June 8th, 2012
This is the actual key that has unlocked the past of Historic St. Martin’s Church. Preserving it has been a labor of love and much work.
I thought I had gotten an e-mail by mistake. An invitation to a Business after Hours from the Berlin Chamber of Commerce. No, no mistake at all. My connection to this invitation had to do with the Historic St. Martin’s Church.
A Business after Hours where members can relax an meet one another. The location? The Historic St. Martin’s Church is located at 11413 Worcester Highway, Showell, MD 21813. (Rt. 113 & 589 Junction.) Four miles north of Berlin, Maryland. The Church is adjacent to the highway (113). Tel. 410-430-2142. E-mail historicstmartin@aol.com. Website? www.historicstmartinschurch.org.
I don’t think words describe how beautiful this Church is. It was built in 1756, twenty years prior to the signing of The Declaration of Independence. They came by carriage, horse, boat or by foot to worship.
It is so quiet, peaceful and sits on a property that is surrounded by pine trees.
Historic St. Martin’s Church is 256 years old. After all these years, the preserved brick floor remains. The pine box pews, the barrel vaulted ceiling and the magnificent Pulpit are reminiscent of the 18th century.
 
The Berlin Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours, was well attended with a lite fare and drinks available. The Church was open and guests could either sit inside and enjoy the Church or just chat and make friends outdoors. Raffles and a 50/50 drawing were also part of the evening’s activities.
I wrote about St. Martin’s Church last year, on May 9th. If you want to see it, just go under the Archives and click on the month of May, 2011 and scroll down to the 9th.
The Church is worth visiting. It is a Museum. It is open every Saturday, from June until October. Volunteer docents are available for tours. Tour hours are at 10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Historic St. Martin’s Church is the perfect setting for a wedding. Simple, romantic, historic and charming. If you have an interest, please call 410-430-2142, or email hitoricstmartin@aol.com.
Besides weddings, the Church is available for lectures and educational events.
Admission to Historic St. Martin’s is free of charge; but donations are graciously accepted.
Note: Please call ahead of time or e-mail for special assistance or handicap access.
Have a great week-end!!!
June 7th, 2012
 At the Town Dock on Front Street, Lewes Susan and I were taken by surprise as we took in Lewes’ restaurants, shops and the scenery when we came upon these vessels.
They were dark and mysterious. Could they have been pirate ships? Then, we saw the names; La Nina and La Pinta. Columbus’ Ships.
These replicas will be opening to the public, Friday, June 8th, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. They are docked at the Town Dock, located on Front Street, in Historic Dowtown Lewes.
 La Nina Walk aboard on a self-guided tour. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6 for students 5 – 16 years of age. Four years of age and under are Free.
No reservations are necessary; just head out to Lewes, this week-end, because they will be leaving very early on Monday, June 11th.
Organizations and teachers interested to schedule a 30 minute guided tour, please call 787-672-2152.
 La Pinta The sailors were coming out; Susan and I were talking to them. We wanted to find out the reason why La Santa Maria was not there. La Santa Maria was the largest one, and too big to build a replica.
One yelled back that they were on their way to take showers. Authentic!! Susan yelled.
Great day in Lewes, as usual with a good friend!!
June 7th, 2012
“We’re preserving the past and promoting the future…one brick at a time.” lynn lester
I ended my last post by saying that, afterall, one had to eat. I went to The Brick Hotel as a guest of Jamie and Leslie. Remember? They were the two friends that gave me that amazing tour of the Easter Seals in Georgetown.
The Brick Hotel is not far. I was excited because I have been meaning to visit the restaurant. I had heard great things. And you know what? They did not disappoint.
Georgetown, Delaware, is the County Seat of Sussex County. The center of the town is built around The Circle. The Circle is surrounded by the Town Hall, State and County buildings, including the Sussex County Courthouse.
The Brick Hotel is also located on The Circle. The location is 18 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947. Tel. 302-855-5800. Toll free 877-88-BRICK. Website? www.thebrickhotel.com.
Lynn Lester is the Owner and Innkeeper. E-mail address relax@thebrickhotel.com.
The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and The Brick Hotel’s symbol as well.
We arrived at the Brick Hotel just as they were opening for lunch. We were the first ones. The perfect opportunity for those Kodak moments.
This hotel was built in 1836. The building is one of the few early commercial buildings remaining in Southern Delaware. The brick used was made from a kiln near Georgetown. Through its life it has operated as a hotel for 100 years. But, also over the years the building has been used for other purposes, as well.
For many years it was the Wilmington Trust Bank. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was renovated in 2008, preserving the historical elements of the building. It is a piece of Georgetown’s history. If you want to read more about its history and about the building itself, please visit http://www.thebrickhotel.com/history.php.
