1.    Get thee to the water parks.  Jolly Roger, Frontier Town, and Thunder Lagoon (Fenwick) all close Labor Day.

2.    Become one with nature…and some famous horses.  Spend the day on Assateague Island--beaches, trails, camping, surfing, wake boarding, sand castle making--all while communing with the wild ponies.  Just don’t get too close, and they are extremely fond of “people food.”

3.    Do what the locals do—say sayonara to summer with a beach bonfire, Assateague National Park .  Bring a bushel of crabs, cook hot dogs over the fire, make s'mores—and don’t forget the bug spray, when the sun goes down the skeeters are a plenty.

4.    Spend time on the boards.  While most boardwalk shops stay open after the summer season officially ends, there’s something said for eating Thrasher’s Fries, Dolle's Candies , a Wrapper, or taking a walk through Ripley's Museum before summer is really over. The Pier Rides and Trimper's Amusements complete the picture.  It’s a great experience to walk down the boards saying…one last time.

5.    Buy something locally made to commemorate your summer.  From Ocean City jewelry stores like Park Place Jewelers  to hand made stores like Bungalow Love Bungalow Love  in Berlin, and artwork hanging in area restaurants may by local artists, nothing will embody your beach experience like something made by a local.

6.    Get your concert on!  Friday September 3^rd at the Freeman Stage Bayside (Fenwick Island) features the Bronx Brothers tribute to Du Wop.  Sunday the big finale to the Radio Disney Sizzlin Summer of Stars takes place on North Division St., starting with a performance by Radio Disney at 5:30 followed by a Q&A and public meet and greet with Disney Channel superstar Adam Hicks.    

7.    Partake in an Extreme experience!  Ocean City was a Dew Tour site this year, channel your inner thrill seeker and go parasailing 800 ft over the waves of OC, or fly through the skies at Jolly Roger’s Xtreme Zip Lines  or be catapulted into the air at the pier via Jolly Roger’s enormous Slingshot.

8.    Get on a boat!  Rent a pontoon pontoon for a day, take the kiddies out for a pirate adventure , speed  past Ocean City and see the skyline from the ocean.

9.    Be active with outdoor sports only the coastal area can offer—surfing,  boogey boarding, Kayaking  canoeing, paddle boarding.

10.  Go off the beaten beach path—head to West Ocean City’s Commercial Fishing Harbor and watch the big boats pack out their loads.  Pick up the freshest fish available at Martin Fish right on the docks.

11.  Have yourself a true Eastern Shore experience…go crabbing!  Pick up some string, chicken necks (yes that’s correct…their necks), and find a dock anywhere on the bay.  Crab traps are also sold if you’re inclined to try and gather your own bushel.

12. Begin the countdown to Memorial Day 2012!

Have a must-do activity you’d like to share?  Tell us about it in the comments below…