Does Winter Give You the Blahs?

Written by Mary Spiro

You might think that short days, gray skies and chilly temperatures would make days at the beach a distant memory, and going down to the shore in the dead of winter might seem a little flaky. The truth is, a day spent on a wintry beach–with its crisp ocean air and salty sea spray–may be just the antidote for a serious case of stress.

Tricia Supik of Sykesville and her husband Dennis agree. The couple spends many summer days in their Ocean City vacation home, but winter possesses a special charm.

“I love the solitude of the beach in the wintertime,” Supik said. “To walk on the beach alone and to see the snow on the sand is simply spectacular.”

Supik enjoys riding her bike down the boardwalk to The Dough Roller at the Inlet for breakfast. Many boardwalk businesses remain open for winter visitors, said Donna Abbott of the Ocean City Department of Tourism. You can even buy a cup of Thrasher’s fries on cold days.

Tricia and Dennis stroll the shoreline and feed the gulls, something she said she would never try on a summer beach filled with sunbathers. In addition, after October 1 you can take your dog along on your beach walks.

Off the beach, the pair sometimes check out what’s happening at the Convention Center, which hosts everything from antique shows to waterfowl festivals most weekends of the year. Later, they will head up the road to Delaware for some tax-free shopping at the outlet malls.

The best part, Tricia said, is that a trip to the ocean almost literally washes her cares away. “I have always felt that when I get to the edge of the ocean, all the pressures and responsibilities are behind me. I have a tremendous sense of freedom from all that is back there–inland.”

Although most winter beach-goers will never set foot in a hypothermic sea, hundreds of Maryland surfers do. Neal Carver, president of the Annapolis Surf Club, has been surfing mid-Atlantic beaches for 10 years. Five years ago he helped found the club that connects fellow boarders with one another, including a handful in Carroll County. Neal surfs mainly in Ocean City and primarily in the cooler months of the year, when he must don a heavy duty wet suit and accessories to protect himself from hypothermia.

“I hate the beach in the summer,” Carver said. “But in the winter, traveling is a breeze, you can pick and choose where you want to surf, there are no lifeguards, no restrictions. And for some reason, the air seems crisper and the water seems clearer.”

In his quest for the perfect wave, Carver has become an amateur geologist and meteorologist. In winter, he said, low pressure systems cause winds to blow in from the sea toward the shore, creating choppy surf. (Winter waves also wash up a greater variety of sea treasures than their summertime counterparts, making it a perfect time for shell collecting.)

As the weather systems move up the coast, the wind switches, blows back across the waves from the Northwest, and grooms the choppy surf. For a very short time–maybe only two hours–this condition creates an ideal surfer’s wave. Carver does whatever he can to get to the beach in time to catch it. Even if surfing is not your bag, Carver has plenty of praise for a midwinter beach break.

“When winter hits, the beach returns to its natural state,” he said. “All the birds and other wildlife that flee crowds in summer return, and it becomes what it really isÉa quiet, friendly place where people are genuinely happy to see you.” At least once each winter, Carver leaves his surfboards behind and takes his family to Ocean City.

Rates for accommodations at OC’s most costly hotels drop dramatically in the winter. That luxury room that goes for $300 a night in August, is just $60 in December or January. An Internet search for accommodations for a family of four for three nights in December yielded rates as low as $117 (that is $39 a night for the standard double at the Ramada Limited Convention Center) to $527 (or $175 a night for an oceanfront suite with Jacuzzi at the Princess Royale).

Carver’s children, ages 6 and 8, can ride bikes along the boardwalk with no fear of colliding with others or getting lost in the crowds, he said. They also have discovered Trimper’s indoor rides at the Inlet (open only certain weekends during off-season, call 410-289-6817 for dates), as well as Ocean City’s only heated year-round indoor miniature golf course and entertainment complex, Old Pros “Undersea Adventure” at 68th Street. The Carousel Resort Hotel & Condominiums even features an small ice rink, where the synchronized ice skating team (the Metroliners) coached by Carver’s wife Amy has performed.