Lynn was introduced and she graciously took us on a tour of The Brick Hotel. The Hotel has 14 rooms. Each room has a history and you can read about them on the website, www.thebrickhotel.com.
The rooms have all been renovated.
The bathrooms looked great.
The fireplaces are all originals, but gas inserts have been introduced.
Some rooms have access to the veranda; a wonderful place to sit and relax and look out to The Circle. Come to think of it, it would be the perfect place to watch Return Day. Delaware celebrates Return Day with plenty of festivities. It takes place 2 days after the national election with the losers and winners congregating on The Circle to “bury the hatchet” so to speak. The end of an election year and, really, the beginning of another. If you want to find out more about Return Day, please visit www.returnday.org.
Through the Hotel there are parlors to sit and relax; read or watch t.v. or get acquainted with other guests.
The Brick Hotel is available for corporate events, weddings, visiting groups, and special events. It has the restaurant, a tavern and a rooftop garden.
The Rooftop Garden was pretty large. Probably a great place to have an event.
The tavern was cozy and comfortable.
There are a couple of dining rooms. One larger than the other and a bit more formal.
There is also a private dining room.
We stopped to look at a masive door. What a conversation piece!! Remember when I mentioned that this building was also the Wilmington Trust Bank? Well, the vault is now the wine cellar.
We chose to eat in the more casual room.
The wood floors were original and beautifully preserved.
A few antique artifacts caught our attention.
We chose our table and proceeded to order.
Jamie always orders at The Brick Hotel their Classic Burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and a special sauce.
Leslie ordered the Grilled Portobello on a brioche with roasted vegetables and greens.
Our waitress told me that they had just finished making the pulled pork. That was a no brainer. I had the Pulled Pork Slammers in beer-braised BBQ sauce with coleslaw. All of our fries were delicious.
We had a wonderful lunch. Very satisfied; no need for dessert. The service was attentive and the prices were reasonable.
And, guess who came to have lunch, as well? Our governor, Jack Markell. You can tell you are in a small state when the governor arrives for lunch with hardly an entourage and stops to say hello to fellow diners.
I truly enjoyed it. I think it is the perfect place to have a quiet dinner. There is parking available and it is only about 20 minutes from the Delaware Beaches.
Note: On June 16th, Karen Murdock, a vocalist, who has been entertaining for the past year at The Brick Hotel will be performing nothing but Broadway tunes on the Rooftop Garden Terrace. It is called Broadway Under the Stars. 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Dinner will be served on the Rooftop with their featured dish being a Lobster Dinner for $19.99.
Please also note that some information for this post was taken from The Brick Hotel’s website.
The Brick Hotel is able to accommodate customers with food related allergies.
Talk to you later. Have a great one!!
June 5th, 2012
So you are wondering where am I going with this post. Or, questioning me; aren’t you supposed to be eating somewhere and giving us your personal opinion, or, going out and about the Delaware Beaches, shopping, perhaps?
My answer is that as a long time resident of the Delaware Beaches, learning about the programs and services in the area…well, I should have done that a long time ago. Maybe I am more matured now and don’t have to think just about myself; others are important too, especially the ones with special needs.
I started to ask a few this question: What comes to your mind when I mention Easter Seals? Almost everyone answered: the red seal? A few, just like myself, answered something like, children services.
So many people are choosing Southern Delaware as a place to retire; others like our communities, living at the beach, most will say low property taxes and tax free shopping.
Easter Seals will serve 24,000 and deliver one million hours of direct services. It is growing, innovating, and leading at the Delaware Beaches.
I was very pleased when a friend, Jamie, called me to invite me to see this amazing facility, which is the home of the Easter Seals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore; the Tunnell Center. She sits on its Advisory Board. It is located at 22317 DuPont Blvd., Georgetown, DE 19947. Tel. 302-253-1121, Fax 302-856-7296. Website? www.de.easterseals.com.
Delaware locations: Dover, Newark, New Castle, and Georgetown.
Maryland locations: Salisbury, and Chestertown
I am mainly concentrating on the one I visited in Georgetown, which is about half hour from Rehoboth Beach.
This state of the art building is 28,000 square feet. It is only about 6 years old. Beautifully landscaped. It offers a wide range of programs and services; from Children’s Therapy Services to Personal Attendant Services. All those services and everything you need to know about Easter Seals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore can be found at www.de.easterseals.com.
I had no pre-conceived ideas, so I could not wait to see it. Jamie met me at the door and then introduced me to Leslie Gale. She is the Community Relations Coordinator. Just in case you need to contact her, you can call 302-253-1121, or e-mail her at lgale@esdel.org.
