WASHINGTON 鈥� Things change at the beach all the time. Usually, and most noticeably to tourists, it鈥檒l be restaurants and bars that might change hands or management from one summer to the next. It happens a lot with restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Ocean City, Maryland.
The condos and beach houses there change hands all the time, too, with no shortage of real estate agents ready to help you find an investment property or summer getaway.
But then there鈥檚 real change, which takes places over the course of several decades.
You may not be able to imagine it, but there are people whose families make up the fabric of the Delmarva beaches who can remember when the several miles of hotels, condos and restaurant buffets were nothing but spacious sand dunes and wide-open beach.
Bunky Dolle can recall it well. His family has lived on the coast for more than a century, running boardwalk stands famous for saltwater taffy and other candies.
鈥淥h gosh, as a kid, it鈥檚 totally different,鈥� said Dolle.
It all started to change in the 1970s when a development boom hit, 鈥渨hich of course brings more people in with all the condominiums and everything.鈥�
But before that, there was just 鈥渘othing鈥� in terms of development that extended past the area of about 33rd Street in Ocean City, give or take a few blocks, said Dolle.
鈥淎 few cottages (were) up there, and I remember when the聽Carousel (Hotel) was built (at 117th Street), I think it was around 1962, and that was way out of town. And that was really something to see.鈥�
It鈥檚 a time Donald Fisher remembers, too. His grandfather brought the caramel corn that鈥檚 become a must-have for many families who visited the beach each year in the 1930s.
鈥淵ou were riding on a beach road,鈥� said Fisher, describing that hotel as 鈥渢his one box that stuck up way up, and it was a long time between when you left Ocean City and where the Carousel is.鈥�
鈥淵ou know, everyone went to The Carousel just to see it,鈥� said Dolle. 鈥淚t was so far out of town and it was something new.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a unique picture,鈥� said Fisher. 鈥淏asically you鈥檙e looking at sand dunes with a road going through it and then The Carousel off to the one side.鈥�
鈥淚 remember my dad coming down to Ocean City in 1968, and he passed away that winter, but we鈥檙e riding down Coastal Highway and they were building The Highpoint (just south of The Caroousel now), and he pointed to The Highpoint and he said, 鈥楾his coast is going to be full of buildings like that,鈥� and he was right.鈥�
Of course one result of all this development is that 鈥渆verything鈥檚 gotten more expensive,鈥� says Fisher.
鈥淲hen I grew up there were 900 people who lived here year-round,鈥� he adds, while lamenting that things aren鈥檛 as close-knit around town now.
鈥淚t鈥檚 become a major city, in a sense,鈥� says Fisher.
But don鈥檛 take that for a lamentation for a past that鈥檚 long ago and not coming back. Both Fisher and Dolle find lots to love about the way their quiet, little beach town turned into a thriving tourist spot.
鈥淚 like it because it鈥檚 diverse,鈥� says Fisher. 鈥淭here鈥檚 different kinds of people here. You see some things that you鈥檝e never seen before; you get to try some food that you wouldn鈥檛 have tried before.鈥�
But at the same time there鈥檚 still more than just an appreciation for the history. Both Dolle and Fisher recognize that tradition still matters a lot there.
鈥淲e still have the iconic places, like Thrashers, like the (100+ years old) merry-go-round down at Trimper鈥檚,鈥� said Dolle. 鈥淪till the things that hearken to old Ocean City, but will be the things people make memories of today.鈥�
鈥淲e always wish for the past because it鈥檚 fun,鈥� says Fisher. 鈥淏ut then we always look to the future because it鈥檚 progress.鈥�
And it鈥檚 progress that Dolle says has made Ocean City 鈥渢he place to be.鈥�
鈥淚 think Ocean City has become a nicer resort than it was when I first started here some 50 years ago,鈥� says Dolle. 鈥淭he beaches here are just gorgeous, not that they weren鈥檛 then, but I think they鈥檙e even better now and our boardwalk is better.
鈥淥ur kids today will look back on it in 25-30 years and say 鈥業 remember when鈥�,鈥� said Dolle. 鈥淚 think they鈥檙e all fond memories. Ocean City is just a great resort. I鈥檝e been all up and down this coast and there鈥檚 nothing like Ocean City.鈥�
