The Crowds Are Out Making The Best of the Holiday Weekend

When the weather forecasters are wrong, and wrong in our favor, we have an obligation to take advantage. That seemed to be the prevailing attitude for this Memorial Day weekend in Ocean City. Saturday resembled a mid-summer beach day and Sunday’s slight overcast is a far cry from the predicted washout. Thousands of shoppers crowded Asbury Avenue and the surrounding side streets, searching for bargains or the perfect gift. The unofficial opening of summer got off to an early start this year as thousands of visitors poured into town Thursday to enjoy a beautiful Friday. Saturday was not supposed to be another gorgeous day. However, the weather gurus’ consensus prognostication of precipitation was all wet. The only splashing involved the rays over beach, boardwalk and downtown. “We’re hoping for a sunscreen weekend,” Michele Gillian said on Thursday. The Executive Director of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce got her wish and then some, as clouds did not move in until about 6:30 p.m. That gave the visitors, estimated by Gillian to be between 80,000 and 90,000 over the four days, plenty of time for outdoor activities. Saturday was picture perfect on the beach. Some forecasters said Sunday would be a washout, but again, the error went in favor of those who listened to their hearts and not Doppler radar. In addition to shoppers, boaters and surfers were out in force, as were skaters, walkers, runners and bike riders. Some of the most popular beaches had blanket-to-blanket crowds on Saturday and were anything but deserted on Sunday. It looks like Memorial Day weekend, 2018, will go into the books as a great one after all. Keep that sunscreen handy!