So make a cup of cocoa, crank up the Beach Boys on the stereo and consider a trip “downee ohshun” this winter. To get you started, here are a few more events going at Ocean City during December and January, along with some highlighted goings on at some area ocean resorts:

Ocean City, MD

The Winterfest of Lights, now through January 2, at Northside Park & 127th Street, features a mile-long path of illuminated displays. Ride the tram, then warm up with hot cocoa in the heated tent where you can shop Yukon Cornelius’ Gift Shop and give your wish list to Santa. Lights with a nautical theme are displayed at the Inlet and town-wide. On New Year’s Eve, Ocean City has two celebrations: the town-wide variety in various pubs and restaurants and a family-friendly event at the Convention Center. On January 14 & 15, check out the North American Craft Show & Nautical and Wildlife Art Festival at the Convention Center.

Bethany Beach, Dewey, Fenwick Island, Lewes and Rehoboth, DE

Billed as the “Quiet Resorts,” these intriguing Delaware beach towns truly live up to the moniker in winter. You will find friendly small towns with loads of history, outlet malls, exclusive shops and serene wildlife habitats throughout southern Delaware.

Silver Lake, for instance, near Rehoboth, is a prime location for watching canvasbacks, redheads and other waterfowl. If you are willing to wade out into the sea, try surf fishing at the most popular spots around Tower Road, 3R’s Road, the area just north of Indian River Inlet, Cape Henlopen Point, Haven Road and the Navy Jetty area within Cape Henlopen State Park. Rehoboth has a Hometown Christmas Parade, which starts at 6:30 p.m. on December 5 along Rehoboth Avenue. Parade entries are judged, with prizes awarded at the Christmas party immediately following the parade at the Rehoboth Convention Hall.

Lewes has holiday events with an historical flair, the most notable being the Lewes Christmas Tour, Saturday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You’ll tour privately owned historic homes as well as the Lewes Historical Society’s historic house museums in the Historic Complex at Second and Shipcarpenter Streets. Call 302-645-7670 for tickets.

In Bethany Beach, hardy folks can kick off New Year’s Day with the Leo Brady Exercise Like The Eskimos plunge into the Atlantic. The noontime event supports scholarships for local students. Call Amy Tingle at 800-962- SURF, if you think you can handle it. Also on New Year’s Day, Bethany Beach offers the Hometown Pet Show. Pets vie for the honor of being “Top Dog”, “Best Dressed,” and other unlikely categories. All proceeds benefit the Sussex County SPCA and Bethany Town Cats.

Cape May, NJ

Across from Cape Henlopen State Park and just an 80-minute ferry ride across the Delaware Bay sits the architectural delight of Cape May, New Jersey. The streets are lined with classic Victorian homes and, during the holidays, the town slips further into its own Dickensian ambiance, conducive to the drinking of wassail and cavorting with the ghosts of Christmas past.

Many wintertime festivities are organized by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts. Call 800-275- 4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org for full listings. It kicks off on December 4 through 6 with the Dickens Christmas Extravaganza, which features the sights, sounds, tastes and scents of Charles Dickens’ time. Every weekend in December, you can take an evening Wassail Tour, ride a trolley to see Cape May’s magnificent holiday decorations and visit the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate. Warm wassail punch and traditional cookies are served at the conclusion of the two-hour tour.

On the first three Saturdays in December, take the self-guided Christmas Candlelight Home Tour of more than 15 inns, guesthouses, hotels and churches, bedecked in Victorian holiday cheer. Finally, ring in the New Year in Cape May at The Glitter Ball at Congress Hall. The lavish affair includes a five-course dinner, live entertainment, champagne toast, party favors and an open bar. Call Congress Hall, 888-944-1816 or visit www.congresshall.com for complete information.