Getaway Guide: Weekend Road Trip To Rehoboth Beach
Getting There
The trip from Philadelphia to Rehoboth Beach takes about two hours. The most direct route is to travel south on I-95 to I-495, which bypasses Wilmington, Del. After Wilmington, continue south to where it connects with Route 1. Several sections of Route 1 are toll roads. After passing through the quaint town of Milford, look for exit 1A to Rehoboth Beach/Henlopen Acres, where 1A becomes Rehoboth Avenue and leads you directly to the boardwalk.
Route 1 provides a variety of places to stop and explore along the Delaware coast. Milford, a river town, was a shipbuilding center for 200 years. In recent years, the town has experienced a renaissance in the arts, and its revitalized downtown offers ample dining and boutique shopping opportunities. Other attractions nearby include Lewes Beach, Cape Henolopen State Park and Dewey Beach. The director of tourism for the state of Delaware, Linda Parkowski, said Sambo's Tavern in Leipsic is a favorite stop for crab and seafood lovers. For tax-free shopping, she recommended a stop at the Christiana Mall, in Newark. Along the way, enjoy produce, fresh fruit and other farm-operated stands.
Cape Henlopen State Park
15099 Cape Henlopen Drive
Lewes, DE 19958
(302) 645-8983
destateparks.com/
Known for its sand dunes, wildlife, scenic beauty and miles of beaches, Cape Henlopen State Park attracts thousands of visitors during the summer. Enjoy two swimming beaches as well as a picnic pavilion, bath house with showers, a food concession area and a boardwalk. The park offers a variety of camp sites, too. For primitive sites with no water hookups, rates start at $26 per day, while cabins are offered starting at $99 per day during the summer season.
Rehoboth & Dewey Beach
Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center
(800) 441-1329
beach-fun.com
Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach are popular summer travel spots. Dewey is located on a one-mile, narrow strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Rehoboth Bay. The area's reputation as a party town is well known, but it is a family friendly destination as well. Dewey offers a variety of accommodations from cottages and hotels to condominiums. Every September, the town hosts the Dewey Beach Music Conference. In October during Greyhounds Reach the Beach, rescue greyhound owners bring their beloved companions for a back-to-nature getaway. In mid-August, Dewey hosts the East Coast Skimboarding Championships. Rehoboth Beach's 300-business boardwalk has consistently been voted as one of the top 10 along the Atlantic Coast and is only a short walk from Dewey Beach. Rehoboth Beach is also open to swimming and water sports, and offers a variety of accommodations, retail stores, amusement and attractions.
Tanger Outlet Center
36470 Seaside Outlet Drive
Rehoboth, DE 19971
(866) 665-8682
www.tangeroutlet.com
The Tanger Outlet Center is located along Route 1, at the gateway to Rehoboth. It features a mile of restaurants, bars, retail outlets, rides and other attractions. The center includes brand-name outlets like Abercrombie & Fitch, Bass, and the Guess Factory Store. It also features the Grotto Food Court and a number of other dining selections.
Dining
Iguana Grill Restaurant & Cantina
52 Baltimore Ave
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
(302) 727-5273
iguanagrill.com
Located within a short walk of the boardwalk, the Iguana Grill is located in a Victorian-style beach house. It serves American cuisine with a Southwest twist. The wrap-around porch provides a casual dining atmosphere, and inside, there's a copper tequila bar. The menu includes sandwiches, seafood, quesadillas and an array of other options. Iguana Grill is also famous for its frozen mango margaritas and large selection of tequila.
Related: Top Tiki Bars
Sambo's Tavern
283 Front St.
Leipsic, DE 19901
(302) 674-9724
facebook.com/
Sambo's Tavern is a seasonal restaurant that was established roughly 60 years ago. It features casual dining and steamed crabs (when they're in season), along with other seafood and sandwich choices. Because it is a tavern, patrons must be 21 or older. Sambo's takes reservations but is open to walk-ins. It also offers a take out menu.
Bewitched and BEDazzled B&B Inns
67 Lake Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
(302) 226-3900
bewitchedbnb.com/
Click here for rates and availability.
A pet-friendly bed and breakfast, Bewitched and BEDazzled features 11 rooms with private in-suite baths as well as with two rooms that share a bath and a half. An enclosed dog run with a garden and double swing is available, too. With a 4,000-square-foot deck and a sunken hot tub, the B&B also offers a private spa deck. A breakfast of juices, locally produced fruit, homemade muffins, preserves, eggs and other favorites is served on bistro tables on the deck and sun porch each morning, while the dining room offers a more luxurious atmosphere. The B&B was inspired by the golden age of Hollywood and rooms were named for such stars as Judy Garland and Humphrey Bogart, as well as the characters in the long-running television series, Bewitched.
Jeffrey B. Roth, has won numerous state and national news and feature-writing awards during his career. A well-known crime writer, investigative reporter and a feature writer, Roth writes for a number of magazines and newspapers. Listed in the Locus Index of SciFi and Fantasy authors, Roth is the author of a number of published short stories and poetry. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
