This is an impromptu road trip to the beach with Kat and my sister Mona to soak in the sun and have some fun.

Travel:  Friday, June 12, 2020

Packed and getting ready to leave the wonderful state of Pennsylvania to pick up my sister Mona, then make a beeline across the Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore and on to Ocean City, Maryland.

After a fun drive we made it to the ocean and were greeted by fair weather and lots of people. After checking in we decided to eat lunch at Grotto’s Pizza. Kat and I shared a Caesar salad and Bruschetta and my sister got a turkey burger. I think we all enjoyed the meal although service was slow due to the recent re-opening.

Afterwards we walked from 14th Street down to the inlet to see what the world looked like post-COVID-19. I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of folks having fun everywhere. Most places were open but with Mask and Distancing rules in place. There also seemed to be a different sense about the people. A feeling of finally being free with some sense of normalcy and it was inspiring to see it. I will admit though we also had a feeling that the weekend could see some sort of uprising if the sheer numbers of kids and bands of police staged along the Boardwalk were any indication. Oh well, we’ll see how that goes.

As we walked, many places looked familiar from the last time I was here some years ago. I decided though that Dumser’s milkshakes and Thrasher’s fries would be on my short list. I gladly treated the girls to tasty milkshakes which were not only great tasting but refreshing as well.

After the milkshakes and viewing the inlet we trekked back to our hotel. All in all we walked a total of four miles and we were glad to be back. It was nice and, with a feeling of having earned a tasty dinner, we started thinking about where we’d go for that dinner.

Since most restaurants only offered carry-out (due to the Corona Virus) it took a few calls to find a nearby restaurant that offered dine-in seating. We settled on the Reel Inn Restaurant and Dock Bar https://reelinnoceancity.com/ for some local seafood. This turned out to be a good choice as this was a nice, upscale place on the water with very good food. The best part, it was only a short half-mile walk from our hotel.

The evening was cool and breezy as you’d imagine being near the ocean. I was glad Kat and I brought jackets as I decided to wear mine, after first offering it to my sister. The girls wound up getting crab cake platters and I got a feast that included scallops, shrimp and a crab cake. Excellent meal with awesome company. After a peaceful walk back to the hotel we got settled for the evening. We discussed going bike riding the next morning then were off to a deep sleep.

Saturday, June 13

After a good night sleep we decided to rent bikes to loop the boardwalk’s 6 miles. Heading north provided a stiff wind in our faces but nice morning views. We decided to stop at a Starbucks for much-needed coffee and breakfast sandwiches. This provided a nice transition for waking up. After a tasty meal and coffee we continued until reaching the end and touching the dot. Yes, they actually have a sign with a dot at each end of the boardwalk you can touch. I think this is to validate that you actually rode to the end, lol.

The southerly ride was better with a nice tailwind and people just starting to arrive to the boardwalk. Before we knew it we were at the inlet area. It was entertaining for my sister and I watching Kat perform her synchronized “riding” as she looped back and forth across the parking lot singing to the music in her headset. Before leaving we decided to ride out onto the fishing pier which was fun. We arrived just in time to watch a skate being reeled in. The skate is a cousin to the ray except that it doesn’t have the tail barb that can stick you. After a short time taking pictures we headed back to our hotel to return our bikes and prepare to hit the beach.

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Well, it’s almost noon and we arrived at the beach. It’s sunny, 69f degrees with cool gusty winds. Although I’m not certain myself I’d say the water is freezing cold judging by the screams and the few people in the water. So far Kat was the only one to brave the cold to swim. I will say that the water appears to be a beautiful, pale seafoam green color that looks inviting. Boy is it nice to listen to the waves crashing as the tide comes back in.

After some sun-soaking we decided to take a stroll on the boardwalk for some Thrasher fries and to check out the Kite Loft, which always has some interesting things. Boy those fries were GOOD!

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At this point it was time to get back to the hotel, take a break and start thinking about dinner. We decided to walk north on the boardwalk to see what we could find and soon happened upon Da Vinci’s by the Sea https://www.davincisbythesea.com/home, an Italian Restaurant that proved to have good food. After a hearty meal of pasta, garlic shrimp and a tasty mixed drink we were back at our hotel to get a good night sleep for our travels back home tomorrow.

Sunday, June 14th

With the new day looking bright, sunny and cool we decided to head north along the coast as my sister wanted to stop at Dolle’s Candyland in Rehoboth Beach for some gifts. What a wonderful place this turned out to be with it’s many shops, eateries and a wonderful beach. After finding a place to park I met the girls up at the boardwalk to shop and grab lunch. It’s no wonder we hung out here for a while as nice an area as it was.

We decided to get our lunch at Semra’s Mediterranean Grill http://semras.com/ and sit at the town gazebo to eat our healthy fare. Mona bought us each some fudge as our dessert. This experience at Rehoboth was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I want to return!!!

Although I could have spent the rest of the day here it was time to leave and head towards our last stop before home, Rommel Harley Davidson in Smyrna, Delaware. Unfortunately, with the annoying Covid-19 stuff going on there was NO COFFEE being offered. Very disappointing. We did get to use their bathroom though and on the way out I bought a pair of gloves I’ve had my eye on for a few months. I was also afforded a nice garage thermometer by my loving sister Mona. After we left we made a quick stop for gas and COFFEE at the nearby Wawa and were back on the road heading towards home.