Rehoboth Beach: 4-Day Diary

Sunday, September 4, 2016
Sunflowers encountered on one of my morning walks.

We returned from a week long vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware last weekend. While I was away, I posted frequently on Instagram and Snapchat and received lots of questions about things to do, places to go, and what to see in Rehoboth Beach. We pack a lot into a week, and I thought the easiest and best way to share recommendations was via a daily diary. Here's how I spent the first 96 hours in Rehoboth Beach:
9:30 am The car was fully packed, and we hit the road. Normally we drive to Cape May and take the ferry to Lewes, Delaware. But this year we decided to make the three hour drive to Rehoboth. A little more than an hour into the drive as we were approaching the Delaware Memorial Bridge, I regretted not taking the ferry. Traffic was horrible! It took us close to an hour to cross the bridge. What should have taken three hours ended up taking almost five hours.

Living room and sun porch of our condo.
2:30 pm We finally arrived at our rental condo, and I was relieved to be out of the car and out of traffic. We unpacked and waited for my two sisters to arrive with the keys. A few moments later, they pulled into the driveway, and we eagerly started taking our belongings to the condo. We've been renting the same condo since 2010, but this year we tried a new unit in the same building. We were not disappointed.

We unpacked and made the beds while everyone trickled in over the next few hours. The first day is always filled with excitement as we settle in for the fun week ahead.

My green smoothie and the gorgeous coffee cups at Dreamer Coffee and Juice Bar.
4:15 pm I finished unpacking and was in need of some sustenance. We weren't quite ready for dinner, so I decided to head out in search of Dreamer Coffee & Juice Bar. Prior to arriving in Rehoboth, I researched juice bars and found Dreamer. I was anxious to try it. I took a walk with my two sisters in search of a green smoothie! Dreamer exceeded all of my expectations. Not only was the decor fabulous, my green smoothie was beyond delicious. I ordered the #12 which included kale, spinach, banana, strawberries, ginger, lime and apple juice. I knew I'd be back for more before the week was over.

My sister ordered a freshly squeezed lemonade. With our drinks in hand, we browsed town and the boardwalk before heading back to see if everyone was ready for dinner.


6:00 pm By this time, our group was famished. Everyone gathered outside, and as we walked, we decided on a dinner plan. We ended up at Grotto Pizza. Grotto Pizza is legendary in southern Delaware. There is nothing better than Grotto's famous "swirled" pizza. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the combination of sweet sauce and gooey cheese is different from any other pizza I've ever had. No trip to Rehoboth is complete without at least one slice of Grotto's pie.

7:30 pm We walked along the boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue for a while. The crowd was somewhat heavy, so we made every attempt to avoid Funland on this particular night since we knew it would be a mob scene.

9:00 pm We grabbed a cone of Kohr Bros. famous frozen custard and headed home.

10:30 pm I was beat after a long day of travel. I hopped into bed and decided it was the perfect time to start Revenge on Netflix.

7:30 am My sisters and I go for a walk most mornings in Rehoboth. We decided to meet on the deck at 7:30. We walked to Starbucks first to caffeinate and then continued our walk. One of the many things I love about Rehoboth is the different neighborhoods. The north end is woodsy with most houses being shaded by tall pine trees. The south end is very Beverly Hills-like with beautiful homes and impeccably manicured lawns. In between the two areas is the quintessential east coast beach town vibe.
Scenes from Rehoboth Beach
9:00 am We stopped at Dave & Skippy's to pick up a dozen bagels and some cream cheese to take home for breakfast.

9:30 am We ate breakfast, lingering over our bagels for about an our or so. We rarely go out for breakfast during our vacation. Everyone wakes at different times, so we generally save our last day for breakfast out after we check out.

12:00 pm - 4:30 pm We packed up our beach chairs, boogie boards, canopy, and sunscreen for our first day at the beach. We camp out most of the afternoons on the beach, and everyone comes and goes at their convenience. Since this was our first day, most of us were there for most of the afternoon.

It was so hot. The kids stayed in the ocean most of the time. The water was so refreshing. Late in the afternoon, clouds rushed in, and we decided to pack up and head home before we got caught in the rain.
Enjoying the ocean

5:00 pm Perfect timing! Just as we reached out condo, it started to rain. While everyone else hung out and chilled, my sister Brenda and I ran to the grocery store to grab a few things to make grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids.

