Pretty Lights and Salty Air

If a stroll down the main streets of Rehoboth or Lewes doesn't put you in the mood for Christmas, your last name must be Scrooge. 


Snowy Gingerbread Houses at
Edie Bee's Confection Shop in Lewes


In addition to the pretty lights and decorations that the towns have put up, the shop windows are adorned with wintery displays that sparkle and shine and invite you to enter and warm up for a bit.

One of the most beautiful displays I've seen this season is the storefront at Edie Bees Confection Shop at 115 2nd St. in Lewes.  They have a glistening display of gingerbread houses and rock candy trees that is sure to make everyone that passes stop and admire the amazing detail.



Bella Luna on Rehoboth Avenue has some really cool decorations in their window and in their store.  I especially like the little cardboard buildings with the LED lights inside of them.  They bring me back to the Christmases of my youth, when I would spend countless hours playing with my grandmother's cardboard house village that sat under her tree.



Everywhere you go in these two towns, you are followed by holiday music that is being piped in to the streets and all of the shop owners and employees are, as always, so very friendly and happy to see you. 



Cardboard Christmas houses

With so much warm Christmas cheer, you won't mind braving the cold winds and searching forever for a parking space.  Little touches, like complimentary (with purchase) gift bags adorned with paper cut-out stars and sparkly tissue paper at Bella Luna, make you never want to shop at the mall or the outlets again!

There is still time to visit Santa on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach too.  He will be at home this Saturday from 3-5 PM and Sunday from 11 AM - 1 PM.  From 1-3 PM on Sunday, you can bring your pet to the boards for Pet Time with Santa.

Santa's House on Rehoboth Boardwalk



Christmas Tree in Bethany Beach

And, let's not forget, beautiful Bethany Beach.  They always do a great job with decorating the town for holidays and maintaining perfect, in-season, floral displays.  A chilly stroll down Garfield Ave. at night to see the lights and garlands is sure to be a quiet, magical experience.


I'm staying in Wilmington this weekend to bake, shop, wrap, and stress out.  Looking forward to heading back to OC for New Years Eve! 


Happy Holidays to all three of my loyal followers!  Looking forward to and exciting and memorable 2015 at the beach!!

New Years Eve By The Sea

Santa hasn't yet arrived, but it's not too early to start making plans for New Years Eve.  I've been checking out the events planned in the DE/MD resort towns and I'm trying to decide if I should venture out to party, or plan a quiet dinner at home.  Here are some options to consider if you're planning to head toward the sun and sand to ring in the new year:




1.  Fireworks at Northside Park (OCMD)

In conjunction with the Winterfest of Lights, Ocean City will be hosting a fireworks display (at midnight).  There will be live entertainment, warm hot chocolate, and the opportunity to ride through the light display one more time and listen to Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" over and over and over and over while waiting in line for an hour or more.

2.  New Years Eve at the Rusty Rudder in Dewey Beach
Tickets are $100, but you get dinner, open bar all night, champagne toast @ midnight, free coat check, free photo booth, and a free fortune teller.  Entertainment includes The Rockets, Love Seed Mama Jump, and DJ Hector.  Plenty of Dewey motels are offering deals for those who don't think they can drive home after the festivities as well.


3.  Boardwalk Plaza (Rehoboth Beach) 2 Night New Years Package

Stay Tue/Wed or Wed/Thur at this Victorian-Style hotel sitting right on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.  Package includes:  2 splits of champagne with 2 logo flutes on arrival, DJ and dancing in the banquet hall, breakfast or New Years Day brunch (Thursday only) in the hotel restaurant, and a late (1 PM) check-out.  They don't list the price for this package, but their regular winter rate for a 2 night package is nearly $500 so...yeah.

4.  Ocean City, MD Hotels - New Years Eve Party Packages

There are way too many of these to list.  Follow the link above to get details.  Lots of food,

fun, entertainment, and discounted hotel rooms.  They all pretty much follow the same formula - free food, drink, DJ or band, and, most likely, some party hats and noisemakers.

