A partnership between several Maryland tourism and natural resource groups has resulted in a new web site called Wilds of Worcester. WoW offers information on outdoor activities including kayaking, birding and exploration away from the usual beach scene in Ocean City. Visitors can also find information on camping, hiking, boating and biking. Check out the Wilds of Worcester and add some adventure to your next visit to Worcester County, MD.

The White Marlin Open has unveiled a new design for its web page as they prepare for the 2008 running of the event. A record number of boats are expected with the prize money for the top marlin approaching $2 million. All fish are weighed in at Harbour Island located at 14th Street and the bay in Ocean City, MD. The tournament runs from August 4-8, and weigh-ins are held each day of the tournament from 4:00 to 9:15 PM. The White Marlin Open employs a web cam to allow online spectators the ability to watch the weigh ins from the comfort of home. The most action can be seen from 5:30 to 7:30 PM as boats return to the docks following the end of fishing at 3:30 PM. One of the fishermen will take home a lottery sized prize. Don’t miss it.

The 8th Annual Art’s Alive Fine Arts show will take place on June 21-22 at Northside Park, 127th St, in Ocean City, MD. Art’s Alive features over 100 artists in a juried competition with entries in 12 categories including Ceramics, Drawing, Fiber, Furniture, Glass, Printmaking, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Fine Wood. Exhibits will be set up around Northside Park’s deep water lagoon on Ocean City’s bay side. Children’s workshops will be available thanks to the support of the Worcester County Arts Council. Artwork will be available for sale, and visitors can enjoy lunch and live music at the Artists’ Cafe.

Art will also be alive and outdoors during The Plein Air Paint Out in Rehoboth Beach, DE. From June 20-22, about 30 artists will be setting up their easels all around the downtown area including the boardwalk and Silver Lake. On Saturday, the galleries of Rehoboth Beach will be participating in ARTwalk from 6-9 PM, and on Sunday, a special event will be held at the Bellmoor Inn to recognize the winners of the weekend competition.

It’s the OC Air Show in pictures. The show lasted over three hours, but the action of the various aircraft made the time fly by.

One of the highlights of the air show was the U.S. Army Golden Eagle parachute team who tested the wind with a set of black and gold streamers before climbing to over 10,000 feet to start their jump. The grand finale included an F16 that sent a wave of thunder through the crowd with its afterburners.

The Maryland State Firemen’s Association will be holding their annual conference in Ocean City from June 14-18. Visitors to Ocean City can enjoy a gigantic firemen’s parade downtown on Wednesday, June 18th, beginning at 1:00 PM.

The OC Air Show kicks of air show week today with a flyover by the Blue Angels. The OC Air Show includes a long list of military and civilian performers including the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team. A complete schedule of events is available on the OC Air Show web site.

Over twenty restaurants will be taking part in Ocean City Restaurant Week from June 1-8. Participating establishments will offer fixed price two or three course dinner menus. Advance reservations are recommended so that visitors can enjoy a special meal at their favorite restaurant. A crash course in wine tasting will take place at the Sunset Room from 5-7 PM on June 5th.

The 25th Annual OC Seaside Boat Show will take place February 15th-17th at the Ocean City Convention Center. There is an admission charge for this event which is sponsored by the Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Club. The OC Seaside Boat Show claims to be the #1 boat show on the Eastern Shore with 350 boats on display and over 140 exhibitors. The show also offers visitors a chance to win an 18 foot pontoon boat and 40hp motor donated by North Bay Marina. Check out the boat show web site for details. Events like this one tell us that winter is almost over.

The warm weather earlier this week made me long for summer days at the beach. If you are longing for a glimpse of coastline, check out these local web cams.

WBOC Ocean City Live Camera

Kite Loft Ocean City Web Cam

ocsurfcam.com

The 2007 White Marlin Open is under way in Ocean City, MD. The event has attracted almost 400 boats with over $3 million dollars in prize money awaiting the winners at the end of the week. Event organizers are opening up the weigh ins to the world with Marlin Vision. The White Marlin Open web cam will be showing the weigh ins from 4:00-9:15 p.m. everyday until the final on August 10th. The current leader in the White Marlin division is eligible for $1.4 million in prize money if the 71 1/2 pound catch can hold the lead.

UPDATE for 2008: The address for the White Marlin web cam has changed.

The Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Department of Tourism have published a new web site titled More Fun Here. The site has a very creative visual interface with animated effects. The So Much To Eat guide lists restaurants by block location from the inlet to the Delaware line. More Fun Here includes a great time wasting game called Whack A Crab, and you can view Ocean City’s latest More Fun Here commercials which target vacation travelers to the OC area.

News Release: June 19, 2007
First white marlin of the season caught

Ocean City, MD –Kevin Hales, of Pittsville, MD reeled in the first official white marlin of the season on June 16.
Hales was fishing aboard the boat “Cat Fish” captained by Doug Simm when he reeled in his prize-winning catch in the Washington Canyon. He used an 80-pound line with spreader-bar for bait. Once boated, he released his catch.

Hales will receive $5,000 from the Town of Ocean City. The award will be given at the Marlin Club banquet in the fall.