Families make the most of a windy week down at the Ocean City boardwalk
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (CBS) — Many families have planned their trips to the shore for months — or even a year. But for those who took off work for this week of rainy weather, the timing has been a bit disappointing.
Friday was another blustery day at the Ocean City boardwalk, and the wind whipped through the flags lining the beach.
"It is pretty strong," Brett Mariani said. "Water looks pretty rough, so we may not be getting in the water."
Mariani and his family are looking on the bright side, though — at least it wasn't raining. Mariani, his wife, two children and in-laws arrived at the shore earlier in the week — a week that's been plagued by bad weather.
"A little unlucky, but we're making the most of it!" Mariani said.
That sentiment was echoed by Christopher Yarznbowicz, "It's been bad, but we're making the best of it."
He said his family was determined to get their beach time in.
"So if it's raining, we come to the beach," Yarznbowicz said.
After all, they spent $2,900 on their rental and had this annual trip planned for a year.
"Yeah, usually after this vacation, she books it as soon as we get home," Yarznbowicz said.
Thankfully, his 13-year-old son was undeterred by the chilly ocean temperatures.
"I don't care about the cold water," Jason Yarznbowicz said.
Others found their way indoors. Shannon Fox and her husband brought their three girls to one of the arcades along the boardwalk.
"It's been nice that there are things for the kids to do inside, otherwise they're trapped in the house," Shannon Fox said. "They're having a lot of fun. This is the second arcade we've been to."
Mini golf was another popular option for families.
"Because it's so windy outside, at least we could control the elements in here," Krista Crosten said.
A lot of people had the same idea. The manager of Haunted Golf said the business got quite a boost.
"We saw probably a 40-50% increase during the day," said Alex Miele, the manager of Haunted Golf.
While these alternatives likely aren't what people pictured for their time down the shore, nearly everyone agrees it's better than being at work.
"We're having a great time," Crosten said. "It's better than being at work right now."
