By Maddy Vitale
Vacationers and residents took advantage of the last day of the Labor Day holiday weekend, swimming in the ocean, nibbling on rolled ice cream and pizza and hitting the amusements in Ocean City.
Tara and Chris Talley, of Royersford, Pa., and their children Rella, 10, Rylee, 7, Rowan, 4, and Remi, 2, weren’t quite ready to leave their vacation home to head back to reality.
Like the Talleys, people filled their Monday with activities and very precious beach time, as the holiday marks the traditional end of the summer season.
For the Talleys, who planned on packing the most into the day, there seemed to be way too much to do.
“We spent the morning at the beach,” said Chris Talley.
That was Rowan’s favorite part of the trip. But what to do took a bit of family discussion by the Talleys. They took a timeout to pose for a photo at the iconic flip-flops art display, a favorite among vacationers, located at the Music Pier.
They settled on the arcade, shopping, more shopping and ice cream for their day of activities. To cap off what was certain to be a perfect day, they would pose for some old-fashioned family photos on the Boardwalk.
The only problem was the order in which to do everything.
“I want to go shopping,” said Rella.
“I want ice cream,” said Rylee.
Rowan sided with her sister, and said she was up for shopping.
Chris Talley chuckled at the indecision.
“We want to get in the last bit of Ocean City for the summer and we have a lot more to do,” Tara Talley said, laughing.
Sunbathers sat under umbrellas, other beachgoers played games, and many people hopped in the water to cool off. Some kids, such as siblings Zoe, 2, and Ian Trujillo, 3, of Philadelphia, in Ocean City for the day, played in the sand to pass the time. The duo scooped up mounds of sand and put them into tiny buckets.
Iconic Boardwalk businesses such as Manco & Manco Pizza and Johnson’s Popcorn had a steady stream of customers throughout the afternoon.
Couple Kaitlyn Brunner, 26, and Jonn Gutierrez, 29, both of Toms River in Ocean County, came down to Ocean City for the day. They perused shops on the Boardwalk and decided it was time to try some rolled ice cream at Sweet Charlies.
“I never had it before. It’s good,” Brunner said, as she took another spoonful of the icy confection.
Other popular businesses, such as Jilly’s Candy Factory, were a hit with vacationers and residents, employees said as shoppers strolled in and out of the stores.
Hailey Dunn, 10, and her mother, Karen Dunn, of Souderton, Pa., stopped in to check out the candies but came out with a fish beanie baby.
The Dunns arrived in Ocean City on Labor Day to start their weeklong vacation and already Hailey decided Jilly’s was her favorite place.
Playland’s Castaway Cove was bustling with families who played games and went on some rides.
Reilly Kraus, 4, of South Orange, N.J., staying in Ocean City on vacation, was serious about a game of “Dog Pounder.”
“She loves the games,” Reilly’s father Marty Kraus said.
When the game was through, she quickly took another try at it.
For Skylar Alfinito, of Burlington County, a game of Skee Ball was out of the question.
That’s because she is just 15 months old. However, her parents, Brittany and Chris Alfinito, had some fun showing their daughter how to toss the ball.
“We are down just for the day,” Brittany Alfinito said. “It’s fun here and close.”