6:30 pm The rain continued and botched our evening plans to go to the boardwalk. I made grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids, and they promptly devoured them. For the next two hours, we hung out at home while the rain continued.

9:30 pm The rain stopped, so we ventured out for frozen custard at Kohr Bros. before taking the long way home.

10:00 pm We sat on the deck and chatted for a bit before calling it a night.  But before I fell asleep, I watched another episode of Revenge. I'm hooked!

7:30 am It doesn't take long before we fall into a pattern during our vacation. My sisters and I met on the deck for our morning walk, and of course, we headed straight to Starbucks.
Fuel for the morning walk via Starbucks.
From there we headed south to walk that part of town. The homes in the Silver Lake area always remind me of walking around Beverly Hills. They have so much character, and although many aren't large, they are beautifully maintained. Plus, Silver Lake is so pretty.

Silver Lake
9:30 am Emma and Harper wanted crêpes for breakfast. Café Papillon is, hands down, the best place to get crêpes this side of the Atlantic Ocean. I wait all year long for a crêpe from Café Papillon. If you follow me on Snapchat, I hope you didn't miss my snap of the chocolate and almonds crêpe that I ordered. It was delicious.


A little piece of France in Delaware

11:30 am - 4:30 pm There was no sign of rain this morning and we were eager to get back to the beach. It was another super hot day, and the only relief to be found was at the beach. Like I said...we quickly fall into a pattern, and as long as it's not raining, you can find us on the beach.

5:00 pm While the kids showered, I put together a platter of snacks for everyone to munch on while we took showers and got ready.

6:15 pm We headed to Louie's Pizza for dinner. The house salad is awesome. I ordered a side of fries with lots of mayo on the side for dipping. We also had some cheesesteaks and a small pizza.

7:30 pm Next stop: Funland where we played a few arcade games including the impossible cranes and Skee-Ball (my favorite). The weekend crowd had started to dissipate and the lines were tolerable. We bought some tickets and rode a few rides before making the short walk home.

9:30 pm I was beat and had my alarm set to wake up early for the sunrise. I fell asleep watching Revenge.

6:05 am I woke up and hit the beach for the sunrise. I always try to make it to the beach at least one morning to see it. On this particular morning, it was crystal clear. Clouds always make for a more dynamic sunset, but unfortunately, there were none. It was still a beautiful sunrise, and there is a peacefulness this time of the morning that I love.

The day breaks on Rehboth Beach
7:00 am I grabbed an iced latte at the The Coffee House and skipped my morning walk and opted to catch up on work instead. I went back to the condo and set up my mobile office on the sun porch.

11:00 am We headed to the beach rather early today since we had plans to grab bloody Marys after the beach. It was a typical beach day. I settled in for some beach reading for most of the afternoon.

4:00 pm We left the beach and headed home to get ready for happy hour. We were like a bunch of quick change artists who very skillfully (and briskly) changed from our beachwear to happy hour appropriate clothes.

4:30 pm My sister Holly first introduced me to the Bloody Marys at Fins Fish House & Raw Bar a few years ago. The gang (minus my brother-in-law and great nephew who were fishing) gathered around a table for a round. Even my girls love Bloody Marys (non-alcoholic, of course)!


We ordered a round of bloodys and a few orders of crab dip for the group. I don't know which was more satisfying, but both went down without a problem. We chatted and finished our drinks and headed back home.

6:00 pm We arrived back home after a short walk from Fins. On every trip to Rehoboth Beach, we dedicate one night to a family game night where we play bingo. It's a ton of fun and even includes prizes! But first, we made tacos for dinner.

6:45 pm We gathered around the table for tacos, and afterwards, we took a short break before meeting up again.

7:45 pm It was time for bingo! We play until the prizes are gone, and everyone has had a chance to win.

10:00 pm Some of us went out for ice cream while others stayed in. If you love hard ice cream, you must visit The Ice Cream Store when in Rehoboth. With over 70 flavors to choose from, you can't go wrong. With ice cream in hand, we leisurely strolled town on the way back to the condo. Why can't everyday be like this?

10:30 pm You guessed it! It was time to jump into bed. We had an early wake up call the next morning since we had a reservation to rent a boat from Dewey Beach Watersports for a 4 hour excursion on the Rehoboth Bay and Lewes Canal.

If you have any specific questions about Rehoboth Beach, feel free to email me at info@piecesofamom.com. I'd be happy to answer what I can or at least point you in the right direction.

Also, this article is definitely worth checking out if you need a reason to visit Rehoboth Beach.

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