Hotel at a Glance: Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Ocean City

With its tan-and-blue color palette, this newly built hotel calls to mind the sand and surf of the Atlantic shore, located about a mile to the east. Guest rooms are outfitted with many comforts of home, including microwaves and mini fridges, plus high-definition TVs and free WiFi.

• Best way to start the day: free continental breakfast
• Get a workout: Go for a run on the treadmill or lift weights in the fitness center.
• Sushi and steak are just a sampling of the offerings at more than a dozen restaurants within walking distance.
• Update your closet with new threads from J.Crew and Gap, both at nearby Tanger Outlets Ocean City.

Ocean City, Maryland: Family-Friendly Boardwalk next to the Atlantic

Along Ocean City’s century-old boardwalk, you can savor wild-caught blue crab, play old-fashioned arcade games, and watch candy makers spin colorful saltwater taffy. The lively boardwalk, which stretches for three miles along Maryland’s eastern shore, helped earn Ocean City a spot on USA Today’s list of the “10 great places to have some fun on a boardwalk.” Kids can ride a ferris wheel and climb aboard one of the country’s oldest carousels at Trimper’s Amusement Park, a family-owned theme park for more than 100 years.

Assateague Island National Seashore—a 37-mile stretch of salt marshes running from Ocean City down to Virginia—offers a peaceful reprieve from the boardwalk’s constant activity. The island’s famous wild horses gallop on the shores, and you can can climb up a vintage, candy-striped lighthouse, or hike the seaside forests to spot birds, including great horned owls, ruby-crowned kinglets, and great blue herons.

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