Ocean City, Maryland

[jimnyc]

Going on a short 2 day vacation. Leaving in a bit for Jersey and gonna stay with my brother John tonight. Tomorrow we will go to Maryland, and then off to a surprise 60th birthday party for my cousin.

I haven't seen this cousin in 36 years now! A little awkward perhaps? But I remember him very very well. He's been to Jersey a few times in the past year and John met up with him. Still the same outdoorsy guy as he remembers.

He left NJ after his mom died back then and went to Arizona and became a forest ranger. Moved on up the ladder to whatever, but then moved to Virginia. Eventually he was head ranger in charge of Chincoteague Island and all the animal preservation there, forestry & of course the famous horses that live there. I vacationed there many many times, so we'll have something cool to talk about at least!

I'm hoping the party has tons of people so I don't get stuck in a "so what have you been up to" questions. Like yeah, sit back and lemme update you on the past 36 years! :laugh:

And another road trip with John! We always have fun together, and always end up fighting about something. Will be fun! :)

[Elessar]

I liked OC Maryland and Rehobeth Beach Delaware.

[jimnyc]

I liked OC Maryland and Rehobeth Beach Delaware.

Only been to Rehobeth once, but it's very nice! All that area is when you're from New York!! But Chincoteague is special for me, as I have a million memories of camping in our trailer in a campground there growing up with family, and going out on a boat doing some crabbing and fishing.

[Gunny]

I thought both beaches were pretty cool. For Northern beaches. I guess. :laugh:

[Abbey Marie]

Only been to Rehobeth once, but it's very nice! All that area is when you're from New York!! But Chincoteague is special for me, as I have a million memories of camping in our trailer in a campground there growing up with family, and going out on a boat doing some crabbing and fishing.

As a Delawarean, I have to say, Long Beach Island, NJ is better than the Delaware beaches.

Have a great time!

[Elessar]

I thought both beaches were pretty cool. For Northern beaches. I guess. :laugh:

Try the ones out here in Oregon! There is no Gulf Stream to warm the water,
which rarely gets above 56 F except in lagoons!

I guarded a beach in Wildwood Crest NJ for 4 summers. Early season water temps
were about 61 to 62 F. By August they came into the low 80's!

[Gunny]

Try the ones out here in Oregon! There is no Gulf Stream to warm the water,
which rarely gets above 56 F except in lagoons!

I guarded a beach in Wildwood Crest NJ for 4 summers. Early season water temps
were about 61 to 62 F. By August they came into the low 80's!I lived in Southern and Central CA enough to have real good idea about the West Coast. The water is too cold for me in San Diego much less further north.

I lived quite a few years in the FL Keys and in Miami as a kid. When my parents moved to Jax, whenever I was on leave we went to Daytona. In other words, I'm spoiled when it comes to beaches :)

[Elessar]

Most all of our currents along the coast sweep down from the Gulf of Alaska, which is indeed not warm.
In the summer an offshore flow from Hawaii will be running opposite and that brings the albacore with it.
But that is 60 miles out.

Even the water off San Diego and Los Angeles rarely gets past 65 F.

[jimnyc]

Not sure where Abs lives, so I yelled hello to her a bunch of times while heading through. Hear me Abs? Abbey

Have some videos and other pics, but mostly family stuff and speeches and that kind of crap. All in all, was a fun trip!!

I learned a lot about my own cousin that I didn't know. But when he's 60 and you haven't seen him in 30+ years, all you get is updates from time to time. But I'm quite proud to know him even more now, a few highlights I learned:

1 - He was in the US Navy for 10 years
2 - He started fighting fires in Arizona and ended up as a member of the "hotshots"
3 - Became a forest ranger at Yellowstone.
4 - Was forest ranger in Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada - then off to Cape Hatteras in there somewhere, the Florida Keys he lived, and then became Chief Ranger in Assateague Island in Virginia and was there for 20+ years before he retired. He has moved 16 times. He even lived in Alaska for a period, NightTrain - he said he was all over in Alaska. I then told him I had a good friend in Wasilla. He is a HUGE fisherman and hunter. I asked about his fishing and what he caught - and then he told me his favorite place of all over there was Talkeetna! Of course my eyes lit up and we had something else to chat about.


