Delaware, three ways: rated-G, rockin’ or ritzy

By Stephanie Citron for The Baltimore Sun

What defines an ideal beach vacation? Well, that depends upon whom you ask.

For most families, its about lazy days playing in the sand and hopping waves, lively dinners of cracking crabs at a picnic table, topped off with a stroll on the boardwalk and maybe a round of mini-golf.

The party crowd emerges in the early afternoon for skim boarding and surfing before happy hour, which leads into dancing to live music into the wee hours of the morning.

The posh set prefers a morning art or history tour, an afternoon sail, a late day massage and a leisurely evening of dining with fine wine or craft cocktails as the sun sets over the Atlantic.

But what happens when you have one of each in your crowd? Separate vacations? Think again. The spectacular Delaware shore offers all of these options, whether you prefer a beach getaway that’s Rated-G, rockin’ or ritzy.

Rated-G

Delaware’s pristine seashore is continually being named among the best family beaches in the country. Families flock to the serene shore and low-key boardwalk of Bethany or the vivacious sands of Rehoboth, just a few steps from its charming boardwalk, full of amusements and popular food concessions.

Activities

Ally Oop Skim’s Board Lessons and Camp teaches the skills to master the hottest craze in the waves for ages 5 and up. (1904 Coastal Highway, Dewey Beach, alleyoopskim.com)

The new Assawoman Canal Trail is a 1-mile trek for walkers and bikers, spanning from Route 26 to the Ocean View Marina. (destateparks.com)

At Bethany Nature Center’s Adventure Saturdays the kids discover all of southern Delaware’s indigenous wildlife through hands-on activities. (807 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach, inlandbays.org)

Eating fresh and wholesome at the shore has never been easier with a weekly Farmers Market of locale growers and producers all summer long. (Bethany Beach, Sundays, bethanybeachfarmersmarket.com. Rehoboth Beach, Tuesdays, rbfarmersmarket.com. Lewes, Saturdays, historiclewesfarmersmarket.org.)

In its formative years, there were just bats and balls. Now your kids can see the game as it was originally intended at this Vintage Base Ball league, playing by 1864 rules, including no gloves in the outfield and legal catches after one bounce. (Lewes, historiclewes.org)

Want to take home some memories? These towns are a treasure trove of independent shops and boutiques. For the finest in kids fashion: The Lily Pad (149 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, shoplilypad.com) For beach toys, kites and games check out Tidepool (on the boardwalk, Bethany Beach, tidepooltoys.com). For authentic pirate swag, visit Discoversea Shipwreck Museum‘s shop. (708 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, discoversea.com)

Events

Family Boat Building Vessel Launch: Teams of families spend the weekend building shallow draft wooden boats called Bevin’s skiffs. Come to see who sinks and who swims on June 21 at Lewes Canalfront Park. (historiclewes.org)

Bethany Beach’s annual 5k Firecracker Run: The whole family can race (or walk) through the town’s scenic streets on June 30. (bethanybeach5k.com)

Fourth of July festivities: Where better to celebrate our nation’s birthday than in the First State? Each town along the coast offers a unique celebration. Cape May-Lewes Ferry Special Fireworks Cruise sails over the Delaware Bay while the sky lights up. (capemaylewesferry.com) Bethany Beach offers a parade, pie-eating contest, concert and fireworks. Lewes Old Fashioned Fourth of July includes children’s games and activities, a decorated boat parade, annual Do-Dah Parade and fireworks.

Dining

Bethany Boathouse: A new family-friendly restaurant with a sandy playground, live entertainment and outdoor happy hour in Bethany Beach. (bethanyboathouse.com).

Bethany Beach’s DiFebo’s Italian restaurant has opened DiFebo’s Rehoboth Beach, with an extensive wine list and outdoor seating. (12 North First Ave., difebos.com).

