More OC Crazy Lady History

It seems that the entire coast in DE and MD is gearing up for what seems to be a glorious summer to come.  The excitement and vibe in all of the beach communities is as strong as the sunshine that has graced the sand and sea these past few weekends.


Due to quite a few obligations up North this weekend, I will be making a brief appearance in OC on Sunday only to do some yard work and paint my patio with some slip-proof paint. 


Last weekend, I went through quite a few cans of exterior white paint to cover the railing on my front deck.  And, although it was an all day long, pain-in-the-ass sort of chore, it really does look much nicer now!


After a long day of painting, we decided to check out Bourbon St. on the Beach at 11604 Coastal Hwy in Ocean City (you won't see it from the highway - it's below the pool deck behind the Fountainblue Condo).  I failed to get photos, but it was pretty good.  My husband summed it up perfect when he said that he would go back to, maybe, sit in the bar for drinks and apps or sandwiches.  Service was super slow.  Atmosphere leaves much to be desired (we were stuck at a table that was a few feet from the bathroom doors (yuck).  Not terrible but probably won't be going back any time soon.


Saturday, we spent a chilly afternoon on the boardwalk in OC checking out the kite expo and experimenting with boardwalk food stand items such as Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Thrasher's Fries, and Polock Johnny's Hot Dogs (all delicious by the way).




Zippy Lewis scours the beach for home furnishings

Since there is not too much going on in the resort areas this weekend, I will  give you a bit more Ocean City history about some other crazy women of the past.

We'll start with Ziporiah ("Zippy") Lewis.  Zippy built her home near Caine Woods in the 1800's using parts from wrecked schooners that she found along the coast.  She furnished her home using furniture from ships that washed ashore.  You could say that she "re-purposed" her entire home and its belongings!  Legend has it that Zippy has a treasure buried somewhere near there, perhaps hidden in the hollows of old trees.

The Dunes Manor Hotel now has a lounge dedicated to the memory of crazy Zippy.



Another wacky woman in OC history is  "Lady Gale" Eckert.  She was around 75-80 years old when the Caine Woods marshes were being pumped out.  On moonlit nights, workers reported watching Lady Gale do a naked dance on the Fenwick Bridge (apparently she lived in a little shack alongside the bridge).

The Fenwick bridge on Route 54 where Lady Gale did her naked lady dance

Since my beach house is just a few short blocks from this bridge, I'm tempted to wander up there some quiet, moon-lit evening and watch for the naked ghost of Ms. Eckert then go searching for Zippys hidden treasure!

I hope you enjoyed this fun bit of OC history.  Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend whether your at the beach or not! 

 



Kites, Cowboys, and Kidneys

Although the temps will be cool, this weekend is looking mostly rain-free.  I'm planning to head back to my little beach shack tomorrow or Friday for some much needed pressure washing and deck painting.  Perhaps I'll squeeze in some time for rest and relaxation as well.


If you happen to be at the beach this weekend, here are some cool things to check out:

1.  Maryland International Kite Expo - This event, sponsored by the Kite Loft, promises to be a colorful extravaganza where you can witness sport kite competitions and meet some of the world's greatest kite flyers.  Check out the action on the boardwalk in OCMD between 4th and 7th St.  April 24-26.

2.  Old West Weekend at Frontier Town - Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not really into old-timey stuff.  However, I do admit to a strange fascination with old-timey Western stuff.  I think I can trace this back to the Brady Bunch episode that lands the family in a Old West town (one of the few episodes that took the Brady family "on the road").  This Frontier Town event may be more targeted to families with kids, but it sounds pretty exciting - gunfight, whip show, hayride, S'Mores around a campfire, and a guitar playing cowboy!  Frontier Town is located about 5 miles from Ocean City in Berlin, MD.

3.  7th Annual Delaware Kidney Walk - A 3.2 Mile walk in Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, DE) to benefit the National Kidney Foundation.  Participants and their families can enjoy refreshments, face painting, a petting zoo, music, and games.  Event takes place on Sunday, April 26 at 10 AM (check in at 9 AM).


I find it so hard to believe that we are one short month away from Memorial Day weekend and the start of another awesome summer season at the DE/MD beaches.  It is pretty cool to see the resort areas come back to life and, aside from the crowds and traffic, pulsate with their own sort of cool energy.


Take a trip to the beach this weekend to enjoy the sun, cool temps (while they last), and parking without a meter!

Blooming Beautiful Beach

Damn!  It's so pretty down here.  Seriously.  Blue sky, beautiful blooming bulbs and trees everywhere, green grass, and deserted white sand beaches. 



Daffodils in full bloom

Cherry blossoms at their peak - so glad I didn't miss this!





We spent the day doing yard work and getting our carpets professionally cleaned (thank you to Chuck and Gail a.k.a. Mr. Steam Clean of  West OC) at the beach house.  Before dinner, we took a walk on the sand to pay homage to the beautiful sea and breathe in some salty air (which is so much sweeter now that I don't smoke anymore).  Dinner was take-out from La Abuelita on 81st St. in OC, where you can get authentic, home-made Mexican food for very reasonable prices.
Looking forward to chilling out the rest of the weekend.  Tomorrow, I may hit up the  Community Yard sale in Dewey Beach from 8 - 11:30 AM.  I also may head up to Rehoboth Beach and visit Gidgets Gadgets for the promo that they are doing for Record Store Day with Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head. 

The weather is supposed to be 78 degrees and sunny, which will make whatever we decide to do that much better!










































Thawed

I made the optimistic choice to leave the furnace off at my beach house when I left it yesterday.  A look ahead at the temps for this coming week indicated that we don't have to worry about any more icy nights in the resort areas (finally!).

I've spent the past couple of weeks doing some slight remodeling at my little Casa del Sol.  I spent less than $100 for my master bedroom and changed the look by painting and getting a new duvet set and new prints for the walls.  I think it looks a bit more "beachy" than it did.

Rudy the Yorkie enjoying my new, "beachier" master bedroom

A little "adult" reading at Bethany Beach Books

I've been visiting the main streets and boardwalks in all of the DE/MD resort towns over the past month. 

The cool temps have kept crowds away, but many of the businesses have been open anyway and I've found some really good deals.  

One of the best bargains was at Bethany Beach Books, where all of their hard-cover books that were recently released in paperback were on sale for under $10.  We scooped up an armload of those to keep at the beach house for lazy afternoon reading

Coming up this weekend (April 12, 2015), you can learn how to have your dream beach wedding by heading to the Ocean City Bridal Show @ Seacrets.

If you aren't interested in getting married, or if you already are, you can hit up the Dewey Beach/Rehoboth Bacon Fest.  I really don't know anything about this event.  Check out the web site - I think it's some sort of a bacon contest - maybe like creative things people do with bacon, but I can't be sure.  

Sooo....yeah... not much going on at the beach this coming weekend.  I'll be staying in the burbs to do some clean-up and catch-up.  Looks like the beaches will be really starting to heat up next weekend, so I'll have to get ready for that.  The sand is getting warmer.  Put your toes in!