The beach towels are draped on the deck. There’s a damp ring of sand
in the shower. Evening has fallen, and while the sunlight may be
finished until tomorrow, you’re still radiant and ready to conquer the
“coolest” part of the day—the beach after dark.

A seaside vacation is not all about sun and surf. It’s cocktails at
sunset. Bonfires by the ocean. The boardwalk in all its bright, kinetic
glory. We’ve found 30 fun and engaging ways to spend your evenings at
the Maryland and Delaware beaches this summer.

Ocean City

Get Glowing
The sun has delivered the ta-dah!
moment nightlifers crave—sunset. Time to flip-flop to the bayfront,
where tropically themed restaurants and beach bars embrace unique
twilight traditions. The best known is Fager’s Island (201 60th St.,
410-524-5500), where the staff cranks up Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,”
timed to coincide with the sun’s swoon—even on cloudy days. At Macky’s
Bayside Bar & Grill (54th St., 410-723-5565), sunset signals a Kate
Smith sing-along. Order a frozen Mango Macky and join the chorus
crooning Kate’s rousing “God Bless America.” Or view the day’s dying
rays aboard a yacht. The sleek 75-foot “Judith M,” whose daytime gig is
hauling anglers in style, departs daily at 7:30 p.m. for sunset cruises
in the Atlantic (at Bahia Marina, 22nd St. and the bay, 410-251-5859).

Save The Sawbucks
You’ve depleted your wallet on
gasoline and Guitar Hero Arcade. Now what? Fortunately, O.C. is the
Sand of the Free, where four nights a week the beach becomes a no-cost
family entertainment center. Watch free movies on a big inflatable
screen Mondays and Fridays. Run, flex, and play in the sand at the Beach
Olympics on Tuesdays. Boogie on the Beach to live music on Wednesdays.
(Times, locations, and more family freebies at www.ococean.com.)
Play a family miniature golf marathon at one (or all) of Old Pro Golf’s
four O.C. locations, pictured. Kids three years and younger play for
free, and $4 extra per person buys unlimited rounds on the colorful
outdoor and indoor courses (1-888-OLD-PRO1, 410-524-2645).

Munch A Bunch
No one visits the beach to diet.
Embrace gastric destiny by gorging your way from one end of the boards
to the other on our own Boardwalk 3.6K Evening Classic. Working north
from the inlet, hit these fuel stops (with nearest cross street): The
Dough Roller (S. Division St.) for fresh pizza, Thrasher’s (Wicomico
St.) for indigenous fries, Dumser’s (Dorchester St.) for a chocolate
shake (neutralizes the vinegary fries), Fisher’s (Talbot St.) for
classic caramel popcorn, Polock Johnny’s (Talbot St.) for a corn
dog—now, pop some Tums until reaching . . . the Alaska Stand (8th St.)
for a juicy burger, then burn calories through the lengthy hotel
district (a no-fry zone), and collapse at Candy Kitchen (28th St. and
Philadelphia Ave.) for celebratory chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Practice Your Moves
Remember the “laser dance”
in Ocean’s Twelve? Channel your inner master thief as you slither under,
over, and around a web of laser beams in Ripley’s Impossible LaseRace, a
cat-burglaresque interactive attraction the Believe It or Not! folks
debuted last summer on the Boardwalk (Pier Building, 401 S. Atlantic
Ave., 410-289-5600). Break a light beam and you forfeit points and time.
Bon chance. (Open until midnight or 1 a.m., depending on the number of
customers.)

Play An Adults Arcade
Love ’em or loathe ’em,
one-armed bandits are the new game in town. Join the thousands who’ve
trekked to the Casino at Ocean Downs (10218 Racetrack Rd., Berlin,
410-641-0600), which boasts 750 “video lottery terminals” (i.e., slot
machines) ready to reward winners with something more spendable than
cuddly stuffed giraffes. In addition to push-button slots, Maryland’s
newest casino offers electronic roulette and blackjack daily until 2
a.m.

Go Fish
Stripers and croakers and blues, oh my!
Anglers can wet a line after dark at: Oceanic Fishing Pier (710 S.
Philadelphia Ave., 410-289-2602) and the Route 50 Bridge.

T.G.I. Thursday
Celebrate weekend eve with
thrifty Thursday deals. The Shark on the Harbor (12924 Sunset Ave., West
O.C., 410-213-0924) goes crazy over crustaceans with Lobster Lunacy
dinner specials—provided local fishermen are “catching, not just
fishing.” Plan a girls’ night out at Galaxy 66 (6601 Coastal Hwy.,
410-723-6762), whose rooftop Skye Bar offers discounts on certain
cocktails, or Macky’s (54th Street, bayside, 723-5565), which celebrates
“Little Black Dress Night” with half-price drinks.

Get Spirited
Imbibe history and mystery in
nearby Berlin. Wednesday evenings from July 6 to September 7, hunt
“orbs” and other paranormal activity on Spirits of Berlin guided tours.
The 90-minute walks will chill you with tales of the Witch of Assateague
Island and the ghost of Stephen Decatur, the 19th-century naval hero
who was born near here. (Reservations, 410-920-7200.) Afterward, quaff
an EVO Primal Pale Ale at The Globe (12 Broad St., 410-641-0784), a
neighborhood pub housed in a handsomely restored movie theater.

Surrender Your Keys
Driving’s a drag, especially
at night. Try these convenient conveyances instead: For bayside
bar-hopping, hail Buzz Boat water taxi (561-512-2727; service ’til
midnight); for shopping, hop the Boardwalk Tram (410-289-5311; service
’til midnight) and Coastal Highway buses (410-524-7716; 24-hour service
during the summer, plus a new $3 ride-all-day fare); for late-night
snacking, Just Deliveries fetches food from any local restaurant until
9-10 p.m., depending on the day (877-958-2828), and Fat Daddy’s delivers
its pizzas and subs until 4 a.m. (midtown, 410-524-8228; downtown,
410-289-4040).