The first you will notice is how quiet it is when you step into the building. It is located right on Rt. 113, which is a major highway; you don’t hear any sounds. The colors are soothing, chosen exactly for that purpose. A reception room with elevators and stairs.
The first thing Leslie showed me was a glass case containing different products that can be tested, before purchasing them, to see if the person that needs it likes them or can work with them. People with disabilities are able to remain in the work force despite a disabling condition. Maybe an alternate keyboard or mouse is all someone needs to help them be more productive at work.
Other products could help in the most simple ways; the cup with the two handles, for example.
Throughout the building there were rooms for different purposes.
A Conference Room completely set up for meetings, accommodating large groups.
A Game Room, which is still been furnished. Pool tables, television, and trains. There is a train club at Easter Seals.
Therapy Rooms. All rooms had windows and were light and airy; nothing crowded; all were so nicely kept.
Children receiving therapy services can be seen by parents through a one way window.
Kitchen.
This is a very active Easter Seals, with many activities scheduled, including trips and entertainment. There is a process, just like everything else, in order to receive services at this facility. First of all, evaluations. If you need the services please do not hesitate to call them.
One of their newest services is the Adult Day Care Services. I came into this room and some were already gone for a day trip. Others, were just around, playing cards, talking or doing other things. Nurses always around. One, in particular, tug at my heart. I don’t know his name. He was about 85 years old and in good shape. His wife had suddenly died after a fall, then he told me he had to put his dog to sleep. He was living with his daughter, and during the day he spent it at the Tunnell Center. But, what he was most upset about was that the Delaware State Police took his driver’s license. Between you and I, that was a good thing. What he really wanted to do was go fishing!!!
I thought about it for a moment. First, he was in a safe place and thank God for his daughter to help him out. Then, I was talking to the head nurse, which I know had a different title but was also a nurse. I told her I did not know if I could work there. And, this is what she told me: “I am a nurse, I have empathy, but you have to get beyond that; our mission here is to help them get better and be productive, so that they can have equal opportunities to live, work and play in their communities.” As simple as that, nothing else she needed to say; I understood.
The back of the door opened to beautiful gardens and a deck to sit out and enjoy the quietness and serenity of this environment.
Follow me through the walkway. Look how pretty it was.
From the back you can see another view of the building.
Another new service offered by Easter Seals is called In-Home Services. It offers stay at home support, companionship and peace of mind. This service is only offered in New Castle and Kent counties, at the moment. You can get started with a free evaluation. And please note, that if this is something you might be considering, the caregivers helping are employees of Easter Seals; not contractors. Each person is carefully screened with thorough background checks and are bonded and insured.
Summer is pretty much here and Easter Seals offers summer camp services. The camp is called Camp Fairlee Manor, located in Chestertown, Maryland. There are special camp sessions for kids and teens with Autism. Please visit www.de.easterseals.com.
Easter Seal Camp Fairlee Manor is the only camp in our region that provides a typical residential camp experience for children and adults with disabilities on a year-round basis.
My visit had come to an end. It was quite an experience. I even got to speak Spanish to a gentleman in the Adut Day Care.
I hope my friends read this post. So many are already involved in helping in the community. It is really something else to see us all “grow up”.
You want to help? Give them a Call. You want to give in other ways? Check the website.
I was at peace, definitely!! Thanks Leslie and Jamie for my candy!!
Information for this post was taken from the Easter Seals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
And, we did go out for lunch, afterall one needs to eat. Jamie, Leslie and I took off for the Brick Hotel; a post in the making.
Talk to you later…have a good one!!
June 3rd, 2012
An unexpected nice day, I must say. Waking up to one of those gorgeous days that the Delmarva Peninsula offers to us residents and visitors, as well. If you were visiting the Delaware Beaches, the week-end did not start on a good note, weatherwise. The ones that hung around were rewarded for their patience and understanding.
I have plenty of friends. Cindi is one of them. I have known her for such a long time. And, she is game for anything; a foodie too. Probably not a good influence on me, but what the heck.
We went to visit a friend in the town of Roxanna. To tell you the truth we were in no rush to leave her farm because look at the view from her deck. So close to the beaches and yet so rural.
But, as we started to get hungry we took off for an impromptu visit to Woody’s East Coast Bar & Grill. It is located at 1904 Highway One in Dewey Beach, Delaware. It is so easy to find. Dewey is not that big. A small strip shopping center; retail on the bottom, apartments on top. Tel. 302-260-9945. Their website is under construction, so please check them out on Facebook as Woody’s Dewey Beach.
