Rehoboth Beach and The Avenue Inn and Spa
By Bob Tagert
Our Road Trip for October took us to one of the areas favorite destinations, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Once a popular summer beach destination, it has now become popular year-round. There is a lively and dynamic year-round population that keeps the town hopping all year long. While not as prolific as in the summer, there are events the like of the True Blue Jazz Fest from the 15th through the 19th and the Sea Witch Festival from the 24th through the 26th this month. Both, of which, draw a lot of people to this little town in the fall.
Like a lot of you, I grew up in the DC area and made the beaches my go-to destination in the summer. In the early days, there was always a backup at the toll booths. On the Sunday we went last month, there was a three mile back up both ways at the bridge. However, with the use of cameras for toll flow at the toll plaza traffic does not come to a stop. If you don’t have E-Z Pass you are still good to go. Your plates will be photographed and you’ll get a bill in the mail. However, these days I am not so much in a hurry and my body isn’t the volleyball player in once was. Sort of like that Toby Keith song, As Good As I Once Was.
We made it to Rehoboth totally unscathed and went straight to our hotel, the Avenue Inn. We stayed at the Avenue Inn and Spa. We stayed there on a whim last fall and found it to be a great place in the heart of town and only one block from the boardwalk and beach. After checking in and partaking of their nightly wine & cheese social, we headed toward the beach and one of our favorite stops…Nalu.
Nalu is an open air, Hawaiian-inspired surf bar and grill. Happy Hour is celebrated all day on Sundays so we partook in some cocktails and my favorite appetizer, the bacon wrapped pineapple chunks. Treat yourself if you stop in.
The bar here is huge with lots of sit-down dining inside and out along with numerous tv’s on the walls. This place is popular with the locals as well at tourists. They have the NFL ticket on Sundays so it was packed with fans cheering on several different teams. If you sit at the bar, you might have Jimmy as your bartender. The dude is the ultimate surfer guy with the head band to make it right. He is an excellent bartender as well as a wealth of knowledge.
With our team’s games ending, we decided to head back down Rehoboth Ave to make a stop at another favorite, the Purple Parrot, on the way to the hotel. The hotel is a short walk through the Parrot and the outside sand bar that exits at Wilmington Avenue right next door to the Avenue Inn. Very convenient! Usually lots of people and Sunday night wasn’t any different. We got seats at the bar and they had the remaining games on. In addition to the cool atmosphere, the food and drinks here great so we grabbed some chicken tenders to accompany our adult beverages. Just when we were getting ready to head out the door, the Sunday Night Drag Queen Show started. Well…we had to stay for it. This was a fun show and the best part is it is FREE – other than the tips for the Queens. It was getting pretty late so we departed before it was over and headed for the hotel.
Monday was a free for all day. I opted to sleep in since we got in later than I normally stay up and I was in one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in. I also wanted to catch up on world news. Lani went down to the lobby early and brought coffee to the room and informed me she was headed back down to the breakfast room and then on to the beach. It was a beautiful day to sit, read and people watch. There were several people with their beach gear but not crowded at all.
After a 2-3 hours, she headed down/up the beach to Obie’s by the Sea for a Bloody Mary and gave me an update so I joined her. We were glad we stopped in since it was the last week before they closed for the season. We watched the people on the Boardwalk and took in some pretty interesting conversations and just relaxed while the waves rolled in. After a bowl of Creole Crab soup, we headed back toward Rehoboth Ave and made stops along the way to soak up some more sun.
Happy hour Cocktails and appetizers at the Blue Moon were on the agenda so we hit the room for quick showers and a change of clothes and strolled over to Baltimore Ave. The drinks and food here are exceptional. Lani had her traditional Blue Moon Martini and I stuck with my rum. The shrimp cocktail and spicy egg rolls were enough to fill us up. We were entertained by John Flynn on the piano from 7 to 8 and we stayed around for the Cabaret from 8 to 9. There are some very talented people in this area. It was a great day for both of us.
Let’s talk about the hotel. The Avenue Inn & Spa is a historic, family-owned hotel located at 33 Wilmington Avenue – the lobby can be accessed from Rehoboth Avenue as well. Known for its friendly service, clean rooms and prime location, it also has the most comfortable beds ever (see comment above). It offers a variety of rooms and suites. In addition to a pool, sun deck and gym, complimentary amenities like a full breakfast and nightly wine and cheese social and 8 pm cookies are offered. It is one of few places that have complimentary beach chairs, towels and free shuttle service to and from the beach. Another thing that sets this hotel apart is the blackboard in the lobby that is updated daily with events and specials taking place at restaurants close to the Inn.
We were in a King Suite with a balcony facing Wilmington Avenue. Nice place to sit and drink coffee and make plans for your day. The rooms are well appointed and a lot of attention is paid to details. Guess they think Lani is pretty special, she was greeted by a “Welcome Back” message accompanied by a split of sparkling wine and a box of chocolates!
The staff and service here are top-notch. It starts at the top with General Manager Michael Hayes and trickles all the way down the food chain. We want to give a special shout out to John Grimes – Guest Experience Specialist extraordinaire. He was our first contact for our last-minute stay last fall and we were treated like old friends then just like we were this time. If you see him during your stay, say hello!
The Inn continually receives awards and high ratings from the hotel community as well as their patrons. They are well deserved.
After checking out on Tuesday, we stopped back in Nalu to see if our friend Jules was behind the bar. We needed to give her a copy of the May issue that her photo appeared in. We stayed for a Bloody Mary and some edamame before we took our last stroll along the boardwalk with a stop for pizza at Grotto before heading back to Old Town. Looks like she may make the October issue as well.
We decided to come back via Ocean City and Route 64 to Route 50. This was the route I always took many years ago. It wouldn’t be a trip home from the beach without a stop at The Jetty on Kent Island for a cocktail and some wings and to watch the wind on the Bay. Another end to a great trek.
With fall here and the leaves in the Blue Ridge out in full force and the roads packed with leaf peepers, October is a good time to visit Rehoboth Beach. The weather can be warm but not yet cold. The crowds are gone but the amenities are still waiting for you. Room rates are down as well as prices in general. As of Labor Day the parking meters are covered and free.
It is always a pleasure to visit the beach – brings back old memories and gives us a chance to create new ones. Book a room at the Avenue Inn & Spa. Park in their free garage and everything is in walking distance. See you at the beach.