Spring and winter days at the beach

The beach at 56th Street in Ocean
City, Md., on April 8

Yesterday I had the day off, and though it wasn't very warm, I decided that I just needed to see the ocean. Sometimes, just stopping for a few minutes and walking through the sand and watching the waves roll in is the most relaxing thing you can do to refresh your mind (and it's only a half hour away).

It was 52 degrees, but when the sun wasn't behind a cloud and the breeze slowed down, it actually wasn't that bad. I didn't wear shoes for walking on the beach, since I also planned to go shopping, but once I got there and saw how nice it was, I carried my shoes and walked in my socks.

When late May rolls around, it gets too busy to go to Ocean City easily. April and September/October are the best time to enjoy the beach with fewer (or no) crowds. April can be cool or summer-like. In April 2006, I took this photo of Chalupa on the 15th, and it was 85 degrees.

I also stopped at Bethany and Rehoboth on my way to the Outlets. Rehoboth completed a Main Street revitalization project in the last few years, and it made the downtown main drag really nice looking. I'm going to go back and check it out again when more stores are open.

Here are a few scenes from winter at the beach. Ocean City hosts a Winterfest of Lights from November to January each year, with a massive light display you can take a train ride through and a second display you can see driving through the Inlet parking lot.

At the Inlet, I took this photo with my phone last December. It was such a peaceful scene one Friday night; there was a full moon, and the waves were crashing against the pier behind the seahorse display (the photo doesn't do it justice).

I've always wanted to see snow falling at the beach, but in my 12 years here I haven't done that yet. It doesn't snow that often, or that much. One year I was able to find some left over a few days after it snowed.

I'll wait for next year for the next snow. I'm ready for 80 degrees now.