Around the Bayside 29

It's the end of September, and I find myself wanting to "button-up." Back home in the Midwest, that's exactly what everybody is doing. The maples and oaks burn red and yellow, and the lakes become a deeper blue. Gutters are cleaned so ice doesn't collect and trickle down inside the walls, and delicate plants are shrouded in burlap coats in preparation for winter. People wander on the weekends to the famous apple farms, sipping unprocessed cider and biting into hot cinnamon doughnuts, determined to enjoy the outdoors before hibernation mode kicks in.
It's a little different down here. I know things are changing because the corn is cut down, and I don't have to run the air conditioning 24/7. I am not afraid to brave the traffic on 50 to go into Ocean City, and there isn't a line of cars to get into Assateague. The clearest indication that summer is gone and fall has begun? Sunfest, in Ocean City. I attended last Friday night, and had a blast. Maybe I am simple, but the fun began before I even got to the festival. If you haven't tried the West Ocean City Park and Ride, you are really missing out. It's laid out almost like a park, with little wooden bridges and a great view of the Ocean City skyline. You park your car for free, and wait in front of the transit building (clean bathrooms) for the shuttle to Ocean City. It only costs a dollar both ways, and it deposits you over the bridge to the Division St. transit center. What a hassle saver! Now that I have done it once, I realize it's the only way to go. They also make a stop at The White Marlin Outlet Mall, so you can shop, go into Ocean City, and be deposited back at the mall.
As I walked from South Division Street to the Boardwalk, the pulsing colored lights from the Ferris Wheel and amusement rides reminded me of going to Coney Island as a kid. Same "this is going to be fun" excitement in the pit of my stomach, and then I saw the huge white tents billowing in the wind against the dark sky. Even if you don't have money, it's worth it just to see the sheer diversity of goods for sale. My favorites were the candles shaped like pies and drinks, uncannily scented exactly like pina coladas, cinnamon buns, and blueberry pies. I saw vendors from all over the U.S., proving that Sunfest is no longer just a local artisan gathering.
I didn't really stay to listen to the music, but wandered the boardwalk instead. I had my first taste of Thrasher's french fries, and was particularly amused by the sign in red that boldly proclaimed, "NO CATSUP.". Thrasher fries liberally sprinkled with vinegar and salt, eaten on a bench watching the human parade, just heaven. The cost freaked me out a little, I could only imagine the cost for a night of fun for a family of four.
The hay bales were in the streets of downtown Berlin again this weekend, too. I've been here long enough to figure out the back way out when they close the downtown off for festivals, and it still reinforces that Mayberry feel when I see the hay bales and cowboy hats at The Fiddler's Convention. I was only able to catch the tail end of the festival on Friday night, but the streets were full, the music good, and lots of people milled around enjoying themselves. I've been told that Sunday morning was the crème de la crème of the festival, when bluegrass met gospel on the grass in front of The Calvin D. Taylor Museum.
All in all, proves my point that there is never any reason to be bored down here in Delmarva. There is always something to do, somewhere to go. If all else fails, you can find beauty and peace on the beach, which is where I am headed now. See you next week