A red flashing light marks the center of Ocean Park. Everything here is located “from the light.” Don’t worry about getting lost. There are plenty of places to get information. The Ocean Park Area Chamber of Commerce Office is two blocks east from “the light” on Bay Avenue and every business will gladly provide directions to points of interest.
Ocean Park is home to two of the largest grocery stores on the Peninsula, a hardware store and a pharmacy. There are galleries, gift shops, a bookstore, restaurants and lodging choices that include motels, cabins, historic bed and breakfasts, vacation rental homes, RV spaces and camping.
You will find an opportunity to relax in Ocean Park. Have an espresso or lunch at the beach approach. Enjoy walking around town visiting artists and crafters in their studios and shops. There are gift stores and bookstores. Tame your hunger at ice cream parlors, restaurants and watering holes. One of the many reasons to linger in these businesses is that some of the better storytellers can be found in them.
The main attraction, and the reason most people come here, is the shore. The ocean is just a short walk west of “the light.” Here you are in the center of a grand beach that stretches more than 10 miles in each direction. Walk along the broad expanse of sand and stop to create a driftwood sculpture or build a sandcastle. Fly a kite or fish for surf perch. Watch a flock of seabirds in synchronous flight or spy a hawk in search of prey.
The beach is designated a state highway and automobiles can be driven on it. If you have a disabled friend or an aging relative, this is one of the few opportunities where they can be transported to the ocean’s edge for a real seashore experience.
The Garlic Festival, held the third weekend in June, rejoices in the cloves that form the foundation for oodles of good food and good fun. The Old Fashioned Fourth of July Parade provides a rollicking family event that harkens back to family picnics and memorable experiences. The weekend after Labor Day hums and roars with activity. The whole Peninsula is filled with custom cars participating in the Rod Run to the End of the World. The event begins with early registration on Friday afternoon, a slow drag on Friday night and climaxes with the car show on Saturday. Over 1,000 classic cars are on display. Throngs of visitors pour over the fit and finish of every one. There is, of course, ample time to exchange stories about your favorite car from an earlier time.
There are many older residences that date back to the late 1800s in Ocean Park. Much of the lumber, in fact entire buildings, were barged over from South Bend and the smaller villages on the east side of the bay and Long Island. Others were built from shipwrecks and their cargoes that washed up on the beach. A brochure for a walking tour of these homes is available at the Ocean Park Area Chamber of Commerce office.
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