Club-Hop
College students and the highly
energized flock to Seacrets (117 49th St., 410-524-4900) for its
Jamaican vibe, potent libations, and dancing in the sand. The popular
Party Block (17th St. and Coastal Hwy., 410-289-6331) packs three
nightclubs (cover bands, ’90s/2000s hits, techno/hip-hop) under one
roof, with a pool bar outdoors. Its kid sibling, the under-21 dance club
H2O (14 Worcester St., 410-289-7102), spins hip-hop. If you get your
kicks singing karaoke, The Sandbar (3303 Coastal Hwy., 410-289-1558),
pictured, stages a lively show with special effects. Outgrown bikini
contests and foam pits? The Ocean Club at the Clarion Resort
Fontainebleau (10100 Coastal Hwy., 1-800-638-2100) offers Top 40 bands
with no cover, and Teaser’s, the tiki bar at Sunset Grille (12933 Sunset
Ave., West Ocean City, 410-213-8110), rocks the harbor with live music
nightly.

Dine Late
As good times roll into the wee hours,
many restaurants keep pace. Satisfy midnight crab-cake cravings at BJ’s
on the Water (115 75th St., 410-524-7575), which serves surf and turf
until 1:30 a.m. daily and offers late-night happy hours Sun.-Thurs.
Enjoy entrees or grownup snacks like artisanal cheeses paired with fine
wine at Liquid Assets (9301 Coastal Hwy., 410-524-7037), pictured, an
uptown bistro and spirits shop that serves a full menu until midnight.
Nibble boardwalk fries served Dublin-style at Shenanigan’s Irish Pub and
Grille (Boardwalk and 4th St., 410-289-7181), offering fries drenched
in Guinness gravy and other Emerald Isle fare until 10 p.m.

Fenwick & the Bethany Beaches

Savor The Silence
Among them, the “Quiet
Resorts” have just one abbreviated, lightly commercialized boardwalk
(Bethany Beach’s). That means visitors can easily enjoy a low-decibel
evening if they wish. Unlike the seaside parks, which close at sunset,
the municipal beaches remain open until at least midnight. So sink your
toes into cool sand and listen to the waves’ ceaseless rhythm. Do beachy
things either forbidden during daylight (like surf fishing) or simply
difficult (like stargazing). For the former, Fenwick Tackle (Route 1 and
Maryland Ave., 302-539-7766) fills anglers’ needs with licenses, bait,
tackle, and tips.

Hunt For Treasure
Shipwrecks litter the Delaware
coast, and there’s no better place to learn about them than DiscoverSea
Shipwreck Museum (708 Coastal Hwy., Fenwick Island, 302-539-9366; open
’til 8 p.m. daily). The owner, a compulsive wreck-diver, has recovered a
gazillion artifacts (precious jewelry, bits of pottery, scary medical
implements), many of which inhabit this maritime mausoleum. Since local
beaches still yield wreckabilia, try hunting for buried booty yourself.
Invest in a metal detector at Sea Shell City (downstairs from the
museum) or rent one from Gale Force Rentals of Bethany Beach
(302-539-6244 or 800-321-1592). You might discover a gold coin—or a
hotel guest’s Rolex entombed since 1972.

Play With The Kids
Summer is made for tilting at
tiny windmills and making a big splash in a little lagoon. At Captain
Jack’s Pirate Golf (21 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Bethany Beach,
302-539-1122), you needn’t wear a cocked hat to go mini-golfing, but
where’s the harm, mate? The props—a giant pirate ship and skeletal
sailors—will make ye feel at home. Frolic with other infamous high-seas
marauders—the Vikings—at Thunder Lagoon Water Park (38960 Island St.,
Fenwick Island, 302-539-4027). Cool off with a languid river ride or
brave the “black hole” built-for-two body slide as the amusement park’s
iconic Viking vessel dumps boatloads of water into the splash pool.

Be Amazed
You’ll be enthralled as top magicians
perform at a charming new magic theater honoring Charles Dickens, who
used to dabble in parlor trickery. Dickens Parlour Theatre (35715
Atlantic Ave., Millville, 302-829-1071) hosts “an evening of magic for
the entire family” daily in a cozy theater-cum-Victorian salon west of
Bethany. Its owner, resident magic man Rich Bloch, developed innovations
used (aptly enough) by David Copperfield, among others. Guests get to
chat with performers following the evening shows and rainy-day matinees
and can also opt for a pre-show catered dinner.

Think Santa
While you’re in a Dickensian mood,
begin your holiday gift shopping at Fenwick Island’s all-purpose
emporium, the Seaside Country Store (1208 Coastal Hwy., 302-539-6110,
open ’til 10 p.m.). Famous for its fresh fudge and kicky cheese spread,
the store packs an entire mall’s worth of goodies and gifts into two
floors, including a Christmas shop upstairs.

Strut Your Smarts
Round up your wiseacre friends
for Team Trivia nights on Tuesdays at Smitty McGee’s Raw Bar &
Restaurant (Route 54, West Fenwick Island, 302-436-4716). Discounted
“Yuengs” and wings will help you (or not) with the brain challenges.

Keep It Sweet
From longtime favorites like
Dickey’s Frozen Custard (97 Garfield Pkwy., Bethany Beach) to newcomer
The Blue Scoop (Bayside Village Town Center, West Fenwick Island,
302-436-1166), your cone may runneth over this summer. Have Dickey’s
coat your twisty soft-serve in a layer of chocolate or order one of Blue
Scoop’s sundaes smothered in locally grown peaches. If you’re craving
snowballs, Bonkey’s (35849 Atlantic Ave., Millville, 302-260-2471) has
scores of flavors. Or order one “stuffed” atop a scoop of ice cream. On
Indian River Bay, Serendipity (32580 River Rd., Oak Orchard,
302-945-3600) is known for its gourmet caramel-coated apples.

