What to do when it rains at the beach

When it rains, it doesn’t always mean it has to pour – have some fun with it! 

Oftentimes when people vacation in the summer, especially at the beach, they don’t think about if the weather turns to not so sunny skies. I mean, who plans for bad weather at the beach, right? Yet it does happen! And if you are not familiar with the area, you may have no idea how to keep your kids, or yourself, from going stir crazy. Here are a few suggestions to keep the fun going while on vacation even when it rains...

Let's start with the Boardwalk

As we all know, the Ocean City Boardwalk offers a variety of different restaurants and shops! It also has great indoor attractions to keep the kids busy, including Trimper’s Rides and Marty’s Playland. Another great attraction is Ripley’s Believe It or Not. This is definitely the weirdest place on the boardwalk with lots of cool interactive exhibits and fun for everyone!

History & Discovery  

Now if you’re more interested in history and learning about the beautiful wildlife that inhabits our ocean and coastal bays, you should definitely check out the Ocean City Life Saving Museum. They offer interesting historical exhibits and have an intriguing aquarium room where you can learn all about the local aquatic life and participate in the free aquarium feeding program.

Kick back and watch the big screen

Need a place to kill a few hours until the rain passes? Don’t forget that Ocean City has three movie theaters – one in West Ocean City, Flagship Cinema and two right off of Coastal Highway, Fox Gold Coast and Surf & Surf Cinema. Each theater offers multiple movies daily, so check their schedules for times and pricing information!

Hole in one!

The kids don’t want to see a movie? Well how about some putt-putt miniature golf?! There are multiple indoor courses up and down Coastal Highway for you to choose from with a variety of themes. See the resources listed at the end of this blog to find a mini golf course perfect for your group. Pro tip - you can usually find a coupon in the local OC guides! 

You won't strike out here

If you’re into games of all kinds, Ocean City has added two fairly new establishments to the mix, Alley Oops Midtown and Uptown. Both locations offer full dining, the newest arcade games and duckpin bowling. To play, simply load money onto an electronic game card and rack up points to earn prizes at the redemption center. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out their live sharks!!

For those of you who enjoy traditional ten-pin bowling, Ocean City has a bowling alley conveniently located in midtown, Ocean City Lanes. It is furnished with a complete snack bar and specialty beverages.

Skating through the rain   

What better way is there to cool off at the beach than with some ice? How about a whole rink of it!! That’s right, Ocean City has an indoor ice skating rink that is located at the Carousel Hotel. They offer skate rentals and free ice shows during the evening. So if you really want to cool off – this is the place for you!

Tag your it 

For those who like to get their adrenaline going, there is no place better than Game World and their two Story, 7500 sq. ft. of heart-pounding action Laser Tag Arena! And if all of that action ends up making you hungry, Fat Albert’s will most certainly have something to cure those hunger pains.

On the hunt for some fun?

And last but not least, for those of us who enjoy treasure hunting, make sure to visit this gem - DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum in Fenwick Island. Here you will learn a great deal about maritime history, archaeology and get to view real-life shipwreck artifacts. It’s amazing what treasures lie beneath our oceans, once a history untold, but not the case any longer. 

Michelle Hunt