Trip Report #8 - Ocean City, Maryland

Hi all!  We just got back from the beach and wanted to share our trip report with you.  We have been going to Ocean City each summer for the past 5 or 6 years.  So you will see pictures below from various trips over the years.  Each time we have stayed at the Holiday Inn & Suites on 17th. This is probably the best kid friendly hotel on the boardwalk. You may wonder why? 

Pools! Two pools, one with a bar and the other with a toddler boat slide and big windy slide. There is also a zero entry for kids, fountains, a whirlpool area, and a mini lazy river. To top it off for parents they have servers walking around taking food and drink orders. Kids also eat free! Yes FREE!  With each adult meal paid you get 2 free kids meals. The only issue is getting the kids out of the pool long enough to eat. They also have mermaids come swim with the kids and give them glitter tattoos. I’m pretty sure my son thinks he’s dating one of them and that they are totally real! 

Room type! This is one of the only hotels where you can get a two room suite. Meaning a full kitchen and a separate family room with a pull out sofa. For our family of 5 I still think it’s tight but for prime boardwalk location on the beach you aren’t going to find one bigger. To save money we stock up the fridge and cook breakfasts and pack lunches to take to the pool or beach. We even do a dinner in the room one during the trip after a long beach day.  Now this hotel isn't the Ritz but it is perfect for our family. 

And the last reason that the Holiday Inn is the best hotel is the location! Walking distance to the inlet and tons of shops, restaurants and mini golf locations. You can walk the whole boardwalk from here but are far enough out you can’t hear or see the crowds of downtown OC. You’re also a quick drive from the bridge in and out of town. 

Restaurants and places we’ve tried:

Fractured prune doughnuts: A must on every trip there’s one on the board walk two blocks down from where we stay. Melt in your mouth doughnuts covered in yummy glazes and toppings. 

Seacrets: 48th and bay side. This place is awesome! I used to work here so I’m partial to it ha! It’s about 4 blocks long with bay access. When you aren't with kids they have rafts and tables set out in the bay for day drinking in the sun. There are multiple bars and seating for inside and outside dining. It has a real beach feel since most of the restaurant floor  is sand with palm trees all around. They also have great drinks and food! I suggest the crab dip, crab toast, and a dirty banana. But you honestly can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. 

Fishtails: 23rd and bay side. This place also has seating in the sand so wear flip flops. This place gets busier every year! They have fun hammock swings and a big play ground for the kids which is awesome when they get restless.They have a face painter in the evenings as well. If you get their early enough you can see all the fishermen bringing in their catch and checking their weights. The kids meals are served on frisbees which our kids love. I personally like the food at other restaurants more but the atmosphere here is great. I’ve also heard Ropewalk is a similar set up with a playground but we are partial to fishtail because we can walk. 

Mini golf: There is a course just about every block. We’ve played embers on 24th which has great obstacles and visual effects. This year we played nicks with the dinosaurs on 19th. We got a buy one get one coupon from our hotel lobby. Which thank goodness, because it was a bust with kids age 6, 4, and 20 months. We won’t be golfing again until they are older and can stay interested. I suggest you go early because these places get packed in the evening! 

Endless summer surf shop: 38th street. This shop has an awesome snowball stand.  It was the only one we could find in Ocean City. It's a cute little shop with super friendly owner Noah. He also does surf lessons if anyone is interested. 

Maryland Blue Crabs: We’ve come to realize that it’s tough or impossible to pick crabs with young kids. We now order in the morning from where ever we find good sizes for a good price. This year we ordered from Higgins and got 10 supers for $95. We order these for pickup after the kids bed time. One person puts the kids to bed while the other picks up the crabs. We pack a lantern and eat the crabs on the hotel balcony. We can take our time and supply our own beers. It’s not fancy but it works and crabs are a must have!! Friends suggested next time we try the Crab Stop.   

Stayed tuned for a post detailing our total cost for the 6 night trip.  Thanks for reading!