December 31st, 2012
People around the world will welcome the New Year with noisemakers, kissing and screams….and grapes too!!
All of the following towns are in the Delmarva Peninsula. Some of them have been ringing the New Year in unique ways. Check them out.
Chincoteague Island, Virginia – It is the only resort island in Virginia. Tonight they celebrate with a Pony Island Horseshoe Drop and Costume Parade. This year’s theme is Cowboys & Aliens.
Plenty of costumes and a lighted horseshoe. It is not Swarovski Crystal; they say it does sparkle quite a bit.
On New Year’s Day, take The Polar Pony Plunge in the Atlantic Ocean for a cause. More info? Check http://www.chincoteaguechristmas.com.
Princess Anne, Maryland – The Midnight Muskrat Dive will take place at Midnight. This rodent has provided a living for trappers since settlers arrived in Somerset County. Somerset County is the southernmost county of Maryland on the Eastern Shore. Marshall P. Muskrat, a stuffed muskrat sporting a black top hat and bow tie is the Master of Ceremonies for this event. More info. and photo? Check http://www.marylandlife.com/blogs/around-maryland/midnight-muskrat-dive
Berlin, Maryland – Only 10 miles west from Ocean City, Maryland, Berlin is a historic and quaint town. Full of shops, restaurants and cafes. The Atlantic Hotel is the center of the town.
On New Year’s Eve a handmade ball, covered in holiday lights will be lowered from the rooftop of the apartment building, above Towne Center Antiques.
It is a free event, but there will be food and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) available for purchase. The event will be taking place from 8 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.
Note: Horse and carriage rides will be available for a tour of holiday decorations.
Ocean City, Maryland – As part of their Winterfest celebration, Ocean City will ring their New Year with a fireworks display at Northside Park, located at125 St. & Bay, at midnight.
Winterfest will stay open extended hours tonight.
On Tuesday, January 1st the 19th Annual Penguin Swim 2013 will be taking place at the Princess Royale Hotel, located at 91st St. & the Ocean in Ocean City, MD. This is a benefit for Atlantic General Hospital. Register at 11:30 a.m. Swim at 1:00 p.m. More info? http://www.penguinswim.atlanticgeneral.org.
Lewes, Delaware – Toot the Horn and Drop the Anchor at Lightship Overfalls. Festivities will start at 11:30 p.m. Refreshments and fire pits to keep you warm. The music will keep you hopping!!
Lightship Overfalls is the only National Historic Landmark that does a ball drop on New Year’s Eve.
Happy New Year’s!!!!!!
December 31st, 2012
This post is for my friends that “hangout” at Crystal every time we get the chance. A little displaced, we are, at this time of the year. But, every time they are in my thoughts when I eat at Crystal. They know who they are.
Crystal is located at 37300 Rehoboth Avenue. Tel. 302-227-1088. It was my last breakfast of 2012. Since my friends were not here to join me, I brought second best; my two sons.
Crystal was totally packed. Visitors and locals making a special breakfast morning something to be remembered. Great weather too!!
I had to be fast with my camera. We chose the following.
Crab Benedict, using crab meat instead of Canadian Bacon. This dish is packed with crab meat. It is always served with that tiny steak knife. Too funny!
A Norwegian Benedict, using smoked salmon instead of Canadian Bacon. It was a huge portion….a little doggy bag for later on.
French Toast was my choice. I have not had it in a long time. It’s a good one at Crystal!!
Never fails; well done scrapple. Sorry, but I do love it.
A side order of Creamed Chip Beef for the table almost did us in.
A perfect breakfast….enjoying the holidays in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware!!
Note: Crystal serves breakfast and lunch. Breakfast sandwiches, cereal, side orders, eggs, omelettes, a kids’ corner, salads, grilled sandwiches, specialty burgers, sandwiches….and on and on.
Happy New Year’s!!
December 30th, 2012
Monday, 12/31/2012 – Lewes, Delaware is the place to be when the Second Annual “Blast” in the New Year Annual Anchor Drop at the Overfalls – It is a new tradition in Historic Lewes. Location? 219 Pilottown Rd. Time? 11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
The Lightship Overfalls is one of only 17 remaining lightships and it is one of 7 lightships still open to the public. It was built in 1938. It is also one of the only two lightships built in the 20th Century. It was the last one to be commissioned by the U.S. Light House Service.
