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I wanted to visit Rehoboth Beach as long as I could find a cheap place to stay…and wasn’t absolutely disgusting. After looking at several hotel prices for every single weekend during the summer season, there just wasn’t anything within the price range I was willing to spend, so I started looking at campgrounds with basic cabins…if you have the equipment, tent sites are even cheaper. Compared to the $300+/night at even the crappiest hotels within 20 min. of the beach, it was a bargain to me. We wound up staying at Deep Branch Campground in Milton, DE, which is a 5 min drive to a small local beach, a 20 min. drive to Lewes, and a 30 min. drive to Rehoboth. It is a Christian ran campground, complete with Jesus music in the communal shower/bathroom building, and a bible next the beds. I did not realize this when I booked the $70/night cabin, so it was an experience to say the least, especially when I realized that we could not check out on Sunday until AFTER their local church service, at 12:30pm. They also discourage drinking alcohol, but if you must, to do so ONLY at your campsite…wine is always a must to me.

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The day spent at Rehoboth was pleasant, with sunny skies and an expert sand castle builder a few feet away from where we claimed our land. We found parking near Silver Lake, at the northern end of the boardwalk for $2.50/hr., and since the beach is free, it wasn’t a horrible fee to incur. There was a large mix of people, and while it was just as crowded as every other beach with a boardwalk, we were able to enjoy the few hours we were there to soak up some sun. After lounging around and having lunch on the beach, we packed our things back in the car and roamed the small boardwalk. There is an arcade, mini golf, a nice amount of “beach” stores and a ton of places to grab something to eat, but your time there will be fairly short lived if compared to the monsters of certain Jersey Shore boardwalks.

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When we went to Lewes the next day it was pretty hot with zero breeze, and the fear of sticking to the roads as we crossed them was real. We decided to try the tour of Overfalls Lightship early in the day, and parked close to the Marina for $1.50/hr. The $5 tour was lead by a sweet Veteran that had a wealth of information on the last lightship built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service, before the duty was turned over to the Coast Guard. We were able to see how small the accommodations were for the crew and staff, as well as learn about life in the early 1900’s. After that, we went into town to see the Cannonball house, an unfortunate reminder to the War of 1812, and grab a bite to eat at one of their many restaurants. There was also a ton of shopping, with the added perk of being tax free.

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My best decision that weekend was to take advantage of an Evening Cruise offered by the Cape Water Tours and Taxi. At $23 per person, it’s BYOB, and you get about 2 hours on the water. It was a lively crowd and we even had a party on our tour that set up an entire table for their food, drinks, and gifts for a birthday girl turning 65, and the kids of other families were allowed to “drive” the boat once we got into open water. Over all, it was very relaxing…we enjoyed beautiful views of the sunset, as well as dolphins and a small lighthouse. The Captain and his deck hand were also very entertaining as well as accommodating to picture ops and some fun tunes.

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While passing through Dover, we made an unplanned stop at the Dover AFB to check out their Air Mobility Command Museum. It is free admission, but they accept donations and have a pretty nice gift shop. They offer a tour of the old command tower, and an entrance into a hangar that houses various displays and interactive exhibits. You can exit through the hangar to over a dozen aircraft displayed outside, one of which is the largest aircraft in the world, and a retired Air Force Two. My son said it’s the best museum he’s ever been to, which is saying a lot coming from a teenager, and I thoroughly enjoyed how he climbed into cock pits, read various articles, and showed a general interest in the mechanics of air travel.

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