Dine On Deck
Surrounded by the sea and Little
Assawoman Bay, Fenwick Island is one of our favorite outdoor dining
spots at sunset. Order a drink to match the horizon’s hue and a platter
o’ fresh seafood at Harpoon Hanna’s (Route 54 and the bay,
302-539-3095), pictured, where tropical oasis meets modern sports bar.
Catch 54 (Route 54 and Madison Ave., 302-436-8600) has a split-level
personality: a fine-dining lounge upstairs, shabby-chic fish house
below. Both have great views, but you’ll find us below decks inhaling
fish tacos with spicy mayo.

Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach & Lewes

Go Dancing
When the sun sinks over Rehoboth Bay,
it’s party time in Dewey Beach. Most nightclubs attract a young (or
forever young), energetic crowd, fueled by liquids frozen and potent. A
quickie guide to dancing hotspots and what you’ll enjoy and imbibe: The
Lighthouse (Ruddertowne, 124 Dickinson St., 302-227-4333): a raw bar and
Orange Crushes; Northbeach (125 McKinley St., 302-226-8673): dancing
and a drink concoction called a Dewey Devil; Ponos (1306 Highway One,
302-227-3119): a light show and martinis; Rusty Rudder (113 Dickinson
St., 302-227-3888): deck parties and Sunset Sippers; The Starboard (2009
Highway One, 302-227-4600), pictured: a collegiate vibe and Grapefruit
Crushes.

Paddle At Sunset
Here’s a hot new way to watch
the sun cool down: Hawaiian-style by leisurely paddling on an extra-wide
(31 inches), stand-on-top surfboard (aka paddle board). DelMarVa Board
Sport Adventures offers guided Stand Up Paddling (SUP) excursions
nightly from Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes (and other locales).
Leave 90 minutes before sunset, paddle along calm waters, and then
return as the moon rises. Dolphin sightings are common. Trips cater to
beginners. Reservations required, 301-651-0542, delmarvaboardsports.com.

Step Back In Time
Give the kids a history lesson
Xbox can’t offer: a lantern-lit tour of a real World War II artillery
battery. Several times a month, uniformed interpreters lead night
visitors through forsaken Fort Miles, once a heavily armed outpost that
defended the coastline 24/7. Part of Cape Henlopen State Park now, the
old bunkers, gun batteries, and barracks set among windswept dunes, form
a haunting backdrop for your foray. Tour cost, $5 per person;
awesomeness factor, priceless. Advance registration required,
302-645-6852; for tour dates, destateparks.com/attractions/fort-miles.

Seek Chocolate
Organize a chocoholics’ pleasure
hunt for temptation in all its forms. Alcoholic: the Chocolate Cherry, a
grown-up ice cream float (chocolate and cherry vodkas, cherry juice,
chocolate syrup, and vanilla ice cream) at Irish Eyes Pub (213 Anglers
Rd., Lewes, 302-645-6888). Frozen: rich Dutch chocolate ice cream (dark
chocolate with dark chocolate chunks) at King’s Homemade Ice Cream (201
Second St., Lewes, 302-645-9425). Fruity: the Monster Apple, a juicy
Granny Smith wrapped in caramel, roasted pecans, and rich chocolate, at
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (Tanger Outlets, Rehoboth Beach,
302-227-0422). Guiltless: Chocolate Zen, an award-winning European-style
dark chocolate gelato from Gelato Gal (20200 Coastal Hwy., Rehoboth
Beach, 302-227-1001). Nostalgic: a “fancy-pants version” of the
childhood favorite Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes featuring PB mousse-filled
brown-butter pound cake with chocolate malt ganache at Salt Air Kitchen
(50 Wilmington Ave., Rehoboth Beach, 302-227-2444).

Croon A Tune
Karaoke isn’t merely a once-a-week
special in Rehoboth Beach; it’s a campy culture. Check out these
hotspots: Frogg Pond Tavern (3 S. First St., 302-227-2234), Tuesday and
Thursday nights; the Purple Parrot (134 Rehoboth Ave., 302-226-1139),
Friday and Saturday nights; and Rigby’s Bar & Grill (404 Rehoboth
Ave., 302-227-6080), Monday nights.

Discover Nature
Marvelous seaside state parks
bookend Rehoboth and Dewey beaches: Delaware Seashore (Highway One,
Rehoboth Beach, 302-227-2800) to the south and Cape Henlopen (Cape
Henlopen Dr., Lewes, 302-645-8983) to the north. Although both beaches
close at sunset, they allow nature-lovers a peek at nocturnal goings-on
via programs guided by naturalists. Bring your flashlight and go
ghost-crab spotting or stretch out on the sand to enjoy a narrated look
at the night sky. Advance registration required (destateparks.com).

Tour The Collective
On the second Saturday of
the month, the Rehoboth Beach Gallery Collective (known as Mosaic) holds
Art Walks from 6 to 9 p.m. as member galleries host special exhibits
and receptions. View and buy paintings, jewelry, sculpture, glassworks,
furnishings, and photography—everything from nautical paintings to funky
furniture. Visit rehobothmosaic.com.

Drive Like Crazy
Not on Route One (it’s usually
gridlocked), but at one of the go-kart tracks along Route One in
Rehoboth Beach. Midway Speedway Park (18645 Coastal Hwy., 302-644-2042)
offers the most choices: five different tracks—including slick, banked,
and super-8 track—and 10-kart styles for speed demons of all ages.
Crocodile Mile, a track at Jungle Jim’s (36944 Country Club Rd.,
302-227-8444), is a nifty pint-sized version of the “Monster Mile,”
Dover International Speedway’s NASCAR track 40 miles up the road.

Catch Live Music
Try these music varieties
paired with the perfect potable: Bottle & Cork (1807 Highway One,
Dewey Beach, 302-227-7272): top-notch performers from the Avett Brothers
to Lifehouse with cold brews; Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats (320
Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, 302-226-2739), pictured: blues, roots
rock, and offbeat (acoustic-surfer-folk-rock, anyone?) with house-brewed
IPAs; Zogg’s Raw Bar + Grill (1 Wilmington Ave., Rehoboth Beach,
302-227-7660): steel drum bands and Rum Runners. Or skip the alcohol and
find a seat at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, pictured left, for free
concerts all summer long.

