A week at the Beach (starting FD)

  Hello Everyone,

It's that time of year: we're at the beach! (Okay, beach should be in quotation marks since there is no real sign of sand and surf where we are staying, but it's the thought that counts, right?)

We drove down yesterday.  It was 4 and a half hours from Bloomsburg; we are staying near Ocean City, Maryland, (not the other one) -- the rental says it is in Berlin, which has been publicized as a wonderful, quaint small town, but we are really 9 miles from there.  Yes, it's confusing.

Anyway, about the rental unit.  We were not surprised by the abstract, but the concrete, on the ground has been eye-opening.

You may remember that we stayed last May in a "Caravan" (Br. for trailer) in Cornwall and really liked it.

Well, this place is a cottage (MD for trailer, maybe "near" a beach) that is essentially a double-wide trailer.  It's moderately nice as such things go, but we've decided it's not as big or nice as the one in Cornwall.

First, there's no half bath, which is important when there are 3 of us. 

Second, the bedrooms are so small -- how small are they? -- you can't turn around in them.  

Third, there's a serious lack of amenities.  The place sleeps six (there's a pullout sofa) but there are only 4 bowls, 4 plates, 4 coffee cups, and minimal cutlery.  There are only four seats at the table out on the porch (there's not room for said table anywhere inside).  One wonders what a group of six would do.  Actually, I keep trying NOT to think.  Gives me the eeby-jeebies.

Fourth, there is no dishwasher, washer/dryer OR oven!!!! No, no oven.  A two hob stove.  You are purportedly supposed to cook here, but there's not much in the way of how. 

I had to go to the Food Lion (which isn't a mile away, thankfully, there's lots of eateries nearby) to get: salt and pepper (there wasn't a single staple in the place), a measuring cup, a strainer, and a cheese grater.  That was all to make jarred spaghetti for dinner last night. 

The "main" bedroom (which is the one without a bunk bed above the headboard) has a closet in it that's locked and takes about 1/4 of the square footage.  There is literally nowhere to hang clothes, except for some hooks on the wall.  Old school.  F hangers!  

Other than that, Mrs Lincoln,...we'll survive.  But it ain't glamping. (I'll leave the picture till the end)

Today, we went to the beach.  It was nice.  Both the weather and the beach itself were just right -- though the sand when we got there was too hot to walk on.  Here's the money shot:

Now, let's do a "food porn back track."

On the way down we stopped and had "brunch" (lunch?) at First Watch in Christiana, Delaware.  Back in the day, K and I used to hang there. BK, as they say.  There was no First Watch there then, of course. 

We all got something Mexican for brunch.  Here's the trio:

Barbacoa breakfast tacos (mine)

Barbacoa chiliquiles (K)

Steak and queso hash (EH's)

We ate dinner "in."  As you have heard.

But one joy of this place is there is an ice cream place 129 feet (acc to Google) from our cottage.  We went there last night.  It was acceptable. I got a loyalty card (not that it is a commitment, since there are 5 other ice cream places between here and the today's beach, 1.5 miles away). 

This morning we went out for Father's Day.  There was a place with a respectable rating .3 of a mile from the cottage.  Called Surfside Rooster.  I can't make it make sense. :)

Here's that ensemble:

Their standard bennie and...

Their Nashville hot chicken bennie.  (I had an omelet)

And, oh, yes, their signature cinnamon roll --

It was definitely a sugar delivery system.  😂

And, then, for dinner tonight we went to Smoker's BBQ Pit, which is about .4 from the cottage.  I was asked as we pulled in if I had read the reviews. 😂🤣  It turned out to be quite adequate -- though we are spoiled by the pit in Spring (TX).  Here are the requisite photos:

Obviously, ribs. 

The 3 meat platter, brisket (nearest), chicken (farthest top left), and pork.  

No one claimed the brisket was to die for.  It was a funny Tweet today that Europeans disliked America and then they discovered brisket. 😀

And that's the first two days.  There are plans, especially as there are calls for rain several days.  We might even go up in the Ferris wheel!  Woo wee!  

But, till there's something else worth blogging, I bid you howdy.