center 9am-5pm), we are
directing you to the one
in Maryland, 8 miles
south of Ocean City.
Assateague is
another barrier island,
a low, sandy sweep of
land peppered with
the feral horses this
region is so famous for.
Kayaking, canoeing
and particularly cycling
are all popular on the
island. There are some 37
miles of beach here, all
considerably quieter than
nearby Ocean City.
Plus: you can camp
(%877-444-6777; http://www.
recreation.gov; Assateague
National Seashore; campsites
from $20; p) on the
Maryland side of the
island. The facilities
are basic but decently
comfortable. We
recommend just bringing
your tent and waking up
to the wind – who can
object to a morning with
an Atlantic sunrise and
wild horses cantering by
the waves?
The Drive Get back on
Rte 611 and take it north
to reach the southern
outskirts of Ocean City.
After a little over 8 miles
you’ll hit Ocean Gateway
Rd; turn right here and
it’s 1.5 miles to the OC.4 Ocean City
Ocean City – the ‘OC’,
as some call it – is like
the Platonic ideal of an
Atlantic seaside resort.
You see it from afar as
you cross Assawoman
Bay, a name that’sprovoked giggles for
generations of Maryland
schoolkids: a skyline of
silver condos, neon, all-
you-can-eat buffets and,
of course, the boardwalk.
Ah, the boardwalk
(www.ocboards.com): built
in 1902, it extends
from Ocean City Inlet
at the southern end of
the island to 27th St,
a distance of some 2.3
miles. Along the way
there’s a sandy beach
on one side and endless
tacky T-shirt shops andpurveyors of grease on
the other. The most
visible landmark is
Ocean Gallery (%410-
289-5300; http://www.oceangallery.
com; Boardwalk & 2nd St;
h10am-4pm, to 7pm Fri & Sat),
an enormous art gallery
stuffed with prints of
varying quality (mostly
bad, but there are a few
gems) with an exterior
papered in vibrant folk
art.
If you really want to
engage in tacky seaside
fun to the fullest extentPHOTO BY SCOTT DUNN/GETTY IMAGES ©WASHINGTON.DC,.MARYLAND.&.DELAWARE.TRIPS19
(^) DELMARVA