OCMD Vacation Day 8 aka our last day

Sunday, September 26, 2010
70 degrees, cloudy skies, light rain off and on

We woke on our last day in Ocean City to gray skies, damp winds and considerably cooler temperatures.


I was glad the weather held so beautifully all week.  We could have not asked for a better week for vacation!


I took a walk down the fishing pier to get some last minute pictures and see if I could show you what the weather looked like.

The sun was nowhere to be found!


We took our time, packing and cleaning the house.  We were the last renters of the year, so Fran said we could stay all day.  Normally we have to be out by noon so they can have the house ready for the next family by 3 pm.  


There was a Nascar race at Dover Speedway in Dover, DE that weekend.  Fran said traffic was going to be a mess and we should wait until 6 or 7 pm to leave.  John had to be at work at 7:30 the next day, and didn't want to be getting home too late, so we compromised and left a little after 5pm.  


We did really well, until just after the first toll on Rt. 1.  Then we hit the traffic jam.  Fortunately I knew we could take Rt 13 all the way up the state, so we hopped off as soon as we could and did just that.  Until we had no choice but to get back on Rt 1 because it merged with Rt 13.  And we were back in the thick of it.


We decided to look for a place to stop and eat.  Unfortunately, there were only fast food places at rest stops.  I really wanted a good meal and no a BK burger.


We finally saw a sign for Texas Roadhouse and we stopped there.  The place was packed (apparently we weren't the only ones getting off the highway to eat and kill time), but we didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes for a table.   John had steak and shrimp with applesauce and a potato.  I had a steak with a sweet potato and a Caesar salad.  The food was really good!


When we left, the traffic had dwindled quite a bit.  I had a pain in the ass teenage boy on my ass going back on the highway.  He flew past me on the exit ramp and nearly ran me off the road.  I laid on my horn and that asshole decided to play some games, not allowing me to pass, keeping me parallel with a tractor trailer so I nearly missed my exit.  I was very very agitated by the time I got away from him.  I hope he gets multiple speeding tickets and loses his  license.  I hate hate hate driving in front of teenagers, especially boys (although teenage girls are dangerous too).  I'd rather have them in front of me so I can see what they're doing.


OK, enough of the tangent!


No other obstacles were in the way, and we arrived back at John's around 10 pm.  We unloaded the car and hit the sack short thereafter.  I was really tired!!!  John had to be at work the next morning, but I actually had another vacation day and went back to work on Tuesday!


So that was out exciting vacation!  We really had a good time!  I hope you enjoyed reading about and seeing our pictures!

OCMD Vacation Day 7

Saturday, September 25, 2010
Sunny, hot, 90 degrees

We decided to hit the beach again, one last time before heading for home tomorrow.  On this day, we went to TC's for breakfast.  I like this place for breakfast.  We try to go here every year also.  John had an omelet, I had eggs and scrapple and home fries.  John ordered corned beef hash and I had a bit of that.  Pretty good stuff!   I wish I had brought my camera inside.   I was hoping they'd have a website, so I could include a picture of the building.


We  packed another picnic lunch, more of the same stuff we'd been eating all week.  We're nothing, if not predictable!  Haha!!  


I'm amazed how breezy it is on the beach, even when it's so hot outside.  


Today there were people swimming in the ocean, even though there were no lifeguards.  I guess the riptides have moved on or dissipated.  I did a little people watching as I sat in my chair, enjoying the breezes.  Here is some of what I spotted!

These 2 little girls were so funny!  They had this bed sheet, and they were trying to put it down to lay on it.  It as so windy that every time they got it down, it would blow away before they could anchor it with some weight.   By the time I got the shot, they were UNDER the sheet!  

I spied this Muslim woman, completely covered in a burka, in the ocean!  She looked like a ghost, wandering the surf.  I wonder if she was wearing a swimsuit underneath?

She just looked spooky to me!

After a while, we packed up and headed home to rest before meeting Fran and John for dinner.


Fran suggested we go to a new place that she knew about called Marina Deck in Ocean Pines.  This place is not to be confused with Marina Deck in Ocean City, although checking out the 2 websites, it might be the same owners.  The menus are very similar. It was owned by a woman in Fran's business group, and she wanted to try it out.  I'm so glad she did!  Our meals were wonderful! 

Fran and I started off with Margaritas (cranberry for her, frozen raspberry for me)  The fellows had sodas.


