The Munching Mermaid

Purple Moose

Parched Pelican

Greene Turtle

Crabby Pig

Blue Fish

Salty Dog

Big Pecker's

Lazy Lizard

Bad Monkey

The above names are all real establishments in Ocean City, MD.  I think I may have discovered the secret to the successful family restaurants that line Coastal Highway.  It's a very simple formula and has proven effective for almost all who have followed it.

Here it is:

DESCRIPTOR + FISH/MAMMAL/REPTILE = SUCCESSFUL FAMILY RESTAURANT

Knowing this, I am tempted to open my own establishment.  I've been thinking about what I should call it and, of course, have compiled a list of possible monikers.  Oh - and don't forget to put the word, "The" in front of all of these:

Fat Flamingo

Ghetto Gecko

Leaky Labrador

Hungover Hippo

Pimpled Plankton

Stinky Scallop

Chubby Eel

Imagine, if you will, any one of these names on a lighted sign, written fun or frilly font, with a cartoon image of the animal as described and three words written directly underneath - Ribs, Chicken, & Seafood.

Ribs, Chicken, & Seafood

See what I mean?

Sort of makes you wonder why society finds animated creatures of varying colors appetizing.  

Speaking of seafood, I tried several crab cakes while on vacation last week.  

Here are the latest rankings:

OC360 (at the top of the Fenwick Inn) 

Nice view from OC360  

The new OC360 has a very limited and casual menu.  It seems to be ideal for hotel guests looking for a snack or room service.  The service was very good, but the crabcakes were probably not made there.  They tasted very similar to the frozen Phillips crab cakes that I buy from Costco.  Meh.

Claddaugh on the Shore (Fenwick Island)

By far, the best crab cake that I've tasted since overcoming my seafood "fallergy".  Very lumpy and not a ton of filler.  I got the sandwich, but I'm looking forward to getting the entree next time.

45th St. Taphouse (Ocean City, MD)

This crab cake looked better than it tasted.  It had a little too much shell mixed in and I wasn't crazy about the tartar sauce that accompanied it.  

Ropewalk (OCMD and Fenwick Island)

Not sure what I liked better about this meal, the view at sunset in OC or the crab cake sandwich.  Both were wonderful.  Looking forward to my next visit!

Ropewalk OC - good food and great views

Speaking of great views.  Here is a video of the view from my front deck on the evening of July 4th.  This went on for a couple of hours after the fireworks at Northside Park ended.  

 Fuck yeah.

And here is a photo taken at the same time from the inside of my house.  We wrapped the pups up tightly so that they didn't feel afraid.

Oh Fuck

It's pretty exciting at the beach right now.  I love seeing everyone relaxing and having a good time.  

I'll be heading back this weekend for more fun and crab cake taste testing.  Keep cool!

Only A Memory

What are your beach vacation "triggers"?  

It can be a song, a smell, a movie, a food, a color, an article of clothing, a photo, or just a memory that you like to recall when you need it the most.

For me, it would have to be subtle sensory things such as the feel of warm sand between my fingers and toes, the sound of shore birds as they hover near a person carrying a bucket of warm french fries on the boardwalk, or the sight of children tossing neon-colored glow sticks in the air on a dark beach in the evening.

Occasionally, my daughter will hear a song and say to me, "this song reminds me of the beach". There are usually no "beachy" lyrics.  It's just a song that was popular during a time when we were at the beach on vacation, or a song that she had on a playlist that she listened to while relaxing on the sand. 

It's funny how sensory triggers have such a powerful connection to our memories.  The cologne that I wore while pregnant and having morning sickness is disgusting to me now.  I can never eat another Twinkie because it was the last thing I ate before coming down with a stomach flu in 4th grade.  And I can't even begin to list the songs that evoke instant memories - good and bad.

I started thinking about what puts me in a beach frame of mind and decided to make a list of things that are sure to put your mind at the beach if your body can't be there.

1.  Keep a seashell in your pocket

For as long as I can remember, I have kept a seashell in my purse.  Right now, I have one sitting on my desk at work (sort of like Steve Martin in "Baby Mama").  It is a great way to remind me to keep the "essence" of the seashell in everything that I do!

2.  Don't Vaccuum the Sand Out of Your Trunk

Been to the beach lately?  Chances are you have sand in your trunk.  Why not keep it there?  As you are out running your errands, you will have a happy reminder of lazy days and sun rays every time you load your groceries.

3.  Find the Nearest Body of Water

Just because you're not near the ocean, doesn't mean that you can't benefit from the calm motion of any body of water.  Be it pond, lake, river, or your local swim club, it is always relaxing to be near water - especially one with tides.  

4.  Suburban Sunbathing

If you have a deck, patio, or even just a lounge chair, you can lay under the sun in your own backyard.  Put on your bathing suit and your beach playlist and close your eyes.  I swear you'll start to hear sea gulls!

5.  Watch movies that are set in beachy locales

I'm not talking Annette and Frankie.  I mean movies with awesome beach scenes such as:

From Here To Eternity

Jaws

Brooklyn

The Notebook

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Grease

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Great Expectations

6.  Eat Seafood

There is nothing like the taste of fresh seafood to remind you of salt water and happy times.  If you can find it, eat it!

Of course, the best way to put yourself in beach mode is to plan your next trip to the beach.  As soon as I hit the craziness of I-95 on my way home from the beach (a not so pleasant trigger), I'm already planning my next trip back.

In the meantime, I'll be the one walking through the Brandywine Target with sunburn on my shoulders, flip flops on the my feet, and a little white sea shell in my purse.