Questions for upcoming visit to DE

[Mimidae]

Respectfully, I think the accounts of the beaches being unpalatably crowded are a touch exaggerated. People who live there really don't want more tourists, because the roads CAN get annoyingly crowded, so they can have this stance. I've spent part of my life in northern DE and part of my life at the beach area, now I'm inheriting a house in the beach area, and I've visited beaches all over the country. It's not like that scene in JAWS, with beach blankets practically overlapping each other. It's not even like New Jersey crowded.

Traffic can get bad on the stretch between Lewes and Dewey. This is true. But we're not talking ”bumper to bumper for hours” traffic. This is not the 101 in LA. It is annoying, though, I imagine much more so if you have to do this every day. Traffic can also get bad on the roads that go inland, like Lighthouse Road in Fenwick and Rt. 26 in Bethany.

Rehoboth is probably the most crowded, as far as beaches. But the shopping area and boardwalk are fun, so consider ”beaching” elsewhere but visiting the main drag at some point. Make a dinner reservation and walk around before or after. Incidentally, some of the best restaurants in the entire state are in Rehoboth and Lewes. My favorites are Salt Air, Rehoboth Oyster House, and Agave, but there are many acclaimed restaurants I haven't tried. Our Harvest in Fenwick is also top notch. Reservations can be hard to get, but just go sit at the bar and have a couple of apps.

Lewes has a public beach, and since it's actually on the Delaware Bay rather than the ocean, it's great for when you're with someone who doesn't feel comfortable swimming in the ocean. The waves are small and gentle; it's very peaceful. It gets very crowded on weekends, but it's not that bad on weekdays. You do have to pay to park (and enforcement of that is rigorous), but I think it's well worth it. There's a public restroom with a couple of showers, although it's only cleaned at night, so it can get grimy by the end of the day. There can be a wait for the showers, especially when everyone is coming off of the beach at the same time.

At Bethany and Rehoboth, and Dewey, I suppose (I don't spend time in Dewey—if you're in your 20s and like club hopping, you might enjoy that scene), you also have to pay for parking. Otherwise, it's not like there's a ”beach fee” at any of the beaches, not like in other Atlantic states. In South Bethany there's just no parking—you'd need a parking permit to park on those streets, no real lots.

Another alternative is to pay the daily state park fee at the Indian River Inlet. It might be $5 or $6 now for out-of-state cars. Then you can access the beach near the Big Chill Beach Club, or walk north over the bridge to the beach where the surfers hang out.

Cape Henlopen State Park also has beach access, also for the price of state park entrance.

There are parking lots off of route 1 in Fenwick. That might be a daily state park fee, too.

As for tolls, it's pretty hard to avoid them. Rt. 1 is THE way to get to the beach from Newark, but before there was rt. 1 there was rt. 13, and that route still exists. It will take longer because there's no 65 mph speed limit. But I don't believe there are tolls. If you're traveling from the Newark area into Maryland (going towards Baltimore), just get on I-95 on Rt. 896, on the southern end of Newark. That's the entrance that's just past the toll, so all of the locals wait until then to get on I-95 south.

There are oodles of seafood restaurants in Sussex County. I hope you enjoy your stay! I really think you will. Don't be put off by local reports.

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by East2West&back

I guess I hadn't really thought too much about the tourist aspect of living in Delaware (I'm not sure why). I've never really lived in a tourist area before. When I lived in the suburbs of NYC, I was usually only in NYC when I was working, and yes it could be a PITA to drive around Manhattan especially during the busier times of year like Christmas or during the meeting of the UN General Assembly in September.

Would the worst of the tourist season be between June and August?

This all sort of reminds me of the movie Jaws, when the locals on Amity Island complained about the "Summer dinks" overrunning the island. I imagine that's how the locals in Delaware feel about all of the out of state tourists descending on the area.

Thanks to all of you who have offered replies in my thread.

