The More You Know

It's sort of a "slow news week" in the DE/MD resort towns this weekend.  Therefore, I'm filling this space with some area trivia that is somewhat interesting, but not very useful:

• Lewes, DE was once called Whorekill, DE.

• Sussex Country was once named Deale County.

• Dewey Beach was once called Rehoboth City.

• The population of Dewey Beach is only 300, but grows to over 30,000 during the summer season.

• The first "gay friendly" bar in Rehoboth Beach was the Pink Pony.  It opened in 1950 when, at the time, it was illegal to walk around with drinks in your hand.  You could only sit at the bar and speak with the people on either side of you.

The Pink Pony in Rehoboth Beach was destroyed by the great 1962 storm

• There are more than 9,500 hotel rooms and 21,000 condos in Ocean City, MD.

• All of the trash from those rooms and condos (including recyclables) is incinerated at a waste facility in Pennsylvania in order to generate electricity.

• The carousel at Trimpers Amusements in OC is the oldest continuously operating carousel in the United States.  It was installed in 1912.

Sort of Old Timey kids on Trimper's Carousel

• Salvagers known as "moon spinners" used to build bonfires on the beaches between Indian River Inlet and Ocean City to make ships think that they were another ship in distress.  When these ships ran aground, the salvagers would kill and kidnap the passengers and plunder their cargo.

• The Horseshoe Crabs that are so plentiful along the Delaware coast can survive up to one year without eating.

• It's against the law to trick-or-treat in Rehoboth Beach on a Sunday.

• The lighthouse in Fenwick Island cost only $5 to build in 1880.

Fenwick Lighthouse - $5 Worth of Safety

There are a few fun things going on in the resort towns this weekend.  

In Rehoboth, Delaware SPCA is having their 6th Annual Bark on the Boards Dog Walk.  Registration begins at 10:30 AM and the walk starts at noon.  You can also dress up your pup to enter the Most Patriotic Dog Contest.

At 11 AM on Sunday 10/2, The Rusty Rudder in Dewey Beach is holding the 14th Annual Celebrity Chef Beach Brunch.  Tickets are $75/person and proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels of Delaware.  The event features live and silent auctions, top beach area chefs, live music, beverage purveyors, craft beer garden and more.

I'm sort of excited for fall at the beach this year.  Next week, I'll be on vacation and will be able to take my time checking out all of the things I tell other people to do!

Happy Fall to all!  

Get Yer Motor Runnin'

Note to self:  Don't plan to be at the beach house during Bike Week.  You hate it.  There are bikes everywhere and they go so....damn.....slow.  Maybe because all of the bikers are 60+.

Born to be Mild

Maybe it would have been better to head down to OC this weekend for Sunfest 2016.   I could have stopped by the inlet to see Chubby Checker, Eddie Money w/special guest, Sir Rod or Chris Janson (whoever that is).  As always, there will be arts/crafts, food vendors, and hayrides.  The event starts on Thursday 9/22 and runs through Sunday 9/25.  Perhaps the old bikers will want to head back to OC to see Eddie Money and Chubby Checker this weekend (?)

Also happening in OC this weekend:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Walk
Walk Date: 09/24/2016
Walk Location: Caroline Street and the Boardwalk
Check-in/Registration Time: 09/24/2016 at 9:00 am

Online registration closes at noon this Friday. However, anyone who would like to participate can register in person at the walk from the time check-in begins until the walk starts. Walk donations are accepted until December 31st..

Treasure Hunt at the Beach - Saturday 4PM - 5PM and Sunday 1PM - 2PM.  This event, sponsored by Park Place Jewelers is free to enter with a $15 donation to the Believe in Tomorrow Childrens Foundation.  You can dig for treasure in the sand on the beach at 3rd St.  Prizes include jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, and gift certificates.  Must be 18 years or older.

I'll be staying up North this weekend to take care of real life.  If you go, enjoy!

Goin' back home to the Mid-Atlantic Coast

I'm back at home in Wilmington after an extra long and extra lovely weekend in New England.

Boston was everything that everyone promised me it would be.  Great people, great buildings, great food, and great shopping.  I was really impressed and I'm ready to go back!  My daughter and I spent less than 24 hours in the city touring all of the tourist spots, but it was enough to whet my appetite and leave me hungry for the rest of the city.

Evening on the Charles River in Boston

On Friday morning, we drove to Portland, ME to meet our friend for brunch.  From there, we spent the next two days touring mid-coast Maine and Acadia National Park.

