A Writer's Day in Ocean City, Maryland

So far all of my research for Mirror of Souls, which takes place in 1526 France, has been done through reading. But once I have a real contract for a book (any book!) with real money, I desperately want to go to France for some serious on-site research.

In the meantime, I'm also working on a middle-grade (ages 9-12) time travel novel, tentatively titled Rescued in Time, which takes place in 1902 Ocean City, Maryland. The main characters are 12-year-old cousins Peter and Caroline. Peter is technology-dependent, and isn't enjoying his beach vacation. Athlete Caroline lives in Ocean City, and has romanticized its past. They're both in for an abrupt reality check when they land (literally) in 1902.

I can drive to Ocean City in about 3 hours, and there are plenty of resources available about its early years. So earlier this week we took a day trip "downy ocean, Hon," and had an awesome time researching and playing!

First stop was a "Flashback" photo studio, where Amy graciously posed for a picture in an old-timey bathing suit. This was not her idea of a good time, but she did it for my sake. :) I'm sure the suit isn't vintage 1902, but the picture will be great inspiration for me as I write anyway.

Next, (purely in the name of research!) we did a taste-testing of the three major brands of Ocean City salt water taffy. The verdict? Fischer's tastes the best, Dolle's was a close runner up, and Candy Kitchen, which tastes like wax, was way, way, last. Fischer's was softer and stickier than Dolle's, which held up better in the heat. Dolle's won the contest in the long run, with extra points for labeling their flavors. No wondering whether the yellow was lemon or banana (yecch!)

The kids were ready for the beach, so David and I walked down to get a few pics before we headed off to the Museum. Awesome big brother Doug said he was dedicating his day to making sure Amy had fun! And Carrie and her best friend Em had a blast, too.

The Ocean City Life Saving Museum is a treasure. We met the assistant curator, appropriately named Sandy, who said she'd be happy to answer my questions via e-mail. I'll be sending her lots! I bought the book City on the Sand by Mary Corddry, which Sandy often uses as a resource.

I was most impressed by the exhibit of early life-saving equipment, such as the Lyle gun. If a ship was wrecked off the coast, the life saving service guys would literally shoot a rope out to it. Attached to the end of the rope was a board with instruction to the crew, in English and French, about how to secure it to the mast. Then the guys on shore would ferry the sailors back using a Breeches Buoy (think zip line!). More museum pics!

The exhibit on the early years of the boardwalk was also fascinating. I learned, for instance, that while the new carousel was being installed at Trimper's Amusements in 1902, the installer was called back to the factory on an emergency...so the 12-year-old son of Mr. Trimper finished putting it together!

Oh, yes, there was lots of grist for the imagination mill in that museum!

Of course, we had to check out the carousel, which is still in operation after 107 years. I tried to get pictures of most of the animals...which went far beyond the typical horses to a dragon, several fanciful pigs, a frog, a tiger, a bunch of cats and dogs, an emu, a crane, a camel... and my personal favorite, the reindeer! Amy and I took a ride later, again, purely in the name of research. More carousel pics!


Games, rides, and the obligatory late lunch/early dinner at Dough Roller finished out the day. Doug and Em braved the sling shot. When I called Em's mom, Marti, to tell her that her daughter was flying into the air, Marti told me to tell Em that if she lived she was going to kill her! :) The girls traded their game tickets in for prizes, turning themselves into "The Three Princesses of the Boardwalk." (Wondering about the oddly normal color of Carrie's hair? I was stunned when she actually dyed it BROWN! Turns out she had been told to dye it before her Peabody Children's Chorus trip to London earlier this month. Apparently teal hair isn't part of the Peabody image!) Lots more OC pics!

It started raining just as we were leaving, and stormed so heavily on the way home that David wasn't sure we'd crossed the Bay Bridge until we were already over it!