away to a place far, far away from the blue collar, industrial town of her youth, and brought her escape from those memories.

"I love you so much!" she said.

And those words do mean a lot to me.

After riding much of the day through Virginia's Eastern Shore, Ocean City, MD was only going to be a one-night stopover for us.  It was just enough of a respite to collect ourselves from the sticky humid heatwave belting the Eastern United States, before continuing on through Delaware the next day.  As expensive the rooms are in Ocean City, and as crowded and commercialized it is, I wanted this to be a special moment for us.

If you come to Ocean City, then pay the extra dollars to get a room on the Boardwalk.  The Boardwalk is really what Ocean City is all about, because there isn't anything else there but beach, and you can find cheaper beach in other towns.  The Boardwalk is where you stroll hand-in-hand with your Honey, where you talk about old memories, and where you buy silly t-shirts that you might not wear anywhere else.

And the Boardwalk has a way of homogenizing you.  Even though Sash and I are full time bikers, we seemed to just melt into the same shirts, shorts, and flip-flops everyone else were wearing, and somehow became one and the same.  Everyone here is just too happy to be concerned about anyone else.

I sampled the brews at Shorebilly Brewery, which is actually connected to Hammer Heads Raw Bar & Grill. Whereas Hammer Heads was busy with a full patio of customers, Shorebilly was largely empty.  I guess the idea of drinking something more hard core than Bud Light was too much for most people to stomach.  Which was OK for us, because that meant more Duck Tacos and Duck Sliders for us.

Taylor, a cute brunette on staff at Shorebilly was excited to hear our story of riding motorcycles across the country, and commented that she wished she could do the same.  The cute smile on her face, her youthful enthusiasm, and her adventurous character, only piqued my curiosity.  Is Road Pickle limited to just Sash and I?  Could there be a third rider in the Road Pickle crew?

I guess we do have Asphalt Annie and her new naked friend, Miss Ashley.  But those two seem too much involved with each other.  We need someone more our size, more interested in being with us, and willing to ride their own bike.

By nightfall, the Boardwalk lights up with neon, and the crowd seems to double in size.  The giant ferris wheel at the pier slowly spins capturing our attention with the full moon bouncing off just enough light so that we could see where we were going.

It was only nine months earlier that Hurricane Sandy ripped through Ocean City, flooding the boardwalk, burying it in sand, and damaging many of the stores and restaurants.  But today, you couldn't tell any damage was done.  Local merchants and city workers had done well to get their Boardwalk ready for Summer.

We strolled down along the water, hand in hand, as other couples passed us by.  The shouts and laughter were still audible from the Boardwalk, but muffled by the crashing of waves on the shore.  And the warm summer night with its gentle breeze created just the perfect atmosphere for falling back in love again.

By midnight, even though it was just one night in Ocean City, it was perhaps all that Sash and I needed to refresh our weary hearts and minds, and bring some good perspective back into our lives.

Next morning, we'd jump back on those bikes and do another hot, humid afternoon through Delaware.

Welcome to Ocean City, MD

Cruising Atlantic Ave, Ocean City

Looking for our hotel in Ocean City, MD

A lot of stop lights in Ocean City, MD

If Sash had a twin sister, it'd be double the pleasure and double the trouble

Our footsteps in the sand

Ocean City, Maryland beach scene

What a cute couple!

These teenagers from Russia asked us to take their photo. They were en route to San Fernando Valley, CA for acting jobs.

Gratuitous bare feet photo for Bob Skoot

Shorebilly Brewing has the Boardwalk's only brewery.

Sash and Taylor at Shorebilly Brewing, Ocean City

This gal is holding a business card that Sash handed to her.

This about says it all for Road Pickle

Highway getting high-tens at Shorebilly Brewing

The Ferris Wheel at Ocean City lit up at night

Posted by Anonymous at 6:26 PM

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Labels: Maryland

Location: Ocean City, MD, USA