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STARVING ACTRESS
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Ocean City and Cape May

9/9/2020

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  Is it still technically a quarantine?  According to my life, all the jobs I’ve held are still not back and if I want to travel to certain places I either can't, or I have to stay home before and after for days and days.  So I’m going to go ahead and say that yes, I’m still very much quarantined.  Since March.  Luckily a friend in Maryland invited me to stay with her for a couple of days so I made a trip out of it and visited Ocean City and Cape May, New Jersey.    
  If you’re irritable, grumpy or lacking motivation because of all this, a little change of scenery can really do a lot of good. 
Either of these places can be a fun easy 1-2 day excursion.  If you decide to do Cape May, you can really do it in one day.  It’s 3 hours away from New York city and it sounds like a lot, but if you wake up early, grab a coffee and a friend that you can stand to be around for 12 hours then you’ve got a fun road trip! Almost everything we did in Cape May followed social distancing and felt very safe.  Here are some of my recommendations of places to hit up!
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Ocean City

The beaches here are clean and beautiful, and the boardwalk brings you back to the days of funnel cakes and begging parents for a fake tattoo.  You can shop and eat before, after or during your beach day.  We left our umbrella and towel set up when we hit the boardwalk and only took our valuables. As usual, my stomach was rumbling the minute we parked on the sand so we made a beeline for the goods.

Thrasher’s

Who doesn’t love french fries? Thrasher’s fries has been in business in Ocean City, Maryland for over 80 years, since 1929! The recipe has never been altered and they pride themselves on getting potatoes from different regions to ensure the best fries throughout the seasons.  Don’t ask for ketchup!  It won’t be there anyway. They douse their fries in vinegar and I’m not lying when I say my mouth just watered writing this.  I don’t particularly love vinegar but it WORKS. 
They have a pump outside the concession window to step on so you can add more vinegar.  
It was there pre-covid but it’s pretty convenient now!
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Dumser’s Ice cream

One of the oldest ice cream places around, Dumser’s has been making homemade ice cream since 1939.  They have so many unique flavors like black raspberry, coconut chocolate chip and Hawaiian Delight. (Cherries, pineapples and bananas in vanilla ice cream).  Their milkshakes cannot be missed! They are so creamy and delicious and you might need to take a nap when you get back to your blanket, but it will be worth it.  

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Fisher’s Popcorn

This popcornerie, maybe it’s a word maybe it’s not, sells different flavors of popcorn.  But since 1937, they have been famous for their sweet caramel coated popcorn.  Do yourself a favor and buy a large bucket you can take home for $16.75. They also ship nationwide!
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Cape May 

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Ferry

It would be about 3 plus hours to drive from Ocean City Maryland to Cape May New Jersey so we decided to take a ferry which saved us an hour and a half of driving. Plus, we got to kick our feet up and enjoy the open air, sun and views for a beautiful morning commute.  We took the Cape May- Lewes Ferry. A one way ticket for two adults and 1 vehicle is $55.
Here’s the link for more info: https://www.cmlf.com
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Good morning!

East Coast Water Sports 

One of my favorite things I’ve done all summer was taking a ride on this jetboat! The captain takes you out at 35 mph to ride the wild waves and do 360 degree spins. On a hot sunny day it feels great to get splashed and the best part is the dolphin sightings! When we stopped in the middle of the water we were surrounded by jumping dolphins.  There were so many and they were so close to us. It was an awesome experience.
It’s $35 a person for a 1 hour ride.  They also have stand up paddle boarding, parasailing and jet skis.
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Grab a bagel at Bagel Time

This cute bagel shop is centrally located and in walking distance to everything so if you want to grab a quick breakfast and an iced coffee this is the perfect spot.
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Indulge in delicious seafood at the Cape May Fish Market
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Let me tell you, when in a famed fish market, do NOT miss the luscious crab cakes.  They are so meaty and full of fresh crabmeat.  You can get one as an entree or get four mini ones for an appetizer so you can also revel in the buttery lobster roll.
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Visit the Cape May Peanut Butter Company

This is true peanut butter heaven for those of us raised on PB and J’s.  There are 9 nut butters to choose from including, chocolate (choc choc), butterscotch and Capu Cino.  There’s also over 40 flavors of jams, local honey, and even peanut butter dog treats.  They are proud donors to the Animal Outreach of Cape May County.  So they indeed, as they say, spread the love. Also available online!
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Pick up goodies at the Spice Cellar of Cape May

