Ocean City Live Cam

So you're soaking up the rays on the beach, drink in one hand, sun tan lotion in the other. The rumble in your stomach tells you that it's time to stop lounging and time to start eating. But where do you go? What do you do on those few days a year when it rains on the beach? Where should you take your kids for a good time? Should you rent a boat or go mini-golfing?

Ocean City boasts ten miles of beautiful, pristine beaches, a three mile boardwalk teeming with activity, a wealth of fishing, water sports and boating opportunities, a golfers paradise with an abundance of courses for all levels of play, amusement rides and games, museums, shopping and much, much more to entertain visitors of all ages. Restaurants that offer cuisines to satisfy any appetite or pocketbook and lodging designed to accommodate the needs of any traveler. Now, sit back, relax and continue surfing to make plans for an unforgettable beach experience in Ocean City, Maryland.

The Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association lodging members welcome you to Ocean City- We are pleased to help you locate accommodations that fit your personal needs and desires. All you need to do is check the amenities that you want from the list below, submit your request and the computer will do all the work.

And, what is a vacation without shopping? Ocean City Factory Outlets, Shantytown, 45th Street Village, Gold Coast Mall and unique shops on the Boardwalk and along the main highway of Ocean City are sure to keep you busy.

Ocean City, Maryland's busy summer season is sandwiched between Springfest and Sunfest at the inlet and the ocean, but there's always a lot to do in the resort. Ocean City, Maryland publishes a calendar chock full of events that keeps visitors coming to the resort year-round.

Art festivals, car and boat shows, craft shows, fishing and golf tournaments, sparkling fireworks displays and an international kite festival are just a sample of the excitement that you'll want to check out during the off-season. The Winterfest of Lights shines on through from mid-November to late January providing a colorful backdrop to the many activities of the holiday season.

The Chesapeake Bay

Looking for a new vacation hot spot? Then come explore Maryland's Chesapeake Bay. The bay is recognized for its extensive role in Maryland's history as well as for a multitude of activities and events. Whether you want to charter a boat for fishing, tour a variety of historic sites, sample renowned Maryland seafood, or simply gaze at a sunset over the water, you're sure to fulfill your vacation expectations throughout the expansive Chesapeake Bay region.

Once part of the Susquehanna River thousands of years ago, today the Chesapeake Bay is 195 miles long and practically divides the state of Maryland before joining the Atlantic Ocean. The Susquehanna remains the primary source of fresh water flowing into the bay, but 46 other tributaries empty into it as well. The Chesapeake Bay's magnitude is abounding: 1,726 square miles cover Maryland alone, and 5,124 miles of coastline separate the land from the sea. As Captain John Smith wrote of the Chesapeake, "Heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place more perfect for man's habitation." Four centuries later, his observation is still valid.

Maryland's history is rich, especially when it pertains to the Chesapeake Bay. In the early days, European immigrants arrived at the Port of Baltimore in droves, and by the 1800s at least 40 percent of Baltimore City's population was involved in maritime trades - specifically with the creation of skipjacks and clipper ships. Today, Baltimore City's Inner Harbor is not only an attraction with its many waterfront shops and eateries, but also a major boating area used for pleasure cruises and sailboating. In the summer, a favorite festivity of locals is the Fourth of July parade followed by fireworks over Harborplace. Boaters dock at the Harborplace Marina and watch the colorful display of lights from their own vessels. Another feature is the popular Pier Six Concert Pavilion, which hosts nationally known singers and musicians who entertain spectators under the pavilion's familiar pointed tent. The Port of Baltimore also hosts regular visits from tall ships representing various countries, and the Columbus Center of Marine Research and Exploration, opening to the public in 1996, offers an environmental exposition of the mid-Atlantic estuarian community.