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What’s New: Ocean City

Baltimore’s own skateboard Superman, Bucky Lasek, and his
extreme-sports colleagues will carve up the beach July 21-24 when the
Dew Tour stops in Ocean City for the first time. It’s also the first
oceanside venue for the nationally televised (NBC, MTV, and USA)
skateboard, BMX, and surf competition (www.allisports.com/dew-tour).
Salisbury: The Salisbury Rollergirls’ inaugural flat-track season
features home bouts June 19, July 17, and August 21 at Crown Skating
Center (28410 Crown Rd., Fruitland, 443-736-7652), about a 40-minutes’
drive from O.C. The ladies say it’s all about sisterhood, but with noms
de track like Bust’er Skull and Ida Crazy Momma, we wonder.

What’s New: Fenwick Island

Twining’s Lobster Shanty (37310 Lighthouse Rd., Selbyville,
302-436-2305), a laid-back seafood eatery with bay views; DelMarVa Board
Sport Adventures (39084 Harpoon Rd., 301-651-0542), windsurfing,
stand-up paddling, and—om!—paddle-board yoga lessons. Bethany Beach:
Matt’s Fish Camp—as in chef Matt Haley of Bluecoast, Catch 54, Lupo di
Mare, et al.—opening in North Bethany Beach by summer; Off the Hook (769
Garfield Pkwy., Bethany Beach, 302-829-1424), a local
dock-to-table/farm-to-table restaurant; Bethany’s first Thrasher’s
French Fries stand; sightseeing rides by C.V.C. Helicopter Service (www.cvchelicopterservice.com).

What’s New: Dewey Beach

Port-Dewey Beach (1205 Highway One, 302-227-0669), a seafood
restaurant that has Thai night every Thursday. Rehoboth Beach: Henlopen
City Oyster House (50 Wilmington Ave., 302-260-9193), a retro-rustic raw
bar/seafood house; JAM Bistro (20 Baltimore Ave., 302-226-JAMM), the
latest eatery from the Eden restaurant folks; a Hatley store with all
manner of nature-inspired apparel, (52 Rehoboth Ave., 302-227-2951); new
stores in the Tanger Outlets, including Dooney & Bourke, and
C.L.A.D. (Current Love and Desire), a clothing/accessories shop is
opening at First Street Station, Rehoboth Avenue. Lewes: Cake Bar (115
Second St., 302-645-2253), a bakery/bistro by SugarBakers of
Catonsville, and Biblion (205 Second St., 302-644-2210), seller of
books, literary gifts, and art.

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Dine On High

For an escapist meal, do as the song says: Climb way up to the top of the stairs. Check out these dinner-with-a-view options.

The Cultured Pearl (301 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth
Beach, 302-227-8493) remains the ne plus ultra of “haute” cuisine with
its Japanesque rooftop boardwalk suspended over a man-made lagoon.
Burbling fountains, bamboo, and ultra-fresh sushi will whisk you Far
Eastward.

The Greene Turtle (101 S. Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach,
302-226-2000)—yes, that Greene Turtle—boasts a menu and location that’s
a cut above basic boardwalk eateries. Snag a table on the balcony,
which overhangs the boards, and enjoy sea views with your burger and
those fab pretzels con queso.

Okay, so Planet X Cafe (35 Wilmington Ave., Rehoboth
Beach, 302-226-1928) doesn’t have rooftop or even balcony dining. But
this landmark’s purple porch perches above street level and is
invariably described with the “f” word—funky. (One Facebook fan likens
the place to “a psychedelic monastery.”) Achieve dietary peace with a
curry or tofu Zen Bowl.

Two Seas (1300 Coastal Hwy., Dewey Beach,
302-227-2610) has you covered for late-night nibbles and a killer view.
The best seats in the house are at the tippy-top on a deck, where you
can order appetizers and take in vistas of the ocean and Rehoboth Bay.

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Find The O’s-Zone

Homesick for your Boys of Summer? Orioles fans can conjure Camden Yards “downy ocean” by:

• Enjoying deep-fried pickles, cold Natty Bohs, and the red-hot O’s at
  Pickles Pub (706 Philadelphia Ave., 410-289-4891), which packs ’em in
  on game nights like its Ridgely’s Delight namesake.
• Visiting “the farm” in Salisbury, where the O’s Class-A affiliate
  Delmarva Shorebirds play at the Arthur W. Perdue Stadium (6400 Hobbs
  Rd., 410-219-3112). There are post-game fireworks Saturday nights and
  low-ball ticket prices on “$2 Buck Mondays,” a new promotion honoring
  the O’s skipper. Visit
  www.theshorebirds.com.
• Hosting a game party at your beach pad. Order takeout at Boog’s
  Bar-B-Q in West Ocean City (12842 Ocean Gateway, 410-213-7447) or
  downtown (401 S. Atlantic Ave., 410-289-7771). Then, switch on MASN,
  nosh the best pit beef and ribs this side of the Warehouse, and you’re
  set.

With budgets pinched to the penny, “staycationers” are clicking their flip-flops and murmuring, “There’s no place like close to home.” Three hours away, Ocean City and Delaware’s gold coast—from Fenwick Island through Bethany, Dewey, and Rehoboth beaches to Lewes—offer a collective 30 miles of seaside escapism that you can’t afford not to pursue.

So stop cringing over the state of your portfolio and take a gander at all the beach has to offer this summer, including what’s new, what to do, where to eat meals, and where to find deals.

OCEAN CITY

A long pearly strand of beach; miles of ocean in which to fish, splash, and play; a power grid of boundless beachgoer energy that could light the entire boardwalk—Ocean City is Maryland’s original destination for summer distraction.

Little wonder then that “O.C.” has become the Big Cheese of Maryland and Delaware beaches, offering more beachfront (10 miles), boardwalk (three miles), and capacity for vacationers (including about 25,000 condo units and 10,000 hotel rooms) than any one of its neighbors. Add to that figure nearly 100 more rooms when the four-story Courtyard by Marriott Ocean City (boardwalk at 15th St., 410-289-5008) and Hotel Monte Carlo’s new luxury efficiency suites (at the hotel’s second location, 11th St. and Baltimore Ave.) open this summer.

“A lot of hotels are holding the line on prices this year,” says Donna Abbott, public relations director for the Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau. That’s welcome news for one of O.C.’s most loyal and budget-conscious constituencies—families. Think there’s no way two adults plus two kids times one day “downyocean” costs less than $250? Way, claims AOL Travel, which named Ocean City one of the top 10 family vacation values on the East Coast last year (the only beachy place on the list).What enables such fiscal restraint? One factor is the town’s numerous opportunities for entertainment on the house: complimentary concerts Sundays and Wednesdays, free flicks on the beach Mondays and Fridays, freebie Olympics for all ages on Tuesdays, and bonfire programs on Thursdays. (See ococean.com for a schedule.) By Saturday, you can afford to dust off your wallet and spring for a night at a mini-golf course or a movie megaplex.

And don’t forget the distractions lining O.C.’s back side, the mix of refined dining and rollicking bars, fishing piers and water parks, crab houses and charter-boat docks that line Assawoman and Isle of Wight bays—not to mention the shopping, dining, and recreation waiting just over the Route 50 bridge in West Ocean City.

Diversions
You can thrill to rides even wilder than the Dow Jones’s undulations at Trimper’s Rides and Amusements (boardwalk between S. Division and S. 1st streets), an O.C. fixture for more than a century. A spin on the Inverter, the Tidal Wave, the Freakout, or one of 40 other rides can be as hair-raising as today’s headlines. (But this screaming is pleasurable.)

Prefer to get your kicks on the ocean? Hop aboard a speedboat for a thrilling ride along the coastline. Dolphins often cavort alongside these excursion boats’ turbo-charged engines. The Sea Rocket leaves from Bahama Mama’s pier (Isle of Wight Bay at Wicomico St., 410-289-3499) and OC Rocket from Talbot Street Pier (Isle of Wight Bay at Talbot St., 410-289-3500).

GPS on your golf cart? The entire fleet at Ocean City’s seaside municipal course, Eagle’s Landing (12367 Eagles Nest Rd., 410-213-7277), was outfitted with the gizmos last fall.

You’ve seen the T-shirts, now imbibe at the saloon that started it all. Dusk is the ideal time to visit the gazebo at M.R. Ducks Bar & Grille (Talbot St. Pier on the bay, 410-289-3503). Order a Chug-a-Duck (light beer and an Amaretto shot in a duck decoy-shaped drinking vessel).

Dining
When it comes to food, there’s nothing more comforting than tradition. And in Ocean City, tried and true is trendy once more.

The Captain’s Table closed its doors about five years ago. Now, the casual restaurant, popular for its macadamia-encrusted halibut and stuffed shrimp, returns this summer as part of the new Courtyard by Marriott Ocean City (boardwalk at 15th St., 410-289-5008).

Liquid Assets Wine & Martini Bar (9301 Coastal Hwy., 410-524-7037) has added an $8 lunch combo to its menu that will appeal to the budget-and-portion-conscious. The restaurant will also offer free beer/liquor/wine tastings regularly (check la94.com for a schedule).

The times they are a-changin’ at Crab Bag (13005 Coastal Hwy., 410-250-3337), the bayside crabhouse that has been serving blue crabs and Natty Bohs since the ’70s. The restaurant has expanded and greatly broadened its menu, while the crabhouse (now called Back of the Bag) has moved to the rear of the building and expects to add a tiki deck this summer. There’s also a new produce/seafood/carryout market and a raw bar, where co-owner Albert Levy suggests you try the oysters shucked and char grilled in-house.

You can’t get more classic than a Smith Island cake, a six-to-12-layer yellow cake chinked with chocolate-fudge icing. Sample a slice—or take home an entire cake—at the Original Smith Island Cake Company, a new bakery and dessert cafe in the Ocean City Factory Outlets (12741 Ocean Gtwy., West Ocean City, 410-213-2253).

West Ocean City is getting another Chesapeake favorite on Route 50—Boog Powell’s World-Famous Pit Beef Ball Park Bar-B-Q. The eponymous eatery of the O’s beloved first bagger joins Boog’s first O.C. location at 401 S. Atlantic Avenue.

Deals
Restaurant Week (May 31-June 7) returns for its third year—at 2007 prices. Graze the gourmet offerings of such establishments as Galaxy 66 Bar & Grille (66th St. and Coastal Hwy., 410-723-6762) and Marlin Moon Grille (12806 Ocean Gtwy., 866-213-DINE) at hold-the-line fixed fees: $30 for three courses, $20 for two. Some chefs offer wine pairings for a modest additional charge.

Information
Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau and Department of Tourism, ococean.com, 800-OC-OCEAN (800-626-2326).

FENWICK ISLAND

The southernmost of Delaware’s resort beaches, demure Fenwick Island does seem, in many ways, an entire state removed from its high-profile southern neighbor, Ocean City. True, it possesses O.C.-like amenities: a clean, patrolled beach; an amusement and water park; a variety of restaurants and tiki bars; a maritime museum; and modern marinas, water sports, and eco-tours.

But it’s quieter here, more relaxed. There’s an appealing innocence about Fenwick that brings childhood vacation memories rushing back. Maybe that’s because it’s graced with endangered species: a cavernous family-owned-and-operated seafood house, a general store stocked with candies and cheeses and Christmas ornaments; and an architecturally significant Dairy Queen—unlike numerous old cottages here—has survived for half a century.