The reason for this unexpected stop to Woody’s was because everyone keeps talking about their crab cakes. They are the best and bla bla bla….
We made ourselves comfortable as we went through the menu. Check everything we tried. Here it goes. By the way, it all came at once.
Cindi said we had to try the Crab Pretzel. This was a ballpark pretzel filled with their best crab dip and topped with melted shredded cheeses. Please share this dish. Sooo good.
Cindi also said we had to try the Seared Ahi. A different twist with a Cajun rub, then seared, accompanied with a cucumber melon seaweed salad, garnished with a wasabi cream.
I was told that Woody’s had some awesome wings. It was a pound of wings your way. Choices of medium, hot, BBQ, Old Bay or Asian. We went with the Asian since those were new to us. Served with celery and our choice of Blue Cheese. They did not disappoint. Well done with a slight sweet taste.
Then, I suggested we order the crab cake platter. Two 6 oz. crab cakes, broiled to a golden brown. The 2 sides chosen were mac and cheese and French fries.
The crab cakes were truly delicious. Best I have had at the Delaware Beaches in a long time. Jumbo lump crabmeat; just a hint of a filling to hold them together; crispy on the outside, and smooth in the middle. The French fries were well seasoned; crispy, as well.
The mac and cheese was so creamy and bubbling hot. Very very good.
We had enjoyed all this food sitting on one of their outside tables. It is a very casual place. Come as you are type. They open 7 days a week, from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. Credit cards are accepted. Some parking spaces available in front or, otherwise, hunt for street parking.
If you think we ate all that food….Cindi took a doggy bag.
It really was a nice day sharing it with a friend….those moments are priceless!!
And one more thing…my dinner? Well, I had a mango.
June 2nd, 2012
 Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal
All I can say is that after last night’s rain, I am sure the farmers will be happy today. We needed that rain so that our local corn gets knee high by July.
If you are visiting Lewes, it is always a pleasure to walk around this historic town. Check what’s going on.
Saturday, 6/2 – Rain or Shine is the Historic Lewes Farmers Market from 8 a.m. until Noon. Location? Lewes Historical Society Campus at 100 Shipcarpenter St. Please note that no pets are allowed. Website? www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org. Also, you can find them on Facebook, like everything else.
Saturday, 6/2 – Summer Lighthouse Tours Begin. From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. $35 per person, 13 and older, $15 per child, 6 to 12.
The tours depart from the pier located behind the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal in Lewes. Free parking at the Foot Passenger lot. Reservations are required, so please call or visit. Arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time. Life jackets are provided and must be worn. No sandals or open-toe shoes. More info? Please visit http://www.delawarebaylights.org.
To find out how to make reservations for these tours, please visit http://www.delawarebaylights.org/tours.html.
As I mentioned, today, Saturday, 6/2, is the first tour, the next one will be June 16th, and then June 30th. By checking the above website, you will find the rest of the schedule for July, August and September.
Note: Tours can be cancelled due to inclement weather and they will try to re-schedule.
You will tour the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse which was in use and a home to resident lightkeepers from 1885 through 1950 when it was automated. It is less than a mile off the beach.
The Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse is presently closed for repairs, but a close sail-by for pictures will be available. This was one of the most exposed lighthouses on the Atlantic Seaboard. The United States donated Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse to Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation for public use in 2004.
Sunday, 6/3 – Yoga with Dimitra at Canalfront Park, located at 211 Front St. in Lewes. Bring a mat or towel. From 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. More info? Call 302-645-2795. You can find Yoga with Dimitra on Facebook.
Sunday, 6/3 – Picnic in The Park, at Canalfront Park, located at 211 Front St. in Lewes. To purchase tickets please call 302-645-7233. No tickets will be sold at the event if they cap sales at 500.
Adults $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Food tickets: $2 each, needed to sample food.
R & L is serving the wine; Dogfish Head serving the beer. Live entertainment, fun children’s activities. Plenty of the much loved restaurants in Lewes are participating.
Tuesday, 6/5 – Outdoor Summer Concert Series begins in Lewes, at Stango Park. The Park is located along Kings Highway, at the corner of Adams St. Spreading trees forming an arbor on the carpets of grass, makes Stango Park the perfect venue for outdoor music concerts.
So, bring your chair, family and friends. The series begins with Joe Baione Quartet. This musician has a passion for all things jazz.
Note: If you don’t want to do anything at all but want to enjoy a most beautiful view, then just sit out back on the deck of the Cape May-Lewes Terminal. An incredible view and On The Rocks Bar & Grill offering one of the best hamburgers in town, plus drinks and lots of other things.
Have a good one!! Talk to you later.
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