You're Welcome. LOL.....well it is different at Rehoboth Beach then when I worked down there as a teenager in 1958. For actual and dependable reports on traffic and goings on, here are a couple of reliable Rehoboth Beach links which could be helpful for you. It even has an interactive traffic link showing heavy traffic times and live traffic cameras. These links are interesting and show traffic patterns for different days and times. Enjoy your visit!

https://www.rehoboth.com/community/l...ZpY3MiLCJhcyJd

http://www.deldot.gov/Traffic/travel...ry/#advisories

[simonusa3]

Originally Posted by East2West&back

I guess I hadn't really thought too much about the tourist aspect of living in Delaware (I'm not sure why). I've never really lived in a tourist area before. When I lived in the suburbs of NYC, I was usually only in NYC when I was working, and yes it could be a PITA to drive around Manhattan especially during the busier times of year like Christmas or during the meeting of the UN General Assembly in September.

Would the worst of the tourist season be between June and August?

This all sort of reminds me of the movie Jaws, when the locals on Amity Island complained about the "Summer dinks" overrunning the island. I imagine that's how the locals in Delaware feel about all of the out of state tourists descending on the area.

Thanks to all of you who have offered replies in my thread.

What Mimidae posted is much more accurate IMO.

The Delaware coast southward all the way to Ocean City is a large beach region with all the things you would expect in a coastal area. I've lived on and off in a dozen beach areas from South Carolina to Rhode Island, including the Delmarva, and coastal Delaware is nicer than most. Plenty of wide open beaches, not mass crowds most of the time (not like southern CA or New Jersey...etc) newer buildings and slower vibe. Coming from Utah (if you are moving there) you'll find winters more mild and falls much longer. IMO, it's the best beach region on the East Coast north of Florida and below Rhode Island when you consider everything (like climate, access to big cities, modern conveniences, number of parks and National Seashores, safety...etc.

You can't go wrong with coastal DE. Just my take.

[East2West&back]

Originally Posted by Mimidae

As for tolls, it's pretty hard to avoid them. Rt. 1 is THE way to get to the beach from Newark, but before there was rt. 1 there was rt. 13, and that route still exists. It will take longer because there's no 65 mph speed limit. But I don't believe there are tolls. If you're traveling from the Newark area into Maryland (going towards Baltimore), just get on I-95 on Rt. 896, on the southern end of Newark. That's the entrance that's just past the toll, so all of the locals wait until then to get on I-95 south.

There are oodles of seafood restaurants in Sussex County. I hope you enjoy your stay! I really think you will. Don't be put off by local reports.

Thanks for that information filled post! (I did not quote all of it to save space) And thanks for the tip about getting onto I-95 south.

Originally Posted by rdlr

You're Welcome. LOL.....well it is different at Rehoboth Beach then when I worked down there as a teenager in 1958. For actual and dependable reports on traffic and goings on, here are a couple of reliable Rehoboth Beach links which could be helpful for you. It even has an interactive traffic link showing heavy traffic times and live traffic cameras. These links are interesting and show traffic patterns for different days and times. Enjoy your visit!

https://www.rehoboth.com/community/l...ZpY3MiLCJhcyJd

http://www.deldot.gov/Traffic/travel...ry/#advisories

I had already put the DelDOT app on my phone recently after learning about it on a state map that came with the Delaware travel guide I requested. Thanks for the other link, too.


Thank you simonusa3 for your input too.


I am looking forward to my visit to DE. It has been a long, long time since I've been there.

[nuts2uiam]

FYI. Ordinarily the traffic does not abate at all until the week that 8/15 falls in as the kids start to go back to school then. BUT, this year the traffic has already diminished a lot. The Chamber released their occupancy chart that compares both weekend and Wednesday room rentals.

Room rentals are WAY down

https://www.beach-fun.com/images/RBD...till7.2.23.pdf

The Chamber said this is holding true with other resort areas across the board. People are traveling via plane now and there are a lot of rental options.