OCNJ

Fact: The worst thing about moving is everything.

Scenes from the weekend. Fun, right?

Packing boxes is no fun, no matter who you’re doing it with, and after a weekend of loading cars, driving to and from North Carolina, sweating in the heat, and the early stages of a cold, I was feeling a little worse for wear. And then, like a fairy godmother, my buddy Claire fluttered down from North Jersey to sprinkle my night with joy. And, having spent the past two days with her, I figured I should share a bit of our trip to Wonderland.

In case you’re not from around these parts, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier is the oldest amusement park in Ocean City. Considering there’s only one other (Playland), that’s not incredibly tough, but either way, it’s been a staple of my life as long as I can remember. But then you get older, and your time on the boardwalk is spent scoping out dudes (or chicks or clothes or foods) and the rides can fall by the wayside.

Here’s a tip: Ditch the dudes, the funnel cakes, the neon colored tshirts – get thee to the rides, post-haste.

Keeping it classy

We couldn’t let ALL our adult vices go, though, so we started our evening with a nice sampling of some tasty craft beer, including this Hop Sun from Southern Tier. Though I’m not normally a fan of wheat beers, this brew was tart with an almost citrusy bite to it, and lacked some of the saccharine taste that I’m used to tasting in a lot of sweet wheat beers. If you’re in the market for a refreshing summer beer, nab one. Or a few, as we did.

After a few adult beverages, it was time to let the kids inside of us out to play.

LET’S DO THIS!

Moneybags Claire picked up 25 tickets (a BARGAIN for $20 [sarcasm]), and we made a plan. First up: The Musik Express.

Safety first, buckling up

We decided to stay in separate carts because, as you know if you’ve ever been on a Musik Express-type ride, if you’ve got more than one person in the cart, someone’s getting squished.

Hard.

Though I did have a few buddies in my cart: my giant shins.

It was a WILD ride. Too fun, especially having the cart all to myself. We screamed like lunatics backwards and forwards, and came off a little loopy and ready for the next ride!

The BIG BOY!

It’s not like the Ferris wheel is a petrifying thrill-ride, but man…. it does allow for quite the view of Ocean City, NJ.

Though it felt pretty romantic at the top, we somehow resisted making out (though I did see a few capsules a-rockin’… we did NOT go a-knockin’).

Afterwards, we made ourselves sick and dizzy on Wonderland’s version of the gravitron… We were the ONLY passengers on the ride. Bonus: Yelling as loudly as we wanted, and dancing like fools throughout.

Bird’s eye view of the ABDUCTION! Scared yet?

We rounded the night out the only way I know how.

At The Henna Shop.

I can’t resist

I’ve mentioned it before, but I used to work every summer during college at the Ocean City Henna Shops, and I can’t help but go back and get the bottle in my hand now and then.

Letting the kid inside of me out to play was just what I needed to (momentarily) forget about the grown-up issues looming ahead and behind (moving! student loans! apartment hunting! HOORAY!) Bonus? HENNA HAND!

What childhood past-times do you still enjoy?

Good evening y’all!!

Here in Ocean City, it’s a perfect 82 degrees (as it has been, basically, for the entire day). My sleep last night… was perfect. I had both windows open, and the sea breeze crosses my room in all the right ways. I woke up feeling well rested, despite staying up until almost 2 am last night (which is equivalent to pulling an all nighter for normal humans, as I have the sleeping schedule of people who qualify for the 10% Harris Teeter Senior Citizen Discount). When my mom asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride to the boards for some breakfast, how could I say no? I mean, come on…. I’m a sucker for alliteration.

I got all dolled up (read: workout gear, suntan lotion, sneaks, and sunglasses) and was ready. Inevitably, I was mocked for bringing a small backpack, but GUESS WHO WASN’T COMPLAINING WHEN THEY NEEDED ME TO CARRY THEIR JUNK? That’s right, both of them.

Like Dora the Explora, I am never without my backpack!

The Ocean City New Jersey Boardwalk is 2.5 miles long, and we biked from our house which is a mile beyond the start, to the finish, and back. A nice 8 mile bike ride was the right way to start the day, though I’ll admit, these ol’ legs of mine haven’t ridden that long in some time. Luckily, we had a pit stop in the middle.

Breakfast with a view!

Clancy’s by the Sea has breakfast, lunch, and dinner right on the boards. At first look, I was a little taken aback by the prices, but it’s pretty much par for course in a beach town, so I quickly calmed down. I ordered 2 scrambled eggs, home fries, rye toast, and a side of bacon, a perfect combination of foods for a savory breakfast. My mother ordered the same, only with sausage, no bacon. Her sausage was served big and juicy, my bacon was crisp. Kiley, my little sister, ordered the ~~silver dollar~~ chocolate chip pancakes, which were sweet and delightful.

That pancake-eating grin on her face is due to the fact that she's eating... and we were not.

Our initial service was pretty basic, and not too bad. Then, all the sudden, we got our meals. Well, I should say, we got MOST of our meals. What was missing?

Toast.

Feel free to watch this to find out how Chloe Sevigny feels about toast. You won’t be disappointed (unless you hate laughter. or love Chloe Sevigny.)

Anyway, both my mother and I are not fans of eating eggs sans toast, so we waited patiently. Too patiently, I think, as it took just long enough for our eggs to get cold for our requested toast to come out. Blast.

Oh, rye toast, the apple of my rye eye

My first thought was WOW THIS FOOD IS GREAT! It took a moment to realize, “Wow. this food is decent, but I’m so hungry that wood chips would taste like creme brulee.” Either way, the toast situation was a bummer, but the food hit the spot that needed to be hit, and we needed to get back onto the boards. After finishing our ride at a little faster pace than we started, I jumped in the shower and to grandmother’s house we went (literally.)

I don’t get to see my Naney very often, and she’s my only living grandparent left, so it’s always fun to see her/catch her up! We also always get to indulge in a very special treat.

Mallon's? What's that?

The stickiest of buns.

Mallon’s Sticky Buns, yet another insane indulgence in Ocean City, New Jersey. They’re a total treat, if you’re anywhere near Sea Isle, Avalon, or Ocean City, try them if you like sweet breakfast treats!! Check out the Mallon’s Locations for more deets.

While these were divine, there was another part of the trip that was the true highlight. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you my daddy, circa Christmas early 1950s: