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By Bob & Tanya Waite
It just doesn’t seem right. Afterall, we travel to the North Carolina shore, Virginia Beach, Ocean City, Maryland. At the Jersey Shore people recognize us walking down the street and think we live in the neighborhood, but we have never gone to any Delaware beach town. Tanya agrees, “Let’s go to a small beach town in Delaware.” I’m thinking that besides Rehoboth, they are all small. So we look for a beach with an interesting name. We look for somewhere that isn’t known well among our readers and somewhere we have never stayed. And we come up with Fenwick Island, Delaware—a small beach town at the southern end of Delaware.
Actually Fenwick Island isn’t far from Ocean City and we both want to be close enough to take a visit to the Assateague Island National Seashore—and see the wild horses, beautiful beaches and walk the trails. But we plan on spending most of our time on the Delaware side of the state line.
We leave at around 11 a.m. Our destination is Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The Tapestry Collection are actually independent hotels that, according to the Hilton website, “… are each rich in cultural charm and deeply connected to its destination. With vibrant designs and one-of-a-kind experiences, every Tapestry stay promises a unique adventure.” And we want a unique adventure. We overdressed for a drive to the beach, but there is a little business we have to engage with this morning (see our photo), and I did not want to return home.
We take the Coastal Highway down the Delmarva Peninsula passing Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach and other small beach towns, crossing the gorgeous Indian River Inlet Bridge, driving on such a narrow stretch of the peninsula that looking to the right we see the bay and to the left the ocean.
Tanya loves the drive through what reminds her of wetlands down the Jersey Shore. “Look at that big bird!” she excitedly exclaims. “What is it?,” she asks. I say, “I don’t know Sweetie, but it sure is big!” We look for turtles, since they often cross the road. Signs tell us to be careful for them. As we both understand, they are slow. And today they are content to stay where they are.
Eventually we are at Fenwick Island, which is 18 miles south of Rehoboth Beach. Our hotel is right on the Coastal Highway. We enter and are met by a lovely desk clerk who chats with us for a while as we ask questions about the amenities. Then I park the car while Tanya takes photos of the lobby, which is enough to get oohs and aahs from someone as unaffected by hotel décor as me. The colorful chandelier with blue and purple stained glass stars dangling from it is impressive. The beige furniture is very comfortable yet simple, and the openness to outside light lets you know you are by the sea. Wicker chairs are arranged around tables making them a perfect for family discussions or sharing a romantic moment over a cocktail. The carpeting is brightly designed in shades of blue and splashes of white—giving the lobby a seaside feel.
Mooncussers Restaurant blends seamlessly with the lobby and the bar is gorgeous with wicker chairs and lit blue glass cabinets that cover the large assortment of liquors. Tables for dining sit in front of the bar. Breakfast is free for overnight guests and the menu has small plates, bar food and sandwiches and some full-size entrees.
Tanya and I head for our room. Once there Tanya begins to take photos. I sit on the balcony. It does not overlook the ocean, but there is a path that leads right to the beach. I have been told the beach is pristine. I plan to see it, first thing tomorrow. We are there on April 30th and will be leaving May 2nd. The weather is temperate, around 65 degrees and I can smell the ocean.
The nautical themed room has two queen-sized beds and we are both intrigued by a framed boating knot and other interesting art we find. We are happy to have a sink, microwave and a Keurig coffeemaker. The beds have a nautical themed cover and the bathroom is perfect, with a rainforest shower and plenty of room for doing our morning ablutions.
We unpack. I am hungry and so is Tanya, so we look for somewhere to eat, and find that almost directly across the street is the Station, which is a large restaurant but since it is only 5 p.m., it is almost empty. We are met by a very friendly hostess, Alice. Tanya asks, “How are you darling?” And there is immediate connection. By the time we are shown to our table they are giggling like a couple of school girls. I am smiling. I love seeing my wife’s winsome manner as she turns bad days into good for so many people. Alice, smiling says, “I am going to assign you a table where you will get our best server, Richard.”
Alice’s selection is perfect. Richard comes to our table, not only asking what we want to drink, but going over the specials in detail and waiting for any questions. He knows the subtle flavors of spices and ways of cooking, so that he can describe in detail, not only what ingredients are used but also what it tastes like.
We order a shared appetizer, Mussels cooked in Thai green coconut curry with grilled flatbread. For drinks we go health conscious and ask for water with lemon and lime. Our appetizer comes and it is delicious. The Thai green coconut curry makes us wish we ordered one plate each. Live and learn. Richard recommends for me The Fish For The Day, which is Haddock, blackened with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables in lemon butter sauce. Tanya still has trouble making up her mind, but after Richard suggests several of the entrees, and she orders the Seared Ahi Tuna, served with coconut rice, sautéed bok choy and Asian slaw sesame crusted. While waiting for our order we search each other’s eyes, relaxing in a romance that has endured since our dating days.
After dinner we go back to the hotel. I stop on the way to our room to get some snacks and meet a desk clerk who had what I thought was an Australian accent. He tells me that he always gets that, but that he is from England. We talk about the subtle distinctions between the way people speak in different regions and I buy a bunch of snacks. Back in the room we watch a movie and then we both drift away into a deep sleep.
