Family of 70 says Ocean City, New Jersey is their "family place"

OCEAN CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- "I remember getting ready to come down and we'd get about two miles away from Ocean City," said Susan Foy. "We would start seeing the water over the bays that we were driving across and we'd just be so excited like we could hardly wait to get here."

Foy is one among 70 family members who vacation in Ocean City, New Jersey, each year. She and her siblings continue her parents' yearly tradition that dates back nearly six decades.

"This is kind of our family place," she said. "We love it here and we all just look forward to our big family vacation."

Action News joined Foy and her family during their trip in the summer of 2021. And during that action-packed season, we watched a vibrant Jersey Shore town shine in each of its unique colors.

We stopped by the Ocean City Coffee Company to learn how the famous blends are roasted on the beach. We hit all the hot spots from sunup to sundown, including Manco & Manco Pizza, Curly's Fries, Shriver's Salt Water Taffy & Fudge, and Kohr Bros.

We also learned how the folks at East Coast Falcons deploy birds of prey on the boardwalk to keep pesky seagulls safely at bay.

We heard the roar of rollercoasters return to Playland's Castaway Cove just months after suffering a devastating fire in their arcade building. And we saw superb sandcastles rise and fall with the tides of the ocean.

It's the continuation of a 100-year-old legacy that Ocean City carries as "America's Greatest Family Resort."

"I really kind of wondered if, when my parents aren't here anymore, what's going to happen," said Susan Foy. "But I'm really hoping that even then, a lot of people will want to come and we'll find a way to sort of chip in and make this continue."

And as the sunset on their annual vacation, Foy looked forward to what the following year might bring.

"I'm sure we're going to keep coming here for a long time," she said.