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So close, and yet so far away...
By
Jeff Balk
Staff of @ the Beach
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For those of you not familiar with Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, it is about a two-hour drive from Baltimore, Washington, DC, or Philadelphia. Being a growing gay travel destination for
tourists worldwide means that each year the streets and beaches appear to have ever-more fabulousity, and we note many changes since our visit last year. The sand, shops, restaurants,
and exciting nightlife have travelers flocking in from all over. Once known for its summer season, all of the gay clubs and most of the shops are now open year round.
Most of Rehoboth's gay enterprise is clustered within two blocks of the boardwalk and a couple of streets on either side of the main drag, Rehoboth Avenue, so you'll rarely need
your car in town. A bus runs around Lewes, Dewey, and Rehoboth Beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the park-and-ride shuttle operates to the Rehoboth boardwalk 24 hours
a day. If you have a car, you'll be pleased that many of the guest houses have off street parking. Remember to feed the meters as they write tickets seven days a week until
midnight: Rehoboth claims to have a meter maid on every block!
There are two gay beaches in town. The North Shores beach is primarily women, bears, and cubs, while Poodle Beach is the main gay beach in town. It starts just a bit south of the
main drag right past Queen and Prospect Street on the boardwalk. About two miles further down the beach is the Delaware Seashore State Park with seven more miles of sand and ocean
surf. There is also a good spot for wind surfing and sailing on Rehoboth Bay. Up the coast is Cape Henlopen State Park near the ferry, home to the Great Dune (80 feet), "the walking dunes,"
and miles of ocean beach. Beyond Ocean City, Maryland, thirty miles south, is Assateague Island National Seashore. As you come into Rehoboth on Route 1A (which becomes Rehoboth
Avenue), look for the Chamber of Commerce building (in the old railway station just past the canal) for maps and information on these and other beaches. Resources for the "happenings" in
Rehoboth include EXP Gayzette, formerly the
Rehoboth Beach Gayzette (www.expmagazine.com), and
Letters from Camp Rehoboth (www.camprehoboth.com).
Accommodations
Rehoboth is filled with nice and elegant guest houses and bed and breakfasts.
Mallard Guest House (67 Lake Ave) has been voted the "Best of the
Beach" and "Top B&B's on the East Coast." It is just steps away from the boardwalk and beaches of the Atlantic. They offer private baths, some with Jacuzzi tubs, private balconies, and
a complimentary gourmet breakfast.
For the more traditional hotel/motel stay, there are two options in town.
The Shore Inn (703 Rehoboth) is an adult only bed and breakfast just five blocks from downtown. They feature 14 air-conditioned rooms all with private
baths. There is an outside sundeck, pool, and plenty of parking. Their hot tub, for residents only, seats about six people and is popular after the bars close. A continental breakfast is served,
and a full bar is available. Chris and Jason are host.
Cape Suites (47 Baltimore Avenue) offers rooms from $105 to $160 a night; weekly rates start at $800. They are centrally located and feature two-room suites. Rooms have
a refrigerator, wet bar, microwave and off-street parking. Manager Larry is there to assist your every need.
Other bed and breakfasts include the Ram's Head Inn, the Royal Rose Inn, the Lighthouse Inn, the Delaware Inn, and the Rehoboth Guest House.
Shopping
Delaware has no sales tax, making shopping a treat for the budget-aware. There are three outlet malls in town featuring over a 100 named brand shops, and plenty of unique
boutiques, as well.
Attic Treasures (47 Baltimore Ave) is new this year. They feature gifts, cards, antiques and collectibles. Located just next to Cape Suites, you will find that special gift or
souvenir here.
The Coffee Mill (127 Rehoboth Mews) has gift baskets and mugs, gourmet coffee beans, teas, and brewing accessories.
Lambda Rising Bookstore (39 Baltimore Avenue) is a branch of the Washington store that ranks as one of the countries finest gay booksellers.
Spahr (58 Baltimore) offers a wide variety of Scott Spahr's designer clothes for men and women.
Out Wear Gear (111 Rehoboth Avenue) has pride gifts from shirts to rings,
while Beach Essentials (33 G Baltimore Avenue) is your place for that special swimsuit or clubwear. Celebrating their fifth season, they have the largest and most innovative selection
of casual wear--with over 2000 swimsuits in stock!