Throughout the nineteenth and into the mid-twentieth centuries, ferries and steamships were used to cross the bay until the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge -- better known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge -- opened for traffic in 1952, joining the eastern and western shores of Maryland. At the northern end of the bay, The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal also played an important role in Maryland’s economy and development - especially in Chesapeake City. Once the center of canal-related industry, it is now a National Historic District and home to the C&D; Canal Museum. Within walking distance are many well-kept nineteenth-century structures and charming restaurants and cafes that serve Chesapeake Bay seafood in various settings. Nearby Havre de Grace is another waterfront town whose history and culture is tied to the bay. The fully restored Concord Point Lighthouse is one of the oldest continuously operating lighthouses in the United States. And you won't want to miss the annual Havre de Grace Decoy, Wildlife Art and Sportsman Festival in early May, during which exhibitors, artists and carvers display and sell their creations along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

Maryland's state capital, Annapolis, and the surrounding area are the most accessible points to participate in bay activities. Annapolis is home to the U.S. Naval Academy and has a long history of maritime activities. Visitors can board sightseeing boats for hour-long local cruises or charter a boat from the numerous Chesapeake Bay Charter Association outlets. Whether you're a first-time passenger or an experienced sailor, the view of the Chesapeake is breathtaking -- particularly at sunset. Other inviting attractions of Annapolis include antiquing, touring the State House and other historic properties, and strolling the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy. Be sure to see the U.S. Sailboat Show and the U.S. Powerboat Show in October -- the largest in-water boat shows in the world. In fact, more than 1,000 sailboat races and regattas are held in the area during the April-through-October sailing season. You may also want to consider joining the annual Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk held in May, windsurfing at Sandy Point State Park, watching the day's catch come in across the bay at Kent Narrows, or fishing off any one of the area's piers at sunrise.

For centuries, the Chesapeake has provided the bounty for watermen who make their living on the bay harvesting crabs, oysters, clams and fish. One of the bay's most popular catches, rockfish, was once endangered, but has now experienced a resurgence -- to the delight of both fisherman and seafood lovers. In 1994, more than 500,000 pounds each of oysters and rockfish were consumed from the waters of the Chesapeake, and more than 36 million blue crabs were caught by Eastern Shore watermen.

One of Maryland’s most unique events, and the pride of lower Eastern Shore watermen, is the National Hard Crab Derby and Fair held in the waterfront town of Crisfield each Labor Day weekend. As spectators watch Maryland's treasured crustaceans race to victory, they experience the state's flair for fun. Crisfield also hosts the Tangier Sound Country Music Festival, where nationally known country entertainers perform while spectators dance the two- step or enjoy open-pit beef sandwiches. Throughout the region, Maryland has many popular seafood festivals that provide fun in the form of live music, crafts, and, of course, seafood.

St. Michaels, situated on the banks of the Miles River, is one of the more prominent historic towns on the Eastern Shore. Visitors can tour the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, which was once the site of a steamboat wharf and canning factory. The museum includes the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, a caisson-style lighthouse that once signaled boaters around Hooper's Island. Historic skipjacks, which were originally kept at the Port of Baltimore, are also based at the museum. Nearby, Oxford offers historic charm and a ride on what is believed to be the longest "free running" or cable-free ferry in the United States.

An exploration of the Chesapeake Bay is incomplete without a tour of Historic St. Mary's City, Maryland's first capital and a National Historic Landmark. Visitors to the six historic sites in the city get to appreciate St. Mary's 800 acres of unspoiled tidewater landscape. Just across the bay, and only accessible by boat, is St. Clement's Island, where Maryland’s early settlers arrived in 1634 aboard the Arc and Dove. This charming island is home to the Potomac River Museum, which highlights the achievements of Maryland colonists.

In Calvert County, Solomons Island has a variety of shops, restaurants and charter fishing companies to add to the pleasure of the bay. In addition, the Calvert Maritime Museum offers exhibits of local maritime history and estuarine biology. Adventurists will enjoy fossil-hunting at Calvert Cliffs State Park, where wetland trails lead to an open seashore known for its prehistoric and historic artifacts.

These attributes offer visitors plenty of positive reasons why the bay is a popular, thriving realm of beauty, activity, history and distinction. We hope you enjoy your visit to Maryland's Chesapeake Bay region and eagerly anticipate your return.