I won't say that I loved the coast of Maine more than I love my DE/MD beaches.  I will say that they are both very different and lovely in their own ways. 

Maine's coast is rocky with very few "sand" beaches.  

Maine has no condos, housing developments, or trailer park communities

Maine people are very nice (not that we're not - it's just that....well....)

There are very few Mercedes Benz cars in Maine

There are no airplanes flying over the Maine coast

There really is lobster everywhere in Maine

Maine does not have billboards.  It is one of three states in the US that does not.

There are quite a few tattoos in Maine.  Also man-buns and ear gauges.

Maine is breathtakingly beautiful and I'm so glad that I went to visit

Adorable Camden, ME

Just as we have our Rehoboth Avenue or Main Street in Berlin, Maine has adorable little shopping districts in almost every coastal town.  From Bar Harbor to Belfast, each town offers a unique selection of local artisan goods and non-tacky souvenirs.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.  Lives have been lost - for real.

At sunset, locals flock to places like lighthouses and mountain tops to get a view of the pastel skies and say good-bye to the day.  Much like our bay views from Northside Park or Indian River, these colorful sights are well worth the walk, drive, or climb.

My lunch spot on Saturday.  Near Acadia Nat. Park

I will never be able to correctly express the beauty that I saw in this region.  It gave me a new appreciation for nature, humankind, and life itself.  It was, without a doubt, one of the most awe-inspiring adventures of my life.

I'm heading back to Ocean City, MD this weekend with a renewed appreciation for soft sand and no poison ivy!  Even with it's noise and commercialism, we have some really beautiful beaches down here.

Speaking of noise...

It's Bikefest weekend in OCMD (9/15 - 9/18).  3 Doors Down is playing at the inlet along with Styx, Candlebox, and Slaughter.  Check out the website for complete schedule and ticket details.

For a more quiet event, you could check out the End of Season party on the beach at Dagsworthy Street in Dewey Beach, DE.  This event is sponsored by the Dewey Beach Business Partnership and features music, bonfire, kids juggling shows, cash bar and food at reduced prices from local restaurants.

I'm not sure where I'm going to end up this weekend, but I do know that part of my weekend plans will include a nap.  

Looking forward to exploring more US coasts, but I'm really glad to be home and close to "my ocean".

I'm Shipping Up To Boston

"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."  - André Gide

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

The above quote has been my mantra for the past twenty years.  I think, at one time, I even printed it out and taped it to my dashboard.

Whenever I feel stuck or afraid, I repeat this quote to myself and I instantly feel calmer and more confident.

This week, I will be discovering new oceans with my daughter, Amanda.

Well... same ocean, but different shores.

On Thursday, I will be heading to Boston, MA for a quick tour of the city and an overnight at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

Friday morning, we are heading to Belfast, ME, where we will be spending a long weekend with my daughter's friend, Kate.

Kate has created a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend that includes the following adventures:

Brunch at the Bayside American Cafe (Portland, ME)
Reid State Park Beach (Georgetown, ME)
Oxbow Brewery (Newcastle, ME)
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (Pemaquid, ME)
Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor, ME)
Moonbat Bakery (Belfast, ME)
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse (Rockland, ME)
Bald Rock Mountain (Lincolnville, ME)

Like me and my daughter, Kate is a "doer" and a "planner" (must have something to do with the fact that we're all oldest children).  I am so thrilled to have her as our guide.  I know that she will show us all of the wonderful stuff that we can fit in to our short visit.

Since I've only ever been to beaches from Delaware to Florida and The Bahamas, I have only ever seen flat and sandy coasts.  I am most looking forward to seeing  the rocky shores and mountain coastline of Maine.  I am also curious to experience the late-summer landscape, which I'm sure will be at it's most lush and green this time of the year.

Perhaps I'll even dip a toe (or two) in to the Maine ocean.  Brrrrr!

I'm super excited to be exploring a part of the country that I've always wanted to see.  I will take a bunch of photos and post them here when I return.

**********    CRABCAKE UPDATE    ***********

I finally tried Crabcake Factory on 120th St. in OCMD.  The crabcakes there are HUGE!  I got a platter (beach fries and slaw) for a whopping $20, but it kept me fed for a few days.  The portion sizes are extremely generous and, I must say, this cake ranks in my top five.

Crabcake from Crabcake Factory in OCMD

Hope you all take time to enjoy the mid-Atlantic beaches while I'm gone.  If you're in Rehoboth Beach, be sure to check out the sandcastle building contest in front of Funland on Saturday, 9/10 (judging is at 3 PM).

See ya' when I'm back from my wicked-good adventure!