All the more reason, believes Winnie Lewis, chairwoman of the town’s Cultural and Historic Preservation Subcommittee, to keep those memories alive for residents and beachgoers alike. So Lewis and her committee are soliciting old photos to be digitally preserved and planning the first Old Fenwick Island Days to ensure that future generations won’t forget Fenwick’s timeless charms.

Diversions
Immerse yourself in southern Delaware’s stormy past by visiting the
Fenwick Island Lighthouse (143rd St., 302-436-8100), whose beacon alerted mariners to the barrier island’s treacherous shoals for more than a century. The landmark lighthouse is celebrating its 150th anniversary this summer. Although visitors aren’t permitted to climb inside the structure, volunteers (some, like Lewis, descendants of former keepers) share light-keeping lore.
Couple your lighthouse visit with a tour of the nearby
DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum (708 Coastal Hwy., above Sea Shell City, 302-539-9336), and you’ll appreciate the beacon’s raison d’etre. The museum’s collection of salvaged shipwreck booty speaks volumes about the hazards of pre-lighthouse navigation.
With water, water everywhere, you’ll find recreation options aplenty. The twisting “black hole body slide” at Viking Golf Amusements’
Thunder Lagoon Waterpark (Rte. 1 at Rte. 54, 302-539-4027) looks like something Dr. Seuss conceived, and nothing’s more refreshing on a sizzling summer day than a volley of water shot from the park’s hard-to-miss water feature, a teeter-tottering Viking ship.
Rent the watercraft of your choice: kayaks and sailboats at
Coastal Kayak (Rte. 1, Fenwick Island State Park, 302-539-7999), which also offers lessons and guided kayak tours; waverunners and pontoon boats at Action Watercraft Rentals (142nd St. Marina, 302-537-6500); and kayaks, waverunners, and fishing boats at Sharks Cove Watersports (Sharks Cove Marina, Rte. 54, 302-436-8500).

Dining
The island fare at newcomer
Jammin Jon’s Island BBQ (38015 Fenwick Shoals Blvd., West Fenwick, 302-436-7427) is Caribbean-influenced (think jerk seasonings and coconut conch chowder), but you can order native foods, too. Try Fenwick clam fritters or the Crab Daddy Burger, the eatery’s signature crabmeat-stuffed hamburger served with a tropical, avocado-mango cream condiment.
Old Eastern Shore meets boomer retro chic at
Catch 54 (Rte. 54, 302-436-8600), a casual seafood restaurant overlooking Little Assawoman Bay. Chill to bay breezes and Beach Boys’ melodies while you enjoy traditional Delmarva dishes with a twist such as fried oysters and chicken salad, broiled crab cakes, and fresh-caught fish.
The folksy
Fenwick Crab House Restaurant (100 Coastal Hwy., 302-539-2500) earns kudos for its steamed crabs and hefty backfin crab cakes.

Deals
The
Freeman Foundation’s Summer Stage Series brings city-caliber performing arts to Fenwick’s bayside community. Best of all, the concerts, musicals, plays, and operas are free. Call the Summer Stage Hotline at 302-436-3015 for a schedule.

Information: Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, bethany-fenwick.org, 800-962-SURF, 302-539-2100.

BETHANY BEACH

Bethany is the tapas bar of Delmarva beaches, offering vacationers just enough of everything they ask of the shore without the risk of overindulging. More a neighborhood than a town, convivial Bethany and its fellow “Quiet Resorts” (including South Bethany, Ocean View, and Fenwick Island) form the serene center of the vortex that swirls around Ocean City and the Rehoboth and Dewey beaches every summer. The families and laid-back souls who vacation here year after year may enjoy their easy access to more high-powered fun, but they prefer to stay at a slower place.

Marked by the red-cedar totem pole that towers over its entrance, Bethany’s downtown business district is small and strollable, measuring maybe two-by-two—blocks, that is. This means you won’t have to walk far to find what you need within a four-block radius. Gourmet markets, day spas, shopping plazas, and several state parks and nature preserves are a short drive away.

Even on cloudy days, you may want to wear shades as you stroll Bethany’s boardwalk, a compact one-half-mile long. The town’s shingle-style bandstand and information center are kept so spic and span they virtually gleam.

Between them, Bethany and South Bethany offer seven miles of white sandy beach, which typically becomes a colorful jumble of umbrellas, bathing suits, and beach towels on summer weekends.

Diversions
Whether you prefer your golf small, medium, or supersized, the Quiet Resorts have links to your liking. Young and old can enjoy
Captain Jack’s Pirate Golf (21 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 302-539-1122), the only miniature golf course in Bethany Beach. “A course you can play without devoting the day!” proclaims Salt Pond Golf Club (400 Bethany Loop, 302-539-7525) of its 18-hole, par 3 and par 4 course targeted to beginning and intermediate players. Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club (7 Clubhouse Dr., Ocean View, 1-877-BEARTRAP) offers 27 challenging holes, many of which incorporate natural sand dunes.
Got surf?
Bethany Surf Shop (99 Garfield Pkwy., 302-539-6400) will make sure your wave time isn’t wasted. They offer surfing lessons and surfboard, bodyboard, and skimboard rentals.
There’s more to the shore than the ocean. The shallow, protected waters of Bethany’s “back bay,” Indian River Bay, are ideally suited for kayaking, sailing, fishing, windsurfing, and exploring. Take a leisurely sunset cruise with
Back Bay Tours (Harbour View Marina, Ocean View, 302-388-1915), whose crew also offers scenic daytime cruises, flounder-fishing trips, and sandbar exploration tours.
Here’s a way to save money: Supply your own seafood. Visit
Holts Landing State Park, a 200-acre facility in Millville on the shores of Indian River Bay, to try your luck at the crabbing pier, dig clams from the muddy shoreline, or fish for flounder, bluefish, sea trout, and other species by boat or from shore.