They offer this lovely basket of breads and muffins so start.  I had a blueberry muffin (ok, I had 2), Fran had the raisin bread with icing, and John and John each had muffins also.  Oh so good!!!  I tried to convince the young man who brought the basket around to just leave it on the table, but he wasn't allowed.

John Smith was VERY happy because they offered Liver and Onions as an entree!  He ordered the liver and onions with French fries and beets!  A true diner meal if I ever saw one!  He was one happy man!


John Russo, a shrimp-aholic, had the BBQ Shrimp with rice pilaf and applesauce.  He also had a tropical salad (shrimp, mandarin oranges, pineapple, cucumbers, tomatoes on greens with honey mustard dressing)  to start.


Fran had a Crabcake with Potatoes Romanoff  (similar to au gratins) and a Caesar salad.


I had Crab Imperial with Potatoes Romanoff and a Caesar salad.


We finished up our meal with coffee and dessert.  Fran and I had the  homemade bread pudding (it tasted JUST like the one my mom used to make!) .  John Russo had ice cream.  John Smith (the only slender on at the table), skipped dessert and just had coffee... the brat.  


We went back to Fran and John's house for awhile to visit.  It was such a nice night!  I always enjoy seeing them!


The nice thing about going down and renting their Housita is they aren't required to entertain us and we don't ask them to.  We do try to get together and go out one night while we're there.  When we rented in the summer and the pool was open, we'd occasionally run into them there and we'd hang out, but we never made plans to do that.  


Sunday, September 26 was our last day in Ocean City.  We were the last renters for the season, so we were able to stay all day.  It was Nascar weekend at Dover Speedway in Dover, DE.  We wanted to leave late to avoid some of that traffic.  I'll tell you about that wen I get home from John's and work on Monday night (unless I find down time and can get online over the weekend)

OCMD Vacation Day 6

Friday, September 24, 2010
Sunny, humid, 88 degrees

We decided today was a good day to go to Sunfest!  It's Ocean City's Annual Arts and Crafts Fair on the boardwalk inlet.  We knew parking was going to be next to impossible.  Luckily, Ocean City offers a shuttle that runs continuously all day and all night, from West Ocean City to the Inlet.  Parking at the Park and Ride was free and the shuttle only costs $1.  They give you a transfer that's good all day long.  So you can leave, go home and go back again without paying any extra!  Cool deal!  I'll remember that for future trips to OC.


It was very hot and humid on this day.  It wasn't long before we were looking for someplace cool to sits down and cool off before checking out all the stuff in the Sunfest tents.  For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the place where we popped into and bought burgers and sodas.  


There was probably every kind of arts and crafts you could possibly ask for at Sunfest.  Seasonal decorations, tables, blankets, glass, earthenware... a lotta stuff!  I'm not big on buying that kind of stuff, but it was fun to look.


There was a food tent.  You could buy all kinds of foods, most of them fried (you could smell the fat frying as soon as you stepped through the entrance).  You could buy steak sandwiches, funnel cake, crab soup (well, it IS Maryland after all!  You have to have crab!), crab fluff (breaded and deep-fried crab)  I bought a single crab fluff to try it.  Glad I only bought one.  It was like fried crab-flavored bread.  I did buy a 4 oz. serving of cream of crab soup, which was pretty good!


The main reason I wanted to go to Sunfest was for the kite flying!  There is a store that sponsors this event, and it's called appropriately enough, The Kite Loft!  If you are looking for unusual kites to fly and have some money to spend, The Kite Loft is the place for you!!!  John very nearly succumbed and bought a Pterodactyl kite on sale for the low, low price of $170!  Fortunately, they didn't have more in stock, other than the display one.  Here are some of the fabulous kites they (and some other kite flyers) were flying on the beach.

Click on the pictures to see them better!

 I can't tell if the kitty is chasing the soccer ball or the mouse! 

 I love the whale kite!

Do you see the scuba diver, just to the left of the light pole?

Some of these photos were taken from the tram car.  Yes, we're old.  We always take a ride on the tram car!  It's a great way to see all the stores on the boardwalk without having to walk the entire length!  It's also a great way to kill 45 minutes!

We stopped into an arcade to place some pinball.  It was cool inside and we were out of the sun.

 John did pretty well!

I didn't fare as well.  What happened to my ball?

I did end up buying a hat and these stickers thingys to put on the windows beside my front door.  It makes them look like stained glass and it helps prevents people from seeing in the windows easily.  Once I get them up, I'll take pictures and post them.


