‘Sandy Palimpsest’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

From boardwalks, to seafood, to sandy stretches to outlet shopping, Rehoboth Beach in Delaware has everything you could ask for in a beach. Three of my friends and I recently struck out for a relaxing escape-our-stressful-jobs girls weekend.

We’re twentysomethings on budgets, so we stayed at the Atlantis Inn. Clean, no frills, on the main strip, only a block and a half from the beach, the Atlantis is equipped with comfy rooftop poolside chairs, but take warning: double beds. So if you’re just a group of friends, you’ll be forced to do some mandatory cuddling. Whatever, at least we like each other.

The main drag of Rehoboth is adorable, lined with all kinds of great shops, good food and plenty of ice cream options. We were totally entertained.

‘Narrow Alley’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

After attempting to lay on the beach and getting too cold, we headed for the deck of the pool. It was gorgeous weather, blue sky, the perfect temperature. But I still enjoyed the beach itself, just to be there, you know? The sand at Rehoboth has a ton of stones and shells, but the beach itself is wide. They ask you to pay for chairs and umbrellas, so make sure you bring your own along. There were lots of families, dogs, and people at play.

‘Margaritas at the beach’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

The first night we got mexican and margaritas at Dos Locos Stonegrill, which I would definitely recommend. It’s all the typical mexican fare with seafood specialty options like crab enchiladas, and lobster quesadillas. Also, try the strawberry frozen margarita, worth the extra .50, it’s tastier than the regular swirl. We wound up wandering around trying to find a good beachfront bar and landed at Obie’s By The Sea, just off the boardwalk. It was still pre-season so it was chilly, but this place would have a great view from the patio of the ocean and boardwalk at night.

‘Boardwalk’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

During the day, when we weren’t poolside or on the beach, we shopped.  We spent plenty of time in adorable stores like Downtown Cowgirl, full of affordable, but unique Urban Outfitters type styles, and the preppier South Moon Under. We ate lunch at this great little cafe down a side alley called Arena’s Deli. We all loved our sandwiches, I had a veggie sandwich on fresh, soft wheat bread. The sodas are huge, and they keep them coming. I’d go back there in a heartbeat, too bad DC doesn’t have our own Arena’s. It would be one of my favorite sandwich places in the city, if we did.

‘Rehoboth Beach’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

That night, after spending more time at the pool, and sitting on the boardwalk eating ice cream, we were able to head to Nage for dinner. DC has a Nage, but I’ve never tried it, only because I’m told the Rehoboth version much outshines the DC location. The Rehoboth location is the original, and dedicated to fresh, local food. I enjoyed my meal, but wasn’t totally blown away. It was good for nice food, away from the crowds. Nage does the trick. Later that night, we went looking for more nightlife, and wound up outside on the deck at The Cultured Pearl.

I adored this bar. The whole deck is on top of a building, and is a maze of gazebos with tables over standing water with a few fountains, so it’s like you’re out on a dock, sort of. I loved it! The drinks were pricey (well, not really. They were more DC prices than Delaware, if that makes sense.) but it was so fun to be outside, sitting literally over water, over top of Rehoboth, it was worth the price. Come to think of it, The Cultured Pearl is one of the prettiest restaurants I’ve ever been to.

On Sunday we woke up and had breakfast at the Bake Shoppe. Nondescript, and a little farther away from the ocean on the main drag, the shop is full of sugary goodies and delicious coffee. From donuts, to crumb cake, to sticky buns, and bagels, this place is like bake- good heaven. It’s a must-eat in Rehoboth, especially if it is nice outside and you can take your treats to the benches. The couple who runs the place are incredibly friendly and warm. I was a huge huge fan.

‘Rehoboth Beach = Outlet Heaven’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

On our way out of town we went by the Tanger Outlet Center, and found some very worthy deals. The lack of sales tax in Delaware is especially nice for DC-ites looking to do a little spending. The outlet mall is huge, with three very seperate shopping complexes, so be prepared to drive between them.

So while I should warn you that Rehoboth is known affectionately as ReHomo for it’s gay-friendly community, I’d also say it’s perfect for anyone looking for a super chill weekend at the beach. We weren’t out trolling for cute boys (though if we were, we could take the Jolly Trolly to Dewey for $5 round trip) (or meet our new gay boyfriends!) and were totally happy to take it easy for the weekend. The sun, sand, shopping, and scrumptious eating made for a perfect weekend getaway!

Katie

Katie moved to DC in 2007, and has since embarked upon a love affair with the city. She’s an education reform advocate and communications professional during the day; at night and on the weekends, she’s an owner here at We Love DC. Katie has high goals to eat herself through the entire city, with only her running shoes to save her from herself. For up-to-the-minute news and reviews (among other musings), follow her on Twitter!