The shelves are decked with different kinds of olives, tons of spices and so much olive oil it is alphabetized! Stock up and get to cooking a fancy meal when you get home.
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Treat yourself to Peace Pie

If you want a a world class ice cream sandwich, definitely hit up the window at peace pie. At $6 a pop these sandwiches are huge, and there are so many flavors to choose from. Key lime pie, chocolate brownie, salted caramel apple and more. You can order online too, and stuff yourself with more ice cream sandwiches when you get back home.
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Shopping and other activities

Theres a bunch of small malls and stands where you can buy handmade jewelry, clothes and bags and activities like mini golf.
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Head to Harry’s

Talk about quintessential summer.  This specialty cocktail only served here is summer in a glass.  It’s called an Orange Crush and it’s absolutely refreshing and delicious, not to mention dangerous. You don’t realize how many you’ve had until someone points out that you’ve started to slur. Have one or five while you  down fish tacos and enjoy live music from local bands.
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Enjoy these tips and those drinks from this Starving Actress! Happy end of Summer!
4 Comments

Why Solo Travel is Good for the Soul

10/2/2018

1 Comment

 
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The chance to meet new people
​Every time I travel alone, I end up in conversations with the most interesting people that I may not have had the chance to meet had I been traveling with someone. When I was on a local bus in Dublin, I asked the woman next to me (in her 80s) which church we were passing. We talked about her favorite city and my home, New York, and at the next stop she asked if she could take me out for tea and the best scones in Dublin. In a little cafe on a cobblestone side street, two hours went by. We had so much in common and she shared some of her 80 years of wisdom with me. In Paris I met a girl at dinner who was also traveling alone. We talked all throughout our meal, and instead of taking the 40 minute train ride back to my air bnb alone, I had a buddy to ride a bike back with. Barely two minutes into our commute, the sky opened and down poured on us. We pedaled fast in the crazy storm through winding Parisian streets almost knocking down irritated locals and laughing the whole way.
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You can be totally selfish
​Imagine waking up in the morning and the entire day is yours from start to finish. You can walk to the museums, have some jamon e queso, read a book in the park, have a picnic or ride your bike through the city. Flirt with a stranger in a cafe, hike a gorgeous trail, sit with your feet up staring into nature and write that book you’ve always wanted to. Did I mention the beauty of solitude and just taking a time out from your hectic life? It’s the chance to choose anything and everything that YOU want to experience. I LOVE history. But I know if I was with anyone but myself, I would not have been able to spend 3 hours in Westminster Abby, standing in awe in front of Chaucer’s grave, or take 20 minutes to stare at a hand written page of lyrics by John Lennon at the British Library. These things mean so much to me and I don’t want them to be rushed by people who aren’t interested. 
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Find your inner warrior
​I am the 5th out of 6 children so I always sat in the backseat, literally and metaphorically. I had two parents and four older siblings so everything was always taken care of whether it be directions or logistics of a trip. Traveling alone at 21 and having to figure out how to get everywhere in a country where I didn’t speak the language made me realize how smart and capable I actually was. Wow! Look at that, I don’t need my big sis to tell me which train to take, I have to actually read the signs and I get it! On one of my not meant to be solo journeys, I had bags in hand at “arrivals” in an international airport, and was completely stood up by the person I was supposed to meet for the week long trip. That’s another long story. I gathered myself mentally and physically, took a 3 hour trek to my airbnb in the rain and could have lost my mind. But instead, I booked tours all over the country and it ended up being one of the most life changing experiences and best trips of my life! 
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​So far I’ve traveled solo to Italy, Ireland, England, France, Montreal and California and I still plan on having many more adventures. There is something about going to a new place, soaking it in and experiencing it on your terms that makes you more independent, more enriched and just plain happy. There’s so much room for self-discovery and understanding what truly makes YOU happy when you strip everything away and focus on your wants and needs. People ask me if I ever get bored spending time alone on my trips. There’s no way you can become bored when you have the world to explore. I savor every painting, every book every bite. You are brave enough!! Now, where would you go? Let me know in the comments!
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