Dining
Begin—or end—your day with a Baltimore omelet (jumbo lump crabmeat, tomato, and Swiss cheese) or a syrup-slathered stack of Penguin cakes (buttermilk or buckwheat) at
The Penguin Diner (105 Garfield Pkwy., 302-541-8017), a cheery breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot in downtown Bethany.
Curbside ‘cue? In downtown Bethany, parking can be a problem at the height of summer, so
Bethany Blues BBQ Pit (6 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 302-537-1500) offers curbside pickup for most carryout orders. You can also get drive-up ‘cue at Bootsie’s Bar-B-Q(95 Atlantic Ave., Ocean View, 302-539-9529), a carryout stand on Route 26.
Diners familiar with the former Magnolia’s restaurant in Ocean View likely won’t recognize its casual fine-dining successor. Its reincarnation,
Magnolia’s Seafood Bar & Grill (30415 Cedar Neck Rd., Ocean View, 302-539-5671), serves steaks and seafood in some pretty stylish digs. The upstairs dining room is bright and airy, though fairly traditional in décor. It’s the club-like downstairs lounge, with its oyster bar, plasma TVs, and tropical fish tanks that’s causing the big buzz.
Other than beach cam, there’s no better vantage point from which to survey Bethany’s beachfront than
Mango’s (Garfield Pkwy. and the boardwalk, 302-537-6621). Go topside to the deck, order a Mangorita (that’s a margarita plus mango juice), and let the steel drum music carry you away.

Deals
The staff at
Delaware Seashore State Park and Indian River Life-Saving Station (Rte. 1, 302-227-6991) have brainstormed oodles of inexpensive programs to educate and entertain: stargazing on the beach, surf fishing classes (tackle and bait provided), marine science boat tours, and even squid dissection.
Pack a lunch, take your camera, and head west off Route 1 to explore a pair of little-known back bay preserves open to the public at no charge. Pick up a map at
Assawoman Wildlife Area (37604 Mulberry Landing Rd., Frankford, 302-539-3160) to follow a self-guided auto tour of this sanctuary located three miles southwest of Bethany Beach.

Information: Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, bethany-fenwick.org,800-962-SURF, 302-539-2100.

DEWEY BEACH

Surf in the Atlantic. Sailboard in Rehoboth Bay. Meet in the middle to party. Dewey Beach, Rehoboth’s youthful southern neighbor, is only about a mile long and a couple blocks wide, but all the better to pack the most into a summer getaway.

If you are what you drink, then the under-thirtysomethings who flock to Dewey Beach can be neatly profiled by the Bullshark. It’s a favorite libation at The Starboard (2009 Highway One, 302-227-4600), a popular restaurant/bar celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer. A mixture of vodka, champagne, two kinds of fruit juice, and Red Bull, the cocktail captures Dewey’s fun-loving, high-energy, endless summer lifestyle.

Dewey’s wide, recently replenished beach is a magnet for sunbathers and surf anglers, not to mention skim and surfboarders. (Don’t look for a boardwalk, there is none.) On the other side of town, the bay is just right for parasailing, sailboarding, and kayaking. In between lies Route 1 (Coastal Highway) and its festivity-sustaining collection of beach bars, music venues, eateries, and sports shops.

Much to the relief of local folk, Dewey’s “party central” reputation is slowly changing. The resort town offers a greater range of dining options now and has targeted more activities for families. One plan would convert a large rental hall at Ruddertowne, the dining-drinking-shopping complex in the heart of Dewey, into a kid-friendly “fun center.”

Diversions
Whether you want to catch a wave or the wind, Dewey is the place to do it.

Get a lift from
Dewey Beach Parasail (113 Dickinson St., 302-227-9507) for a gull’s eye view of the shore. It’s the ultimate spectator sport. Or harness the wind and waves on a kiteboard. East of Maui (104 Saint Louis St., 302-227-4703) and H2air Kiteboarding(1701 Coastal Hwy., 302-227-1105) will outfit you and refer you to qualified instructors for lessons (a must for newbies).
Pretend you’re a 19th century surfman (or woman) scanning the sea for stranded ships as you take a nighttime kerosene lantern tour at the
Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum (Rte. 1 in Delaware Seashore State Park, 302-227-6991). The costumed interpreters who lead the way tell shipwreck stories taken straight from the station’s logbooks and guaranteed to shiver your timbers.
No Dewey Beach vacation would be complete without sampling the nightlife. Join the crowds at
Bottle & Cork (1807 Highway One, 302-227-7272), the classic club that has booked such live shows as the Dave Matthews Band, Matchbox 20, Ziggy Marley, Buddy Guy, and Blondie. Founded in 1936, the Cork even predates rock ‘n’ roll.

Dining
Dig into fried chicken and a mess of home fries at
Jimmy’s Grille, a new diner-style restaurant slated to open in late May on Route 1 at Bellevue Street (next to Bottle & Cork). Name sound familiar? The eatery is a cousin to the Bridgeville “Jimmy’s” that has enticed beachgoers off Route 13 for years with its homemade pies, cakes, and other comfort foods.
Take in a bay sunset with housemade guacamole, a plate of molé-drenched chicken enchiladas, or maybe just a glass of aged tequila at
Que Pasa (124 Dickinson St. at the bay, 302-226-1820), the Mexican restaurant that debuted last summer at Ruddertowne. Diners have their pick of indoor or outdoor cantina seating.
Whatever the weather, you can dine beneath the stars at
Ponos (1306 Coastal Hwy., 302-227-3119), a Hawaiian-themed, fine-dining restaurant whose ceiling sparkles celestially with fiber-optic lights. Sample Kona coffee-braised short ribs and surf entrees such as macadamia-encrusted opaka while “Tiny Bubbles” drifts from the sound system. In this, its sophomore summer, the restaurant is adding Hawaiian sushi to the menu. Rationing your meal money? Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar and Grille (302-227-1449), Ponos’s tiki bar-like sister, serves lighter fare at lower prices in an equally enticing but more outdoorsy setting.

Deals
Bonfires and beanbag toss for the kids, lacrosse and volleyball for teens. Dewey offers a range of free or low-cost evening beach activities. The town’s budget squeeze may affect some programs, so check websites for up-to-date information.
deweybeachpatrol.comand beach-fun.com.

