Two words could describe Ocean City on the 4th of July: insane and fantastic.

I could also use words like, "awesome," "spectacular," and "normal," as well.

I always feel like I have to see fireworks on the 4th of July. If for no other reason, 'just because.' I mean, it's what you do on the 4th, right?

For the past several years, I've made the journey to Ocean City to partake in aerial explosions knowing full well that parking will be impossible, the crowds will be huge, but the fireworks will be amazing. What I saw yesterday was just that -- and it was fantastic.

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As you come into town over the 9th Street Bridge, you have to have this mentality: take whatever parking spot you see first. It doesn't matter where it is. Take it. Don't pass it thinking you'll see something closer. Unless you have lottery-winning-like odds, you won't.

With that philosophy, I ended up parking at Atlantic & Beach, which I think is closer to Longport than the Ocean City Boardwalk. But who cares -- it's the 4th of July. After an almost one-mile walk to the middle of everything, it was fantastic seeing the boardwalk with wall-to-wall people. I would even say it was one of the largest crowds I have ever seen there. It was like a normal 4th of July crowd for this year plus all of the people who didn't get to celebrate last year due to the pandemic.

People waiting in line for pizza, the smell of crab fries in the air, screams coming from roller coasters, t'shirt places selling t'shirts -- it was summertime perfection.

All told, the 4th of July in Ocean City yesterday was everything it should have been: insane and fantastic.

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