5.  Penguin Swim

For all the crazy people who aren't too hung over to raise money for charity on January 1, you can dip your toes (or your tush) in the Atlantic to benefit Atlantic General Hospital.  Registration is at 11:30 at the Princess Royale Oceanfront Hotel (91st St.) and the "swim" starts at 1.  Suggested donation is $25, but there is no minimum amount required to participate.

Whatever your plans, make them early and make sure that you have safe transportation back to your home or hotel. 

Surfin' In To The Holidays

Who would have thought that the sun, surf, and sand would put me in to the holiday spirit?
 
After a great, big turkey dinner in Wilmington, I pulled on my comfy pants and drove to OC at 11:30 PM.  Traffic was great so I decided to take Route 1 the whole way down, but the parking lots at Christiana Mall and the Rehoboth Outlets were filled to capacity with early Black Friday shoppers.
 On Friday afternoon, we ventured in to the town of Rehoboth to take advantage of some Black Friday specials on Rehoboth Ave.  It was really crowded, but everyone was being cool and seemed to be in the holiday spirit.  I had so much fun that I went back on Saturday for some more bargains and, of course, some fudge from Kilwins!
 
The afternoon sun on Saturday made it a bit warmer and the winds had died down enough to make it comfortable, so we trekked up to the end of the island and took a walk on the OC fishing pier to take in the sights.  It was beautiful (as always) and helped me to walk off some of the pumpkin pie.

Christmas dinosaurs at the
OC Winterfest of Lights

Saturday night, we visited Ocean City's Winterfest of Lights at Northside Park (125th St.).  After a chilly wait (almost an hour), we boarded a tram car and toured the display, which boasts 58 acres of lights and a 50 foot Christmas tree.  The wait wasn't terrible and we seemed to be moving the whole time.  Most of the people there were in a good mood and we actually had fun before we boarded.  There is music on the trams that is choreographed to fit the theme of the section of lights that you are riding by.  Many people on the trams were singing along to the Christmas tunes and, of course, every kid that I saw was super-excited (especially when they played the snowman song from Frozen at the end of the ride).

Despite the huge crowd, the Winterfest was extremely organized and well-managed by the elf-like (not even kidding) personnel that were helping to move things along.



50' Christmas tree at
OC Winterfest of Lights.

For the money ($5 for adults, Free for kids), it's probably the best entertainment value in OC.  It really was cool.  They did a great job and I had a lot of fun.

It's really beautiful down here right now.  All of the beach towns have lights and pretty holiday displays up.  The shop windows are filled with creative, cold-weather decorations, and it's not crowded at all.  The ocean looks cold and bright blue and the air is cool and crisp.  What better way to put you in the holiday spirit?

I don't want to go home today, but I have to. I'm looking forward to coming back in a week or two to amp up the Christmas spirit even more!







 



Giving Thanks and Taking Detours

With my son's wedding over, I can now get back to longing for the beach between visits.  I'm heading back down this weekend to check on the house and, maybe, check out the Winterfest of Lights at Northside Park in Ocean City (which I can walk to from my house).  Click on the above link to see a promo for the event, which started last weekend.  Adults pay $5 to ride the "train" through the park.  Children under 11 ride for free.





I plan to spend Thanksgiving in Wilmington, then head down late Thursday night or early Friday morning.  Either way, I plan to avoid the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth Beach, which are open 6 PM - 2 AM on Thanksgiving and will re-open at 6 AM on Black Friday. It seems that there is only one good way to avoid the madness...Route 113 (ugh).  Anyone who knows me knows how I hate that highway.  I think it's the strangest stretch of roadway in the state.  Where else in Delaware can you find a pristine Baptist church, a state prison, a Walmart, a luxury resort furnishing store, and a lot of buildings that look like the one below all within a mile of each other?



Route 113 sucks



My daughter, Amanda, on the OC inlet jetty

On a more serious note, I have a lot to be thankful for this year.  I accomplished my dream of owning a beach house, my son married a great girl, and the Philadelphia Eagles are having an awesome season.  I am especially thankful this year for my daughter, Amanda.  She is the one person on earth I can go to if I start to feel crazy, she is a great companion, and has a generous spirit.  I'm pretty lucky to have her in my life.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving filled with lots of food, fun, family, and friends!