Hotel at a Glance: Howard Johnson by Wyndham Oceanfront Plaza Hotel

Walk out the door of this award-winning hotel and you’ll find yourself right on Ocean City’s boardwalk. Enjoy antiquing, dining, and shopping in nearby Berlin, Maryland, named “America’s Coolest Small Town” by Budget Travel in 2014.

• Take a dip in the indoor pool or lounge in the hot tub.
• Ocean breezes are right outside the front door.
• Recent recognition: TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, and was awarded the 2016 Hotel of the Year by Wyndham International.
• In-room amenities: free WiFi, flat-screen TV, and coffee maker.

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, roller coaster, and other thrilling rides at Jolly Roger at the Pier. For younger children, there’s Jolly Roger at 30th Street, boasting a Carousel with colorful ponies, a pirate ship, helicopters, iron horse train, and much more.

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.