John pointed out to me that I neglected to mention the Bonsai tree he purchased.  It's a Japanese juniper.  He's been taking good care of it.  so far it's lasted more than 2 weeks!  I"ll try to get a picture of it and post it.

As it got dark, we headed on home to have a dinner of left-overs. 

What's on the agenda for tomorrow?  A day at the beach on Assateague and dinner with Fran and John (and I forgot to bring my camera to dinner!   aarrgghh!!)!   

OCMD Vacation Day 5

Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sunny, 88 degrees, light breezes

We decided to take a trip to Chincoteague Island, VA on this day.  It's about an hour's drive from the little Housita that we stay in.  


We had breakfast at home and I packed a lunch to take along with us.  Ham and cheese sandwiches and turkey and cheese sandwiches.  I added plums, nectarines (for me) and peaches (for John) and some of the Doritos we've been snacking on all week.  


Our first stop was at NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Island Flight Facility, just outside of Chincoteague.  We weren't allowed inside the real facility, but they had a small museum at the Visitor Center, which was cool!

They've done tons of testing of weather balloons and rockets and stuff here for years and years.  If your'e a science nerd buff, you'd probably get a kick out of this place!  

click the picture to see it larger

I could tell we were getting near the place because I saw a bunch of these:

There were more than a dozen of these dishes all over the place!  

John having some fun!

I didn't take a lot of pictures inside.  They also had several short films about NASA and science stuff, some of which we actually saw at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

There were some picnic tables near the parking lot, under trees, so we had our lunch there... and got eaten alive by mosquitoes!  I managed to not get bitten all summer and in 5 minutes I had about 10 bug bites on me!

Then we continued on to Chincoteague!  Chincoteague looks more like a New England fishing village than a beach resort.  I was collecting sand for my sister (she collects sand from all over the world).  Do you know that I couldn't find one single beach on Chincoteague Island? I always thought Chincoteague was below Assateague, MD but it's not,  Chincoteague is in between mainland Maryland and the island of Assateague.   So it's all bay!  Chingoteague is nestled in between Maryland and Maryland.   The only place that actually has a beach is Tom's Cove Beach, which is in Chincoteague National Park, which is located on Assateague Island, in Maryland!  We drove all over that stupid place, looking for a beach so I could get sand for my sister.  By the time we left there, I was so frustrated that I got a bit pissy.  That, in turn put John in a bad mood.  

But before the day went south on us, we had a nice time.  We drove to Chincoteague National Park and found  Assateague Lighthouse.  We couldn't go up to the top  because there was a wasp swarm inside. (darn! I couldn't walk the 198 steps to the top of the lighthouse)  They had pictures for sale of the lighthouse, looking all pretty and shiny, but I kinda like my photo better.  

After the lighthouse (and before the pissing match), we drove around a bit and found Tom's Cove Beach.  It's not a large beach.  As a matter of fact, it's a long narrow beach, only about 20 or 30 feet to the water's edge and you can park your car  within feet of your blanket, just over a small dune.  We only stayed for a minute or two.  I didn't get any photos.  Sorry.

So it was a very quiet ride back to Ocean City.  Neither one of us was in the mood to do anything fun, so we ordered Pizza delivered from Lombardi's and watched  the CSI and The Mentalist premieres.  

What's in store for tomorrow??  Why, it's Sunfest!!!  and John got happy again!


**psst!  I'm wondering who is the person who reads my blog every day from Broken Arrow, OKlahoma.  I'm as curious as my cats!

OCMD Vacation Day 4

Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sunny, 88 degrees, breezy


When I woke up on this day, I thought I'd be really anxious and nervous, but I wasn't.


Today was the day I was going to get over my fear of heights and go Parasailing!!!  But first, breakfast at my very favorite, in the whole world restaurant in Ocean City!


My friend, Fran, turned me on to this place the first year I rented her Housita.  And now I'm going to turn you on to it!  If you are ever in Ocean City, MD, you MUST go to The Bayside Skillet for breakfast.  Bring money, though, because it isn't a cheap meal but oh! So worth every penny!  You can't miss this place.  It's at 77th Street on the bay, and the building is completely PINK!

We come to this place every year.  We usually only go once because our bill is usually around $45.  We treat ourselves and you'll see why.


This is Maryland.  You can buy an alcoholic drink for breakfast here.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  This day I did not because I was planning to do the Parasailing thing and I didn't want them to prevent me because I'd been drinking.