Honey’s Farm Fresh bills itself as a juice and smoothie outfit, but their breakfasts dazzle – homemade everything, including banana-bacon-blueberry French toast, farm-fresh eggs Benedict. (329 Savannah Road, Lewes)

Parents will delight in the menu of award-winning chef Hari Cameron’s new quick service restaurant Grandpa (MAC), featuring countless variations of homemade pasta by a machine that can crank out about thirty-pounds-an-hour. (33 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, grandpamac.com)

The new Lewes Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. (1201 Savannah Road, Lewes, lewesdiner.com)

Lodging

Bethany Suites is a new upscale Marriott Hotels property on the beach with balconies, kitchenettes, indoor/outdoor pool, complimentary full breakfast, a local fare restaurant and a grocery shopping service. (99 Hollywood Ave., Bethany Beach, bboceansuites.com)

Fairfield Inn & Suites is Southern Delaware’s other new family hotel. Its cushy rooms have refrigerators, microwaves and WIFI, and there’s complimentary breakfast and a pool. (19113 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, marriott.com)

Ritzy

Vacationing mid-Atlantic sophisticates no longer feel compelled to rush to the Hamptons or Vineyard for a culture-clustered seaside getaway. Nowadays, Southern Delaware is revered by the high-brow crowd for its sophisticated performing and fine arts venues, chic shops and award-winning eclectic dining scene.

Activities

Happy Hour History Tours: From June 5 to Aug. 28, half-hour tours and lectures are led by historians and experts around the historic town of Lewes. The gathering includes wine. (historiclewes.org)

Chic shopping: Azura Clothing (azuraclothing.net) offers trendy designer brands in Rehoboth Beach. Mosaic Art Galleries is a collective of Rehoboth Beach’s fine galleries. For the pampered pet, P.U.P.S. Of Lewes (pupslewes.com) offers the best in food, toys and tchotchkes. Cultured shoppers can find Asian-influenced apparel, crafts, jewelry at Japanesque (japanesquebethany.com) in Bethany Beach.

Commemorating Delaware’s first European colony by the Dutch, the Zwaanendael Museum exhibits maritime, military and social history. (100 Kings Highway, Lewes, history.delaware.gov)

Events

Seaside Craft Show is a gorgeous, juried show with over 100 vendors, along the boardwalk June 6 in Bethany Beach.

Top Chef of The Culinary Coast, a highly-revered tasting affair of dishes created with local provisions, includes the area’s famed and favorite foodmasters in competition June 11 in Rehoboth Beach. (visitsoutherndelaware.com)

Re-enactors portray celebrated historical figures, speaking and interacting with audiences in a large tent at the Chautauqua Tent Shows. This year’s theme: Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past. Takes place June 21-25 in Lewes. (historiclewes.org/events)

Some 140 fine artists and craftspeople line the park in the annual St. Peter’s Annual Art Show on July 4 in Lewes. (stpeterslewes.org)

Lodging

Room 7 at the old-world, adult-only Addy Sea Inn is an oceanfront, double Jacuzzi room with homemade breakfast, tea time, beach chairs and towels. (99 Ocean View Parkway, Bethany Beach, addysea.com)

The Copper Beach Suite at The Savannah Inn provides a private entrance, cushy king bed, sauna steam shower and oodles of other amenities including gourmet breakfast, a private massage room. It’s also a short walk from the beach. (330 Savannah Road, Lewes, savannahinnlewes.com)

The adults-only Bellmoor Inn’s Club Suites have a private elevator, hydrotherapy tubs, gas fireplaces, balconies and refreshments. Downstairs is a full-service spa, two swimming pools, a hot tub, and a sun-filled dining room serving complimentary breakfast. (6 Christian St., Rehoboth Beach, thebellmoor.com)

The chic oceanfront Boardwalk Plaza offers afternoon tea, a glass oceanview elevator, beach towel service, children’s activity desk, and an adults-only rooftop deck with a hot tub. (2 Olive Ave., Rehoboth Beach, boardwalkplaza.com)

