Let me be honest.  Before I went over the weekend, I had never been to Ocean City.  I’m not sure why, but I never really had a desire to visit.  So as I was looking for short weekend getaways, Ocean City popped to the top of my list because it was a place that 1) I had never been and 2) was close in proximity to DC and 3) was affordable.

Usually when I travel, I have a flexible agenda and an idea about what I want to see and know how I want to maximize my trip.  Fortunately for me, I didn’t have a plan this time and it worked out in my favor.

Assateague Island

Before I hit Ocean City’s boardwalk, I decided to take a small detour and head to Assateague Island for the first time (thanks to my cousin, Amanda, for the recommendation!).

Assateague Island is located off the Eastern Shore and known for its wild ponies that inhabit the island.  Because I had been on safari and know that Mother Nature tends to have a mind of her own, I didn’t expect to see any horses.  To my surprise, I spotted a family of horses as soon as I stepped out of the car.

I knew about Assateague’s wild ponies, but I didn’t know that there were also places to relax, lay out and enjoy the ocean on Assateague Island. People were kitesurfing, parasailing and overall just enjoying the beach.  I wondered to myself why I hadn’t been there before?!  I’m glad I made the short detour.

Ocean City

Next, I headed to Ocean City’s infamous boardwalk which was about 20 minutes from Assateague and looked exactly how I pictured it.  It reminded me of Atlantic City’s boardwalk with games, eateries, and souvenir shops.  Since it was early in the season, it wasn’t crowded at all.

While this was great, the highlight of my stay in Ocean City was going to Seacrets.  If you’ve ever been to Ocean City, you’ve been to Seacrets.  If you haven’t been to Ocean City, you’ve heard of Seacrets.  It’s almost legendary in its Ocean City fame as it’s the ‘go-to’ place if you’re in the city.  And let me tell you…I had a BALL.

There were two live bands playing – one singing reggae music and the other singing covers of current hits.  And both were excellent!  I danced my little heart out.  Seacrets is clearly a place for people who only intend to party the night away.

I actually left Ocean City the next day and was slightly sad that I didn’t have more time to explore. I know it’s a small beach town, but there were lots of restaurants and other attractions to see – for single people or for families.  While the Sunday traffic back to DC left a little bit to be desired, I can’t wait to return.

P.S. Seacrets’ housemade rums were PERFECT. So smooth!  I can’t wait to get my hands on some in DC.

Photo Credit: adventure.howstuffworks.com