Boardwalk, Beach Crowds Enjoy Near-Spring Day

By MADDY VITALE From scavenger hunts on the beach, to hitting the Boardwalk for a walk or bike ride, to waiting for a slice of pizza, there were many different ways to savor the spring-like weather Saturday. There was a common theme that dominated: People wanted to enjoy the day in Ocean City. Angela Myers, of Ocean City, rode her bike with a special package in tow – her 18-month-old son Christopher in a buggy in the back. Her daughter, Gracelyn, 4, cheerily rode ahead where dad, Chris Myers, was waiting at the entrance to the Music Pier. “My wife woke up this morning and said, ‘We should get bikes,’” Chris said. “So, we went and got them.” Angela chimed in, “We usually come up here on foot. It’s a beautiful day.” Chris and Angela Myers, of Ocean City, and their children, Gracelyn, 4, and 18-month-old Christopher, in yellow cart, try out their new bicycles. The Myers moved down from Delaware County, Pa., last May. Angela Myers, a nurse, stays home with their children and Chris can work from home. “Why would we want to work anywhere else when we can work from the beach?” Chris noted. With spring's arrival only a week away, a big crowd of Boardwalk strollers, bicyclists and shoppers shared the boards on a sunny day, while practicing social distancing and many of them wearing masks. Down on the beach, families could spread out and listen to the waves. It made for the perfect place to celebrate Ocean City resident and Intermediate School student Kailyn Nilsen’s 12th birthday. Kailyn Nilsen, 12, of Ocean City, kneeling in center with blue face mask on, is joined by her friends during her birthday bash. But it wasn’t just any special birthday party; it was a scavenger hunt for Kailyn to enjoy with her classmates and family. The kids even donned colorful T-shirts and fun and goofy glasses. “I think it is so much fun,” Kailyn said. “I am happy to be here with my friends.” She noted that even though she and her friends go to school, they don’t get to see each other as much or in the same way as before the COVID-19 pandemic. Kailyn's friend, Cecelia Mirsky, 12, a fellow sixth grade student, held up a pink pig stuffed animal and said with a laugh, “This is Pork Chop, she’s our mascot.” The beaches, still wide with sand from a replenishment project completed in the summer, had plenty of room for families to do their own thing. Sisters Nicole and Megan Kelly and Megan's boyfriend, Steve Easterday, all of Stratford in Camden County, hang out on the beach with their dog, Captain. Steve Easterday and his girlfriend, Megan Kelly and her sister, Nicole Kelly, all from Stratford in Camden County, brought Captain, a 13-year-old golden retriever and member of the Kelly family, for a romp in the sand. “We’re taking the old man out,” Nicole joked about Captain. “We like to take him out as much as possible.” The couple and sister planned on spending the day just relaxing, eating pizza and watching the waves. “We are just down for the day,” Easterday said. “We’ve all been coming here since we were young,” Megan Kelly added. “The offseason is our favorite time.”