Dining

Renowned Rehoboth Beach farm-to-plate caterers, Essential Chef, has opened Palate, a casual lunch and supper café with an imaginative seasonal-fare menu. (19266 Coastal Highway, tastepalate.com)

The clandestine Cellar Door, in a basement of an old church, serves creole and Cajun comfort fare. There’s often classy live music and al fresco terrace dining. (20 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach)

When the work of art arrives at your table in the form of Cauliflower Valoute with Peekytoe Crab, you’ll understand why Chef Hari Cameron was named Delaware Restaurateur of The Year for his molecular gastronomical creations at a(MUSE). (44 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, amuse-rehoboth.com)

Even the light-fare artisan pizzas (red duck curry, anyone?) are outrageous at 14 Global, a world fusion-fare eatery that was voted Best of Delaware last year. (14 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Bethany Beach, 14global.com)

Rockin’

While the sand at Dewey Beach is ranked as one of the nation’s cleanest by the National Resources Defense, it’s wholesome rap ends just about there. With a spring-break-like atmosphere for grownups, its hip-and-happening nightlife makes this town party central.

Activities

The coolest high this summer is riding in an authentic WWII Warbird: a twin-engine B-25 Bomber at the Delaware Aviation Museum. The 30-minute flight provides panoramic views of the shore and time enough to channel your inner war hero. (21781 Aviation Ave., Georgetown, delawareaviationmuseum.org).

The Freeman Stage: Headliner and local music, theater and dance performances this summer at the Selbyville, Del., attraction include Rosanne Cash, Blondie and Melissa Ethridge, Hall and Oats and Buckwheat Zydaco. (freemanstage.org)

You’ve gotta be good, if you’re still a lightning-hot 70-year-old live music venue that’s never stepped up your appearance. And Dewey Beach’s Bottle and Cork still pulls in arguably the best summer line-up along the shore. This summer features George Clinton and The Bacon Brothers (yes, that’s “footloose” Kevin). (1807 Highway One, Dewey Beach, bottleandcorkdewey.com)

Bored with the beach? There are skate days, skate contests, skate clinics and just plain skating over bowls, verts and flat ground at Rehoboth Beach’s new SK8park. (19285 Holland Glade Road, eumcrb.org/sk8)

Dining

Some new chug-a-lugs brewpubs are opening this summer. Dewey Beer and Food Company (2100 Coastal Highway, Dewey Beach) will have a 110 seat restaurant and on-premise brewing. Restaurant group Nage is launching Crooked Hammock (16989 Kings Highway, Lewes, crookedhammock.com), a beer garden-concept with cookout (burgers, dogs, steak) fare. The Forgotten Mile Ale (20859 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach) House will also feature an upscale eatery.

Dogfish Head Brewery has expanded and moved its distilling operation from the Rehoboth Beach brewpub to their headquarters in Milton. Expect to see new varieties of their rum, vodka and gin throughout SoDel restaurants and bars this summer. (6 Cannery Village Center, dogfish.com)

Events

Zap Amateur World Championships of Skim Boarding and Summer Vibes Festival: Boarders from around the globe flock into town to compete, Aug. 8-9 in Dewey Beach. For spectators there are a host of other events and activities, including paddleboard races, an old-fashioned circus sideshow performance, food tastings, and live music. (skimusa.org)

Analog-A-Go-Go is a huge festival featuring Dogfish Head ales on cask, live music, vinyl music venders and artisans June 13 at Dogfish Head Brewery.

The first annual Brewgrass Festival June 14 in Milford will feature live bluegrass music, craft brewers from Maryland and Delaware, food and contests.

Lodging

Digs at the shore don’t get much cooler than at the Dogfish Inn, a brewery-themed hotel stocked with hoppy amenities like beer soap, signature glassware, and wall-mounted bottle openers. There’s even complimentary bikes, paddleboards and a very social outdoor firepit. (105 Savannah Road, Lewes, dogfishinn.com)