This past month we decided to return to one of our favorite destinations…Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. As in the past, we chose to go during the shoulder season, before Memorial Day and the beginning of the summer. The weather can be on the chilly side, however this year we hit it right. The temperatures were in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s and no rain.

On the drive to the beach, we don’t normally stop until we get to our destination but this time we decided to make a stop for lunch enroute. We chose the new Libbey’s Coastal Kitchen & Cocktails that sits right on the Bay once you cross the bridge on Kent Island. For those of you who have made this trek over the years, Libbey’s is where popular Hemingway’s restaurant used to be. It is a good stop for a break as we are through with the hysteria of the interstate and will soon be on the back country roads of Delaware. The deck at Libbey’s is great for lunch and has a beautiful view of the bridge and the Chesapeake Bay. We could watch small aircraft being buffeted around by the wind as they came into land coming across the Bay. It was a nice respite from the hectic traffic. After beverages, a lobster roll and Cubano sandwich we got back on the road. Highly recommend a stop here.

Going to the beach in the shoulder season’s only disadvantage is the uncertainty of the weather. As you just read, we hit the jackpot this past month. Beautiful weather, free parking, less crowded and pretty much the majority of the restaurants and stores are open. When I used to go to the Ocean City, fifty years ago, the towns were somewhat seasonal, but today they are all year-round communities.

Once again, we stayed at the beautiful Boardwalk Plaza Hotel on the boardwalk and two blocks from Rehoboth Avenue, the main drag in town. The Plaza is a Victorian Hotel with Victorian furniture and furnishings and all the rooms that line the boardwalk have a

beautiful view of the Ocean and a stunning sunrise every morning. Another bonus of the Plaza is the Grotto, a hot tub type of swimming pool that connects to a hot tub outside along the boardwalk. One of the best attractions is the beautiful birds that grace the lobby. Emro the Sun Conure, Peanut the African Grey and Moose the Quaker Parrot each have a cage and all three totally different personalities. Unfortunately, on this trip Moose was under the weather so we didn’t get to see him but Peanut did give Lani the old wolf whistle when we left.

The Boardwalk Plaza also has its’ own restaurant and pub. In addition, there is a hot tub on the roof that only the fourth-floor guests can access.

That afternoon we visited a few of our favorite places on and around the boardwalk. We first went to Nalu, which is Hawaiian for wave. It is a very good restaurant with a huge bar that opens up to the boardwalk. They refer to it as a surf bar and there are surf images throughout. One of my favorite treats is the bacon wrapped pineapple chunks…delicious. The boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue is loaded with good restaurants and shops. It is a great destination on cool or rainy days.

We also walked a few blocks west to another favorite watering hole, the Purple Parrot. This place is always busy with great food and cocktails. In the next block as the Parrot is the Summer House, a favorite dining spot for the last 50 years. Back in the late 60s early 70s the Summer House was everyone’s destination from the DC area. Group beach houses and buried kegs were the norm. Right next to the Purple Parrot is another great place to stay…The Avenue Inn and Spa. Almost everyone out on this day were in shorts for the balmy temps.

With such beautiful weather we decided the next day to head to Lewes, Delaware and take the auto ferry across the Delaware Bay into Cape May, New Jersey. The ferry ride is always a treat in nice weather. You drive your vehicle on, park it and head to the upper deck for refreshments and wonderful views as you cross the Bay. The 17-mile boat ride takes about 85 minutes and is the quickest way to get to Cape May. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any dolphins coming or going. We understand that there are regular sitings and head boats that take you out in search of them. Just wasn’t in the cards on our trek.

We decided to take my truck and drive into the heart of CM to the Washington Street Mall. This three-block walking mall is much like the one in downtown Winchester, VA and what we assume what Old Town Alexandria’s 100 & 200 blocks of King Street aspire to be. There are fountains surrounded by beautiful plantings, cleverly designed information kiosks and some of the most enchanting stores and eateries that we have encountered in a long time. We decided to look for a good place to have lunch and first stopped at the Fish

Market Restaurant – a beautiful place for sure – but found out that they didn’t have a liquor license, so we opted for their sister restaurant next door, Delaney’s Irish Pub, since they do have a license. It seems that there are a limited number of liquor licenses available in Cape May, however, we were told that some restaurants allow you to go to the liquor store and buy your own and bring it back and there is a liquor store in the mall but we decided not to go that route. The Pub is very nice and very Irish with very friendly people working the floor and behind the bar – our girl Vika took very good care of us.

Cape May proudly marks two remarkable milestones this year: the 175th anniversary of their incorporation and the 50th anniversary of their designation as a National Historical Landmark. By comparison, Alexandria celebrated their 250th anniversary in 2025. According to the local Chamber of Commerce, “This anniversary offers Cape May a meaningful opportunity to reflect on where they have been, celebrate who they are, and a look ahead to the future they are building. Throughout 2026, Cape May will be celebrating with events, programs, and activities that honor their city’s legacy while engaging residents, businesses and visitors alike.”

Cape May is truly a beautiful coastal city and is quite spread out. Some folks take the ferry without a vehicle, but Cape May is a large town so a form of transportation is important in order to get around. There really isn’t anything but Higby Beach that is walkable from the dock. A lot of folks take their bikes for getting around, and being a coastal town, the landscape is very flat. Cape May spreads from the Atlantic Ocean to the Delaware Bay and canal. Because of our poor planning, we didn’t have time to do anything but explore the Mall. I wanted to show Lani some of the beautiful Victorian homes and more of the scene along Beach Avenue but our return trip departure called us back. Next time we are spending a night there.

Our return trip was on the windy and MUCH cooler side as the sun slowly began to set in the west. It was a good thing Lani had the sense to get a couple of “souvenir” jackets instead of ball caps. I stayed outside for the duration but she went inside and lounged on one of the chairs that look like they belong in the Business Class of an airplane.

Once off of the boat back in Lewes, the temps were back to very pleasant and it was nice to get back to Rehoboth and our room at the Boardwalk to relax and settle in for the evening.

The next day, I opted to skip breakfast while Lani enjoyed hers dining al fresco on the boardwalk at the hotel restaurant, Victoria’s. There was another gorgeous day on the way. We checked out at noon and began our return trip home. We drove to Rehoboth through Delaware on Route 9, but chose Route 50 for our return trip. Since it was Friday midday, traffic was minimal.

As is our custom on our way home, we stopped on Kent Island again to have a late lunch at our favorite joint, The Jetty. This massive open-air bar and restaurant out on the water was rocking with a lot of energy since the first day of the Bay Power Boat Show was just getting underway. This stop is always a good place to wrap up the return to the big city.