Get your family and friends and celebrate the New Year on the ONLY National Historic Landmark that does a ball drop on New Year’s Eve.
A lighted “ceremonial” anchor will begin its symbolic drop on New Year’s Eve from the top of the vessel’s tall mid-ship mast touching the main deck at the stroke of midnight and will coincide with a “blast” of the ship’s whistle.
There will be hot chocolate to sip, fire pits to ward off the winter chill, and, of course, music to keep everyone hopping!!
Tuesday, 1/1/2013 and Saturday, 1/5/2013 – New Year’s Point Hike (1.6 miles) – 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. This is the First State, First Day, First Hike. It is a national movement sponsored by America’s State Parks to have all 50 states offer First Day Hikes. To get you to start the new year on a healthy note. Meet at the Point Park Parking Lot at the Cape Henlopen State Park. Please call 302-645-6852 to register and for directions.
This is a free event. Ages 7 (with an adult) and up.
Note: No dogs, please.
Wednesday, 1/2/2013 – Screening “Little Sparrows” at Movies at Midway, located on Coastal Highway (Rt. 1) between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. This is the first 2013 screening in the Around the World Series of critically acclaimed, international, independent films. Time? 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
“Just as winter begins in earnest in the U.S., summer appears in Australia. “Little Sparrows” takes the audience Down Under and introduces them to a family at a crossroads….
Happy New Year!!
December 30th, 2012
The term “relax, slow down; you are at the beach” was the right thing to say on this Sunday morning in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
On t.v. early this morning I saw snow in Philadelphia, Maryland and D.C. Then, I noticed that Florida was also a bit chilly. I decided to check the beach in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Sunday mornings are quiet, especially at this time of the year. So, out and about I went.
I think 36 degrees was the weather around 8:30 a.m. I was not complaining. The beach looked gorgeous. I never get tired of these views. The photos were taken on the northern edge of the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk.
The WWII towers are my favorites and they looked beautiful this morning…a few walkers enjoying one awesome morning.
Had to see what Pasqualini’s Bakery was offering today. This bakery has been an institution in Rehoboth Beach. It is located at 37550 Atlantic Ave., right behind Crystal Restaurant. Kathy Pasqualini is the Pastry Chef & Owner. Tels. 302-227-2111, 302-227-1086. Website? http://www.pasqualinis.com.
If you are visiting or if you are a resident, please note that their hours of operations for this week are: Sunday, 7-3 p.m., Monday, 7-4 p.m., Tuesday, 8-2 p.m., and Wednesday, 7-2 p.m. They will be closing on Wednesday for a well deserved rest until early spring.
The bake shop was full of strudels, coffee cakes, pies, cookies and breads. In the summer they even make donuts.
Thought the individual pineapple upside down cakes and the chocolate lace cakes looked tempting.
 
They had coffee cakes and also apple, cheese, peach coffee cakes.
They always have their Rainbow Bread available.
They also make their own dog biscuits.
Plenty of pies….
Just remember, you have a few days for those New Year’s resolutions to kick in….in the meantime, enjoy!!
Have a great day!
December 29th, 2012
Fractured Prune opens at 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, during the winter. I thought about them because when I looked at the house next door…..relatives visiting. Lots of them for this holiday week-end. When you have so many guests, and everyone gets up at different times of the morning….I guess brewing coffee and a box of donuts could calm them until the next meal.
I forgot to tell you that it is cold and rainy. A long day.
Fractured Prune started in Ocean City, Maryland around 1976. The one in Rehoboth Beach is owned by Jody and Diane Smith. It is located on 20214 Coastal Highway (Rt. 1). Tel. 302-227-0747. Website? http://www.fracturedprune.com. You will not miss this location. Purple and bright green colors!! You can also find them on Facebook.
Besides donuts, they also have bagels and breakfast sandwiches all day long.
The donuts are hot-hand dipped donuts. They are made to order. They are also the perfect size.
They offer specialty donuts, but, you can also create your own using a variety of glazes, toppings and sugars.