Bars and restaurants
A twenty-year landmark, the
Renegade is no longer. Demolished to make way for condominiums, the Renegade was known for its late-night dancing and circuit parties.
Opening Memorial Day weekend, AM (After Midnight) - Play (in the Ames lot) accommodates the once-Renegade's after hours 18-plus crowd. Their slogan, "Play til dawn" says it all.
Heating up the local nightlife is @ the beach (330 Rehoboth Avenue), in the old Chili Billy's building right as you pull into downtown Rehoboth. At the Beach features a wide array
of food items and has a banquet room offering karaoke and DJs at night.
Newcomers will be amazed at the number of quality restaurants in town.
The Purple Parrot Bar & Grill (247 Rehoboth Ave) not only dishes up great food, they also hire some of the buffest and most attractive lifeguards in Rehoboth Beach as
their bartenders and waiters--very friendly eye candy, whatever their professed sexuality. The Purple Parrot's menu is filled with seafood (of course!) as well as steaks and ribs. They have a
huge appetizer list, and feature a Saturday and Sunday a la carte brunch. Sunday nights are a favorite with a one-pound prime rib for $10.75. The upstairs bar is monickered the Bird Cage
and features karaoke specials and a seven-day-a-week happy hour, weekdays from 5-7pm and Saturday and Sundays from 3-6pm.
Baltimore Avenue hosts three establishments that feature food and drinks.
Iguana Grill (52 Baltimore) offers tropical drinks and starters like "Texas Toothpicks" and a
"Seven-story Dip." Their dinner menu includes a sumptuous mixed barbecue grill and huge fried shrimp basket. There is inside and outside seating.
Blue Moon (35 Baltimore) has a reputation
of delicious food at a reasonable price. Their outside patio and bar is a great happy hour hangout. Starters here include a roasted garlic, wild mushroom, and goat cheese strudel and a
chilled hickory smoked duck breast. Sunday brunch is a treat here, and features a "build your own" Bloody Mary bar. The
Back Porch (59 Rehoboth Avenue) offers fine dining in a casual
beach atmosphere. You have to see this place to believe it: enter through a beautifully landscaped corridor off of the main street and prepare to relax and enjoy.
The Frogg Pond (3 South 1st Street) is a friendly neighborhood Irish bar. With $5 lunch specials and $10 dinner specials, the Frogg Pond means you can have a good meal
without emptying your wallet. Nightly specials--like "Trivia challenge" on Mondays, "Quarter bounce" Tuesdays, and Saturday eve's live entertainment--there is always a fun time to be had.
On Rehoboth's main street you'll find Taste (122 Rehoboth Avenue), a new venue owned and operated by Rob from
Eden (23 Baltimore). Eden and Taste feature dishes that
you might expect to find in a four-star restaurant. With separate menus, Taste encourages sharing of plates while Eden in its "new world" has expanded seating and a soothing atmosphere.
Their starters include New Zealand green-lipped muscles with leeks, artichokes, capers, and a white wine tomato broth. Another popular starter is their smoked salmon pizza with wasabi caviar
and a horseradish-dill crème-fraische. One of their most ordered entrees is the wasabi and sesame encrusted yellow finned tuna pan seared rear and served with a seaweed salad.
Celsius Restaurant (50c Wilmington) is the area's leading French and Mediterranean restaurant and tapas bar. They offer a Sunday brunch for $12 that includes eggs Delmarva with crab and
Old Bay hollandaise, and a niçoise frittata with black olives, spinach, roasted pepper, red potatoes, and Swiss cheese. Evening entrees include duck Celcius and crab and shrimp and
scallops served in a crab and saffron sauce.
The Crab Barn (Highway 1) is the place to go if you want endless crabs. With nightly all-you-can eat specials on blue crab, snow crab, or a combo, you can sit for hours and
get stuffed. Get there before 8pm for the specials which also come with fried shrimp, roasted chicken, hush puppies, and a salad.
With so many great places to eat, so many comfortable places to stay, and such incredible surf and sun, it's no wonder more and more gay tourists are checking out Rehoboth
Beach--come see for yourself!
| Author Profile: Jeff Balk |
|
Jeff Balk is publisher of EXP, a gay/les/bi/trans bar and
entertainment magazine serving
Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. Jeff
hails from St. Louis, Missouri, where
he lives when not travelling for The
Guide.
|
| Email: |
expmag@aol.com |
| Website: |
www.expmagazine.com |
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