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!