You can check their menu by visiting http://www.fracturedprune.com/menu_rehoboth.php.
Still in the Holiday mood, I chose Rainbow Sprinkles and Coffee Cake donuts.
The only problems with these warm delicious donuts is that they can become an addiction!
Have a great week-end….talk to you later.
December 27th, 2012
The coastal towns at the Delaware Beaches are the perfect ones for jogging, hiking, biking, and strolling. These towns are flat and at sea level. So, on Christmas Day my sister in law, Susie, and I decided that it was time to walk off some of the Christmas cookies, the rib roast, all the trimmings and the buckwheat cakes….we were not the only ones doing this. Exercising was in everyone’s mind and they were not waiting for the New Year’s resolutions. We were all getting a head start.
If you are visiting Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, a distraction from the beach, shopping and dining would be to discover this beautiful trail. You do not even feel you are at the beach.
The Junction and Breakwater Trail is on the path of an early railroad. The Junction and Breakwater Railroad Company began in 1857 and it joined Northern and Southern Delaware. The junction in Harrington, Delaware, then connected to the rail line from Wilmington and the breakwater on the bay in Lewes in 1870. But it only reached Rehoboth Beach in 1878.
 
This railroad first carried passengers and freight. Later, in the 20th century, people started traveling by car and the rail line only carried freight. It shut down when trucks took over the job of transporting freight.
In 2003, the Division of Parks & Recreation used the old railbed to create the hiking and biking trail for the public. There were some complaints, but I think everyone is happy that this 6 mile trail is used and enjoyed by many.
There are different ways on accessing the trail. Parking for the trail is located at Wolfe Neck Area off Cape Henlopen State Park. Riders from Rehoboth Beach can head out of town over the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal draw bridge and take a right on Church St. Turn left past the church and follow the road that passes the entrance to Canal Cokran. Or, you can do, like Susie and I did and park behind the Rehoboth Beach Oulets (Seaside), north of Holland Glad Rd. To me, that is the easiest from Rehoboth Beach, if you are walking.
 
Please note that pets need to be on a maximum 6 foot leash at all times. And, no horseback riding is permitted on the trail.
The trail is 10 feet wide. It has a crushed stone surface, therefore, it is wheelchair accessible.
If you remember, Christmas Day was about 50+ degrees and it really was nice to walk the trail. The first think I spotted was the Rehoboth Dairy Farm which you could see at a distance.
It has the best milk, butter, eggs, scrapple and meats. It opens Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Woods, salt marshes, mud flats and peat are in abundance. The salt marshes are valuable to humans, animals, and the environment.
The marsh grasses absorb the storms’ impact.
Peat, which is a mixture of dead grass and rut, acts like a sponge, storing flood waters and absorbing the energy of the waves.
Mud flats give birds a place to rest and eat. These cardinals were gorgeous.
The maritime forest is the most stable environment along the coast. Plants adapt to the environment and provide food and shelter for wildlife.
While walking, you will find that there are benches in case you need to rest.
The 80 foot railroad bridge was originally built in 1913. It crosses Holland Glade and provides views of the WWII towers, which protected the Delaware coast during those times.
We walked 3 miles up and 3 miles back.
A good way to spend Christmas Day!! You could barely see the moon. Almost a Full Moon!
Note: Information for this post was taken from the Delaware State Park & Recreation.
December 25th, 2012
‘Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck…How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found
Something special was needed, a gift that he might give to all without angering the left or right
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere…even you.
So here is that gift, it’s price beyond worth…
“May you and your loved ones enjoy Peach on Earth”
Note: This poem is just part of a poem written by Harvey Ehrlich in 1992. It still fits so well.
Merry Christmas y Feliz Navidad
December 25th, 2012
Yes!!! Shawn and Danielle, owners of Confucius located on 57 Wilmington Avenue will open on Christmas Day. This Chinese restaurant will be crowded on Christmas Day so please call 302-227-3848 and make a reservation. Website? http://www.confuciusrehobothbeach.com. Please note that Confucius has plenty of gluten free dishes and they can accommodate you.
A few of my favorite dishes are:
The Whole Black Seabass.
And, the Crispy Rockfish Filet with a mild spicy honey vinegar sauce.
Merry Christmas!!
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