Delaware Beaches - A Quick Overview
Written: Jul 10 '00 (Updated Aug 14 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: cleaner and cheaper than other areas, different strokes...
Cons: It's Delaware. Even people in NY have trouble finding it.
|
|
|
| martytdx's Full Review: Delaware |
So you've decided to go to the beach, and are looking for a suitable place to lay in sand, cover yourself in sunscreen and dodge gull missiles. Where to go? New Jersey? Nah... too cheesy and you really hate frequent hypodermic stabbings. New England? Can you say 'brrrrr'? Hmmm, what about Delaware? Yeah, Delaware. That little state underneath the armpit of Jersey.
Believe it or not, the Delaware beaches are quite nice. I wouldn't want to buy a place there, considering their erosion problem, but you aren't concerned about that. You only need to borrow it for a weekend, a week at most.
First of all, there are about a dozen 'beaches' in Delaware. Many of them (Slaughter Beach, for example. Bad name, nice beach) are day beaches - you go there, but there really isn't anything else besides the beach. But there are 5 'resort' beaches (Lewes, Dewey, Bethany, Rehobeth and Fenwick Island) at the southern end of the state, plus the lovely Ocean City, MD (yes, the one where you CAN drink).
Each of the beaches has its own unique character. To know which one suits you best, look below for my overview:
Lewes - Lewes is the 1st city in Delaware, and really hasn't changed much since then. This is probably the quietest of the beaches (with Bethany a close second). In general, Lewes is full of day-trippers and people who live there year-round. There are a few shops and restaurants, but for the most part it is a very quiet beach town. Good for a relaxing 'read 4 novels on the beach' type of vacation.
Bethany - Bethany has a little more in the way of conveniences than Lewes, but the crowd is very similar. Many of the homes are owned and used by the same people. Rentals are much sparser than than the rest of the beach scene. The people who do come here are usually families, particularly those with smaller children. The atmosphere is very family-oriented and quiet. A good 'Let's spend some time in the sun, and have a quiet family vacation with junior' deal.
Fenwick Island - Fenwick abuts Ocean City, MD, and except for the fact that it has no state tax and different liquor laws IS for all intents and purposes the same as OC, MD. There are some better restaurants here, but there is not a whole lot to do - most of the entertainment is down 50 - 100 blocks in Ocean City (such as 1000 mini-golf places which are next to 1 or 2 of the 2,000 Candy Kitchen restaurants). Fenwick is known for it's longtime renters - the same people come down annually, and you will see a lot of seemingly unacquainted people saying hello to each other. Because of it's proximity to OCMD, it provides more entertainment to older children, so it is a favorite of parents with teens. A very "But MOOOMMMM, I want to go to the BEEEEAACCCHHHH" scene.
Rehobeth Beach - Rehobeth is a true resort town, and is trying (and doing very well) to live up to the title. One major factor is price - Rehobeth is in general the most expensive of the beaches. But is also one of the nicest. And let's get this out in the open now, so that there are no surprises: there are two very distinct types of visitors to Rehobeth - families (with kids of all ages) and homosexuals. Rehobeth has a very well-known and popular gay beach. If you spend five minutes, you will be able to tell which parts of the beach each crowd usually congregates. If that lifestyle bothers you, go to the family section (NOTE: The gay side can be a bit unsettling and even shocking for those who aren't used to it.)
Now that we have that out of the way, Rehobeth also has some of the best shopping in lower Delware, on the boardwalk, in town and in the Outlet Malls on the outskirts of town. If that's your thing, then you will find plenty to keep you occupied. The other things that Rehobeth rules in is FOOD. The best restaurants in the area - and some of the best in the state - are in Rehobeth. You will find a large variety of cuisines, and most of them are fantastic, although they will cost you a decent penny. This is the 'Honey, we're going to the beach, and money is no object' scene.
Dewey Beach This is my personal favorite, so if I seem biased, deal with it. Just kidding. Seriously, the theme of Dewey is 'party'. The normal crowd is high school seniors, college kids, post-college kids and adults who want to be post-college kids. There are a ton of restaurants and bars, t-shirt shops and places to hang out. The scene is very much 'Spring Break'. Some places to note: Grotto's Pizza has the best pizza on the beach - go to get some. The two best bars in town are the Rusty Rudder (especially on the weekends with a steel band on Friday, and Love Seed Mama Jump on Saturdays), and the famous Bottle & Cork - known for bringing national acts to the beach. Be warned, you will be body-to-body with many young and drunken people.
MENTION: Ocean City, MD Since it is right next store, I'll add it in. OC, MD is a combination of everything. You see older couples who have owned a place there for ages, families, kids working there for the summer, college kids, adults without kids - everyone. There is more to do here than all of the Delaware beaches combined. It is larger than them, and has the most populated beaches. Some places of note here: Hooper's Crab House is awesome for seafood. JR's Ribs is great for ... well, Ribs. The Brass Balls Saloon is great for Sunday breakfast after drinking there all night Saturday night. And Secrets is the best place to hang out if you don't want to actually be on the beach - their lagoon features 'floaties' and waitstaff who bring the frozen drinks to you. Gotta like it.
Well, I hope this helps you decide what you are looking for. Sorry that it is so late in the season. I guess I'll have to get this one out there earlier next year. Good luck and have a great time at the beach...
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
martytdx
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: Marty
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 481
Trusted by: 179 members
About Me:
Doing what I can to try new places, restaurants, books and beers.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.