Filled with nature preserves, an ocean view, a brewery and beautiful hotels.
The next day saw us head back towards Rehoboth Beach and though the area was getting a torrential downpour, we decided to check out the Rehoboth Beach outlets along the way. There are three separate sections to choose from. Each contains big name brands offering big savings. Yes, I stopped and got some bargains, just to keep the credit card warm and the economy moving. The stores ranged from yard tools to luggage and shoes, and everything in between.
The town is quite easy to navigate and we found our hotel for the night, the "Bellmoor Inn" right away. The original building was erected in 1937 under the name of "The Dinner Bell", with just four rooms and a restaurant. Through the years it was enlarged, renovated and in 2002, a full massive demolition, rebuilding and expansion of the facilities resulted in the Bellmoor Inn and Spa. It is family run and with first class service and accommodations (some rooms have fireplaces and Jacuzzi baths). In fact it is a hotel that masquerades as a local "Inn". While the rebuilding took place the Todd family decided against a restaurant, and focused on a full service spa, an indoor hot tub, 2 outdoor pools and a deluxe breakfast room. The town of Rehoboth started out as a little summer beach community and has grown into a summer time travel destination, and this Inn has kept up with it.
There are restaurants nearby and everything, even the Atlantic Ocean, is within walking distance. We headed off by foot to explore the town, walk the boardwalk and watch the surfers challenge the storm waves. Having previously sampled Delaware’s wine, we decided to taste Delaware’s beer and set off to find "Dogfish Head Brewery" just outside of town. There we had a tour of this "newer facility". Dogfish Head Brewery has been in operation since 1995 but moved to this enlarged location since July. Currently, there are tours every Friday at 3 p.m. and future plans to include a restaurant/brewpub on this site. The owner and president, Sam Calagione, gave us the tour. He is a grandly optimistic person with big dreams and a complete pleasure to talk with. He originally opened a small brewpub in the heart of Rehoboth Beach, and when that took off he opened these enlarged quarters. In an industry that typically grows 1 % per year he has lead his company to a growth of over 64% last year alone. From establishing a new Delaware state law to permit a microbrewery, to distributing to almost 28 states, Sam and Mariah Calagione have worked hard for their success.
We were curious to see the original restaurant so we parted company with Sam, threw our schedule out, and found our way to the Dogfish Head Brewery in town. Hamburgers and fish seemed to be the specialties as well as, of course, the beer. So many tastes of beer and so little time.
This was our last stop in our journey through Delaware and we were impressed with not only the "can do" attitude of Sam Calagione, but also the atmosphere of the whole state. The people are extremely friendly; the shopping great (with no sales tax), the restaurants varied and the beach is a bonus.
We had a lot of weather difficulties on this trip. Mother Nature was not kind as she bombarded us with snow and rain, but we both learned a lesson: Delaware is more than a bridge on 95 that you cross to get to Washington. We made a left turn off that bridge to see the state and were rewarded with an adventure. We can hardly wait until summer to see the state in its summer glory.