Not long after entering Delaware, I pulled up behind this guy wearing a sweet Jerome Bettis helmet while riding his bike!

https://i.imgur.com/1jTg0CKl.jpg

Inside of the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, MD, inside facing back at the front entrance. What a beautiful old hotel this was! They have a "Richard Gere" room, as they filmed the movie "Runaway Bride" there and he stayed at the hotel in that room. That was good enough to make me want to sleep elsewhere! LOL

https://i.imgur.com/1crvRZGl.jpg

Out in front of hotel in downtown Berlin. A very small and quaint town and extremely clean!

https://i.imgur.com/F1LSON5l.jpg

This is the stairwell leading up to the hotel rooms. Like a bed and breakfast atmosphere in a old old old hotel.

https://i.imgur.com/O9wfsHMl.jpg

The birthday cake!

https://i.imgur.com/cHwkMa2l.jpg

And "ugly pies", which I steered clear of once I heard the name!

https://i.imgur.com/6eW1lZxl.jpg

Front of hotel and some old man sitting there. Funny thing is, I only had on a dress shirt, and it got chilly at night. So I went outside, sat down on a chair - because they had heated blankets out there that you see!!

https://i.imgur.com/CnX629Tl.jpg

The room the party was in, prior to mostly everyone getting there.

https://i.imgur.com/4qlUeoVl.jpg

Out front again, peering off to the right.

https://i.imgur.com/03ocLYol.jpg

I NEVER take selfies with people, I hate that!! But I tried anyway, and the suckiness shows! That's John and his half a head to the left, my cousin Teddy in the middle caught looking funny, and then me, who is just naturally funny looking! :)

https://i.imgur.com/1lY9trcl.jpg

John texted the whole way down, then the whole way back. I gave him some crap and snuck off a few shots on him!

https://i.imgur.com/SwIw1nLl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nCro7ool.jpg

On way home, passing the "Monster Mile" Nascar track in Delaware!!

https://i.imgur.com/y1jo9B3l.jpg

[Abbey Marie]

Abut damn time! I wave in your direction every time we are on the Hutch!

Were you going by the Monster Mile yesterday? We were. Are you that New York driver that cut off everybody?! ;)

Looks like a very nice trip, despite your driving partner, lol.

[jimnyc]

Abut damn time! I wave in your direction every time we are on the Hutch!

Were you going by the Monster Mile yesterday? We were. Are you that New York driver that cut off everybody?! ;)

Looks like a very nice trip, despite your driving partner, lol.

It was a great great trip! Even with John texting, we still had a lot of fun, both ways. It was all well beyond perfect that I got to see my cousin.

Oh yeah, passed by the Monster and the air force base somewhere between 10-11am yesterday, and WAS going left and right between the middle and left lane, mostly about 85-90 the whole time. :) For whatever reason, in 4 lanes, folks sure do love to hop into the left lane and stop at 55mph, and when you come up behind them, with no one else around, they stay there, and now I gotta pass on the right.

[Abbey Marie]

It was a great great trip! Even with John texting, we still had a lot of fun, both ways. It was all well beyond perfect that I got to see my cousin.

Oh yeah, passed by the Monster and the air force base somewhere between 10-11am yesterday, and WAS going left and right between the middle and left lane, mostly about 85-90 the whole time. :) For whatever reason, in 4 lanes, folks sure do love to hop into the left lane and stop at 55mph, and when you come up behind them, with no one else around, they stay there, and now I gotta pass on the right.

Oh wow, we were southbound going by there around 11 am. Headed to Bethany Beach.
Ate at Crabby Dicks.

:coffee:

And yeah, Russ likes to ride the left lane too. Better not try that in Italy.