I get up early and go downstairs for coffee and a quick walk on the beach. Nothing is better than walking on a beach, looking at the ocean and drinking a cup of coffee. I am surprised to find out that Fenwick Island’s beach has a boardwalk located at the corner of Coastal Highway and W. Atlantic Street. There you can find Viking Golf & Go-Karts and the Thunder Lagoon Waterpark. Also there are spots that feature boardwalk fries, ice cream, pizza, and pretzels. In doesn’t have the feel of a traditional boardwalk but is more like a strip mall by the sea.
I come back to the room and bring Tanya a cup of coffee. She is up. So after making a leisurely itinerary, I run across the street to go to The Pantry at The Station and get us some baked goods to eat for breakfast. I get us blueberry scones and coffee. We are both full of caffeine and sugar. We need an outlet. So, we get dressed and hop into the car.
Fenwick Island State Park has an entrance fee from May to December. It is May 1st , so we decide that since we are not going paddleboarding, sailing, crabbing or fishing and we do not need the bathhouse, that we would change our itinerary and use our lifetime National Park membership to go to Assateague Island National Park, which is in Maryland. We are less than 10 miles from the Delaware/ Maryland border, so it is no problem.
As we approach the bridge leading to the island and park, Tanya gets excited. “I want to see my babies!” she says. Over the bridge she sees on both sides of the road about six wild horses. They seem to congregate by the bridge. Tanya tells me to stop and she gets out of the car, walks within 15 feet of the horses and begins to take photos. This is something I have to stop. The literature about these horses says to not get any closer than 40 feet because they may charge if you get too close or startle them. However, these horses obviously did not read the literature, since one of them actually walked toward Tanya. She says, “Look, he’s smiling at me.” I say, “Hon, slowly move backwards and get back in the car.” So she reluctantly got back in the car. We want to walk around the park, on the trails and beaches, but we realize that we are not really supposed to be in Maryland for this story, so we turn around and go back to Delaware.
We arrive at the hotel around noon and decide to get some lunch. We eat at our Fenwick Shore’s restaurant, Mooncussers. We each have a delicious burger, fries and a Coke. So, since we want to keep our trip inside Delaware, we jump into the car and head north on the Coastal Highway. We look again for Turtles but see none. I think, “These guys wouldn’t stand a chance racing a hare.”
We cross the Indian River Inlet Bridge and keep going until we see the sign for Rehoboth Beach. We park near the boardwalk. As we walk the boards, we come across Funland, a family owned amusement park and find out we are too early. It doesn’t open until May 9 and we are here on May 1. “Shucky, shucky, shucky,” Tanya says. We walk the boardwalk past some boutiques and several souvenir shops. We see the historic bandstand where there are free summer concerts. And see panoramic views of the ocean. There are quite a few people walking the boards and plenty of spots to get boardwalk food. It is a sunny day.
We take a walk around in the town. We pass the Penny Lane Mall but do not enter. Then we take a walk down Rehoboth Avenue, which is the main street leading to the boardwalk and is lined with dozens of restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques. We love it. There is a sidewalk sale that brings a crowd of locals. I buy Tanya a bracelet and as we walk we nod and say hello to people to see if it is a friendly crowd. And sure enough it is. Several people ask us where we are from, and we proudly say, “Bucks County Pennsylvania.” One woman tells Tanya how much she liked her hair. Tanya says, “Thank you sugar.”
I want coffee, so we make a stop at a little bakery/coffeehouse that is called “le macaron, french pastries & macarons” (yes, the name is in lower case). We go there, not because we are expecting really good coffee, but because Tanya loves macarons—those delicate, meringue-based French sandwich cookies that have a crisp shell and soft, chewy interior, made from almond flour, egg whites, and sugar.
As we enter le Macaron, Tanya is humming a tune that sounds unfamiliar, so I know two things: she made up the tune and that she is very happy. So I order a cup of coffee that I intend to share with Tanya, and she orders two macarons, one strawberry and one orange/mango. She exclaims, “These are delicious!” I take a nibble and have to concur. And the coffee is very good fresh ground and brewed to perfection. We walk around Rehoboth Avenue a little longer and then make our way to the car and head back towards Fenwick Island.
On the way back we stop at a Royal Farms and eat some fried chicken. It is not as good as what we ate in a Royal Farms in North Carolina but it is good for a northern state. Tanya and I buy some snacks there and soon we are back in the hotel. It is around 7 p.m. We’ve had a busy day and are thoroughly in love with the Delaware shore, so we take a little walk to the beach and stand there watching the ocean as shades of night drop.
Back in the room Tanya packs all but her next day’s clothing and I read for a while. We watch a movie and turn in. Morning arrives with a little rain and we finish packing, drink our coffee and leave. We both feel that we need more time to really get to know the southeastern Delaware shore. We will return.
(bio)
Bob Waite is the editor of Bucks County Magazine and Tanya is his wife, travel companion and the co-writer of this department.