The Wandering Disciple

When the temperatures begin their steady ascent signaling the arrival of warmer weather, the historic boardwalk at Ocean City awakens from its winter slumber and truly comes to life. Stretching for miles along the Atlantic coastline, this iconic wooden pathway transforms into a vibrant hub of activity and entertainment. The air fills with the delightful scent of salty sea spray mixing with the aroma of freshly-made funnel cakes, caramel popcorn, and Thrasher's famous french fries. Merchants fling open the doors of their colorful storefronts, offering everything from quirky souvenirs and beach gear to classic arcade games. Families stroll at a relaxed pace, enjoying the ocean views, while the rhythmic clatter of the amusement park rides and the cheerful cries of children punctuate the ambient sounds. The boardwalk becomes the pulse of the city, a place where generations gather to experience the quintessential summer beach vacation, a tradition steeped in sun, sand, and simple seasid...

The sun begins to set over the giant ferris wheel on the pier of the famous Ocean City Boardwalk. The boardwalk has been entertaining beach-goers since 1902. Over eight million visitors come to enjoy the shops, restaurants, rides and nightlife that the 2 1/2 mile has to offer. (Photo: April 30, 2004)

The Ocean City Boardwalk has been a vacation hot spot for over a hundred years. The concept of the Boardwalk began by hotel owners in 1902. They created wooden walkway for their guests. This temporary walkway was rolled up during high ride to keep from getting damaged. It was later replaced with a five block permanent boardwalk in 1910 which was later extended to the present 2 1/2 mile long boardwalk following storm in 1962. Today the boardwalk is home to storefronts, restaurants, carnival games, amusement rides and museums. The entertainment at the Boardwalk has led to it being a popular East Coast vacation spot. (Photo: April 30, 2004)

Located at the end of the famous Ocean City Boardwalk lies a museum dedicated to the history of the U.S. Life Saving Service. Created by the Treasury department in 1848, the U.S. Life Saving Service was the early predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard. The service provided marine aid to vessels in distress along the Atlantic Coast. The Ocean City Station opened in 1891 and remained in service until closed by the Coast Guard in 1964. During its operation, the station responded to seven major shipwrecks. The station was later relocated to the inlet side of the boardwalk and reopened as a museum in 1978. (Photo: April 30, 2004)

Ocean City, Maryland: Located on the Delmarva peninsula, Ocean City is one of the popular Mid-Atlantic Eastern Shore destinations. The famous boardwalk and attractions combined with the off-shore sport fishing makes this stop popular with residents and tourists alike. The concept of a beach resort began in 1869 when Issac Coffin opened a beach cottage. Soon after other boarding houses followed and the area quickly became popular with businessmen from nearby metropolitan cities. In 1875 the first major hotel opened, the Atlantic Hotel provided 400 guest rooms with billiard and dancing rooms to entertain its visitors. Throughout the years, the community continued to grow to meet the needs of the tourism industry. The 1970’s were the busiest developmental times as more then 10,000 condo units were being created to stay ahead of the boom. The major attraction of the city is the world famous Ocean City Boardwalk. Extending three miles in length along the Atlantic Ocean, the boardwal...

Ocean City, Maryland: We spend the morning spending time with family and waiting for my dad to get off work. Then we headed south to Ocean City, Maryland. We had dinner at Phillips Seafood, featuring an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. Then we parked the truck and took a walk down the boardwalk, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Atlantic boardwalk. We stopped by the gaming area and tried our luck with some of the games of skill and rode some of the fair rides that are a mainstay of the Ocean City boardwalk. As the sunset in Ocean City, our vacation was coming to an end. For more photos from day eight, visit my Ocean City photo gallery.