My family and I have certain time-honored traditions when it comes to summer.  We always go to a ball game, the house always gets cleaned, and we always plan a vacation to the beach.  And as many of you know, in order to have the perfect beach vacation, you need to pick the right beach.  Although we have experimented and tried new places from time to time, this year we decided to stick with a classic; a place that always produces days filled with laughs, memories, and fun…Ocean City, New Jersey: America’s Greatest Family Resort!

My family and I have gone to OCNJ for almost all of my life, and I have also managed to convince my friends as well that this beach town is different from the rest.  As soon as we cross over the bridge and arrive on the island, it feels like I am returning to a place I love, and while Newark, DE is my home away from home, OCNJ is only just slightly behind.  This year, due to everyone’s hectic schedules, our vacation was not as long as it usually is.  But, our itinerary did not suffer, and we managed to check off all of the usual things that happen on an Eisenhart beach vacation:

Saturday:

We arrive in OCNJ and quickly drop off all of our belongings at the hotel.   Then, we change into our bathing suits, put on the SPF-gazillion sunscreen, and head on over to the beach.  The water is always cold upon first entering, but soon feels oh so relaxing.  My father and I toss the football around in the water, and I pretend I’m an NFL superstar every

time I dive into the waves in pursuit of a pass. Then it’s sandcastle-making, boogie boarding, and just messing around in the water.  Soon enough, Mom is calling us in to go back to the hotel, shower and change, and go out to eat.  The place we always hit up is Manco and Manco Pizza, the best pizza in the world (New Yorkers, don’t even try to convince me otherwise).  It is heavenly, and just writing about it makes my taste buds cry out for more.  After dinner, the rest of the night is spent walking along the miles of boardwalk and checking out all of the T-shirt shops and various boutiques.  The night is officially over when we stop and order a favorite late-night snack: deep-fried Oreos.  Yes, I was once skeptical too; an Oreo is already perfect, why would somebody feel the need to fry it?  Well, it is actually really tasty, and even though your doctor may not like your decision, your stomach certainly will.

Sunday:

The family and I wake up early, pack up the car, and check out of our hotel.  Then it’s a hearty breakfast in town of homemade doughnuts and omelets (my personal favorite: ham, hash browns, cheese, and mushrooms).  We then take one last walk around the boardwalk, and stop by Congo Falls for a round of mini golf.  Despite my employment at a mini golf course, my game is mediocre at best, and once again, I fall short of beating Momma Eisenhart.  Sadly, we had to start our return trip home after mini golf, but as I said, we managed to do everything that we wanted to do in a short amount of time.

I had such a blast at OCNJ this year, and I am really glad that that my family and I were able to take some time off, albeit very briefly, to just enjoy each other’s company.  I am already eagerly looking forward to next year’s trip!