I Finally Went Somewhere!

 All beautiful photos by H. Darr Beiser

View of Rehoboth Beach from our balcony

We compromised on a getaway that was short and local, and on my favorite venue, the beach. When people say “I’m going to the beach,” I always wonder why they aren’t specific. Which beach, which state, which country? 

So we went specifically to Rehoboth Beach, Sussex County, Delaware, USA. Such Delaware beaches are the summer destination for many here in the DMV. But in all my years here I think I’ve been only a handful of times. My philosophy has always been why drive only 3 hours when you can drive 10 or 12 and be in Maine? Or fly 2,600 miles to the beaches in California? 

But COVID calls the shots now and off we went. We stayed in an oceanfront room with a balcony at the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel. I wanted all of the ocean I could soak in all of the time. And in that room I was able to play that soundtrack 24/7. At home I have to pay Headspace for the privilege. 

We arrived on Labor Day and thousands of people squeezing in their last hours on the beach. No masks are required on the beach, but on the way in and out, and on the boardwalk, and in stores and restaurants. A shopkeeper told me that in July when Delaware restricted visitors from PA and NJ and required masks on the beach, nobody came. 

Our first dinner was right next door at Obie's by the Sea. It was good, the service was fast, we sat at the bar, and thank God someone asked the bartender to put the US Open on the television. I had a lobster salad and Darr had the official dessert of the Delmarva Peninsula, the crabcake.  Off and running with the crustaceans.

Sunrise tease in Rehoboth

One of the best things about the East Coast is that you get to see the sun coming up out of the Atlantic Ocean dripping wet. We were in the perfect position to witness it, but damned if it didn’t play a serious game of hide and seek. It went behind a cloud the first day, did not appear at all the next, and only provided a teaser the third day. 

Snowy egret, Gordon Pond

I had one full beach day with dips in the ocean, much warmer water than in Maine. I am someone who thinks a day on the beach really is a day on the beach and not a metaphor. Makes me happy, calm, rested, excited. Darr not so much. But he found a nature reserve at Gordon Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park and spent the morning there. He spent time with kind birds like herons and egrets and ducks. I was stuck with the mean seagulls. When Darr scored French Fries at Thrasher's and a few fell on the ground, they dive-bombed him and one even ate a fry right off his sandal. He felt seagull feathers brush against his skin. EEE-EWE. 

Lots of sea grass in Rehoboth

The next day was rainy. I Googled things to do on a rainy day in Rehoboth and the list had clearly been developed before COVID. Shopping at the outlet malls? No. Going to the movies? No. A virtual reality joint? No way. We started with a hearty breakfast at Egg. Service was iffy but the Sriracha Bacon Candy was interesting. Could have used a little less candy and a lot more Sriracha. 

So we set out for the Delaware Seashore State Park and identified a loop trail on Burton Island, a nature preserve. Didn’t that sound lovely? We got into it for a short time and were attacked by bugs in such a severe manner that we had to hightail it out. Darr asked me to check the back of his T-shirt for mosquitos, and there were not just one or two, there were 12 or 14. Horseflies and other buzzing things came straight at our faces. And there was a deer tick warning, so those creatures were lying in wait. Once safely in the car, I regaled Darr with some reviews of Burton Island from All Trails: 

• You don’t hike this trail, you SURVIVE it. I ended the trail with blood splotched hands from the    biblical horde of horseflies I was able to slaughter. 
•  It was misery, they (the bugs) even followed us to the car.
•  Not sure how but my wife was stung by something through her yoga pants. The flies there must       be an alien life form because there was not enough bug spray to thwart their attack...
•  If you are a horror movie enthusiast and want a totally free locusts-eating-you-alive experience… 
• Remember that scene from Temple of Doom? Okay, it’s not that bad but it was pretty insane. That island belongs to the bugs. It is theirs, let them have it. 

Indeed. What’s the lesson here dear readers and fellow travelers? Read the reviews first. 

Dinner on the French Riviera? Or Rehoboth Beach?

We ate at the highly rated Victoria’s in our hotel on the second night. The amuse bouche did nothing for the bouche but quite a bit to amuse. It was pickled carrots, beets, cauliflower and a pickled pickle, and a little blob of something to dip with crackers that were their wrappers. There was a weightiness to my tri-color bowtie pasta with shrimp, and a ridiculous Captain Morgan’s rum sauce on Darr’s pecan-encrusted halibut. 

Victorian family-- tiny dancer headed toward the exit sign

A word about the hotel. The room was nice and the service was decent and 5-stars for location. But no one is going to walk in and say “I love what you’ve done with the place, who is your decorator?” As one Yelp reviewer said “I was a bit nervous at first because of the Victorian decor but quickly found this place to be family friendly.” She was right to be nervous. Victorian style makes one nervous, unless you like everything overdone, cluttered, and fake old. They even gave our bedroom the feel of the 1800’s by placing a “Victorian” lamp on top of the TV cabinet, effectively lighting nothing. The frou frou, the buttoned upholstery, the heavy wood, the rolled arms, it's just too too much. 

Exit sign, fire alarm, Victorian boy, dying flowers, kitschy-kitschy-koo lamp

I think we got a true taste of Rehoboth on the last night when we dined at The Blue Moon. They were only seating at high top tables in the bar. It was fun in there, we had Nate on the Keys and he was fantastic. We had a Mozzarella Burrata appetizer (they put the burrata inside the mozzarella, kind of like a cheese turducken) with cherry tomatoes, grilled mango, pistachios, and lemon thyme oil; and fantastic soft shell crabs. If we had stayed until 9 p.m. we would have seen Magnolia who Nate said was putting on her makeup. 

Rain again on the last day, starting light enough for us to take a walk in Henlopen Acres, but turning torrential on the drive home. It may have been a three-hour drive but it felt like six. When we got to Bethesda, there were closed streets, cars on the side of the road, and emergency alerts for flash floods that turned our cell phones into mini sirens. 

I guess summer really is over. I’m glad I got away. Even if it was just a little, it meant a lot.

The beach makes me happy