Did I mention that we said screw the fat,calories and carbs this trip?  We were on vacation.  I start back on Nutrisystem this Friday, October 1.


We started off with  Potatoes Tara.  Pan-fried potatoes sauteed with bacon, onions and mushrooms, topped with melted cheddar cheese.  We shared this dish.  It's yummiful!!!!!

For my main course, I had the House Specialty, the Strawberry Blintz Omelette.  This omelet is stuffed with fresh strawberries, cream cheese and brown sugar.  It's topped with fresh strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar.  You can get other fruits in season, but I usually stick with strawberries.  OMG!!  This dish is almost better than sex!!  These pictures were taken with my camera, not the professional photos on the menu. (see my notebook beside the plate? )

John chose to have the Strawberry Crepes.   Three crepes, with fresh strawberries and Chantilly cream.  You can also choose other fruits, in season, but he likes the strawberries.  Oh and he got  a side of bacon.  The man has to have his meat.

Here's a close-up of the crepes.  YUM!!!

So, now that we were properly stuffed, it was time to head over to the parasailing place, and hope I don't lose this wonderful brunch I just had!


We made a quick stop at Walmart (Hi Garret!) on the way to buy rubber bands because John wanted to make something to keep our glasses on.  This was a trick he learned in the Army when he was a paratrooper.  He made straps to attach to our glasses so we didn't have to worry about losing them in the ocean (and at $500, I was NOT about to lose these glasses, even if I do need a new pair!).  Of course, I didn't think to take a picture of them, but they worked beautifully!


OK, so we head on over to Paradise Watersports in Ocean City.

We signed up for parasailing.  We have a choice to go up 400 ft., 600 ft., or 800 ft.  We decide what the hell, if we go up 400 ft., we may as well go 800 ft.   So that's what we did!!  There were 5 groups of 2 on the boat.  The ocean was still rather rough from Hurricane Igor, so we stayed in the bay.  Even that wasn't as calm as it should have been!


John and I were the 2nd couple to go up.  I was only a little bit nervous and anxious.  Frankly I was surprised I wasn't shaking in my swimsuit!!!  The first mate took a ton of pics of us!  They had a deal where they'd put a memory card in the camera and take lots of pics.  When we got back in the boat, he gave us the memory card to take with us (for a price of course). The memory card had 76 pictures on it, but don't worry!  I only posted 8 or 9 of them!  I did get somewhat nervous when it got gusty up there.  BUT I didn't scream, faint, throw up or shit my pants (sorry)!  I was really proud of myself!   So here's my adventure!!


NOTE:  Click on the pictures to get a better look, especially the ones that are not close ups.

Slight concern on my face

Here we go!!!

Oh my!!

Hey!!  This is cool!!

Up we go!!

This gives you an idea just how high up we were!

Splash down!

And back up again!

Coming in for our landing

Oh boy!  That was fun!!!   I'd do that again!!!

After we changed back into regular clothes, we headed into Ocean City and the boardwalk.

We decided to have dinner at Shenanigan's Irish Pub and Grille, on the boardwalk.  

Our server, Louise, was a pretty girl with a lovely lilting Irish accent.  I wish I had gotten her picture.  She recommended that I try a Shellelagh,  which was sort of a frozen daquiri made with kiwi, lime and banana and rum.  It was good!!

We started off with the Chili Cheesy Fries, waffle fries made with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and a crock of chili for dipping.   I did mention that  we weren't worrying about what we ate this week and that I was starting Nutrisystem again this Friday?    OK, I thought so.

They were quite good!!  For the record, I didn't really eat a lot of the potatoes on this day.  I just realized I did this twice on the same day.


For our dinner, I had Sugar Ray's Panini, roast beef, mozzarella, mixed baby greens, tomatoes and onion, drizzled with a balsamic reduction, and grilled, panini-style.  The chips that came with it were a bit soggy.  Not sure if they were like that or if it was because we were eating outside and the night was getting damp.  This sandwich was OK.  I probably wouldn't get it again.  I think I've decided I'm not crazy about paninis.

John chose a Reuben Clancy, hot corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing on grilled marbled rye bread.  He really enjoyed it!

After walking off some of that meal, we headed home and got to see the season premiere of CSI: Crime Scene Investigators.  And The Mentalist.  Good shows!


So what's up for tomorrow?  A trip to Chincoteague Island, VA!