REHOBOTH BEACH

Cottages painted in tropical fruit hues. Riders swooshing by on vintage bicycles and Vespas. Diners sampling seafood in twinkly lighted courtyards. As seaside destinations go, downtown Rehoboth Beach reminds us of a small, resort-like Caribbean island.

This one-time Methodist camp colony exudes affluence, free-spiritedness, and genteel family festivity. Its groomed and lifeguarded beach lures as many as 80,000 visitors on summer weekends. Its mile-long boardwalk is flanked on one side by a traditional array of beach lodging, food, amusement, and shopping options, and on the other by reversible benches from which to watch the scenery on “the boards” or the sands.

But explore its one-square-mile downtown, and you’ll note Rehoboth’s other persona, reflected in the urbane appeal of businesses such as the new, boutique Hotel Rehoboth (247 Rehoboth Ave., 877-247-7346, 302-227-4300) and Cultured Pearl restaurant (301 Rehoboth Ave., 302-227-8493), transplanted to a downtown rooftop complete with koi pond, waterfalls, and lots of bamboo. Rehoboth boasts day spas and nightclubs, shabby chic bungalows, and B&Bs lining pine-shaded side streets; an emphasis on fine dining over fried foods; and a tolerant mix of straight and same-sex couples.

We know you didn’t come to the beach specifically to shop, but should you succumb, the number and variety of purveyors in downtown Rehoboth make it an enticing prospect. So does Delaware’s lack of sales tax.

And if that’s not enough rainy day distraction, the Route 1 corridor offers movie theaters at Midway Shopping Center (29 Midway Shopping Center, 302-645-0200) and factory stores galore at Tanger Outlets (three Coastal Highway locations, 302-226-9223).

Diversions
At least once, while you’re here, arise before the sun, stumble eastward, and head for the beach. There, you’ll share an eye-opening ocean sunrise with the handful of joggers, dog-walkers, street cleaners, and canoodling couples awake (more or less) at this hour. Best of all, it’s free.

Meander Rehoboth’s trio of browse-worthy boulevards—Rehoboth, Baltimore, and Wilmington avenues—and the pedestrian alleys linking them. Shop for home swag like Simon Pearce glassware and Vurv designer doggie bowls
at Mod Cottage (247A Rehoboth Ave., 302-227-7277), tie-dye skirts and hemp jewelry at Sunshine Octopus(149 Rehoboth Ave., 302-227-8674), or French-milled spa soaps and retro ice bags (think hangover relief) at Lotions & Potions (46 Baltimore Ave., 302-227-1511). Among the newcomers to Rehoboth’s main drag are The Shops at the Pearl (301 Rehoboth Ave.), several retailers offering a range of merchandise from fine wines (Bin 66, 302-227-6966) to resort wear (Pineapple Princess, 302-227-8705) to, yup, venti cinnamon dolce Frappuccinos (Starbucks, 302-227-3682).
Cycling is big in Rehoboth. If you didn’t bring bikes, rent them and peddle north to the three-to-six mile
Junction & Breakwater Trail at the southwestern edge of Cape Henlopen State Park.
Hit the boardwalk for cheap thrills and chills at
Funland (boardwalk at Delaware Ave., 302-227-1921), a favorite of vacationers since the 1930s.

Dining
The shore’s culinary hotspot, Rehoboth never lacks for pedigreed chefs and excellent restaurants. Last year proved a particularly good vintage, introducing such keepers as Matthew Haley’s
Lupo di Mare (247 Rehoboth Ave., 302-226-2240), the Hotel Rehoboth’s 73-seat restaurant serving classic coastal Italian cuisine and showing vintage movies on the flat-screen TV (new this summer: Italian Sunday brunches); Jay Caputo’sPorcini House (210 Second St., 302-227-6494), a comfy bistro with a flair for truffles that inhabits Chez La Mer’s former cottage (don’t miss its très cool Treetop Lounge); and Sean McNeice’s Stingray (59 Lake Ave., 302-227-MISO), the vibrant sushi bar and Asian-Latino grill, whose fusion appetizers include grouper ceviche served with crispy wontons and fish tacos spiked with chipotle sour cream and sriracha chile sauce.
But the number of “upscale” options may have crested for now in Rehoboth with frugal diners trying to downsize the cost of eating out. This summer’s newcomers emphasize small plates or big values. The glitziest addition is
Saketumi (18814 Coastal Hwy., 302-645-2818), a sleek sushi lounge and Asian restaurant on Route 1, whose name dares diners to sample appetizers like torched tuna (with jalapeños, red tobiko, chives, and spicy ponzu sauce).
Downtown, the new
Rehoboth Ale House (15 Wilmington Ave., 302-227-2337) will price its seafood, steak, and pasta dinners between $10 and $22, says owner Hugo Mazzalupi, adding that the menu “will not cater to the gourmet crowd.” The restaurant, although not a brew pub, will dispense 14 beers on tap and almost 100 different domestics, imports, and microbrews in bottles—a lure, Mazzalupi hopes, for the “happy-hour crowd coming off the beach.”
In pub news, the owners of Pig + Fish, a well-known downtown eatery, have plans to open the
Pickled Pig, a British-style “gastropub” at 18756 Coastal Highway. AndDogfish Head Brewings & Eats (320 Rehoboth Ave., 302-226-BREW) is importing yet another Brit tradition: cask ale. Every Thursday, this brew pub—noted for its wood-grilled pizzas—taps a cask of naturally carbonated beer and keeps pouring cool (not cold) ones until the cask is kicked.

Deals
Get your tunes for free Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at the
Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, Rehoboth Avenue and the boardwalk. (rehobothbandstand.com for schedule).

Information: Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, beach-fun.com, 800-441-1329.

LEWES

Founded by Dutch seafarers in 1631, Delaware’s oldest town remains more port town than resort town. Don’t get us wrong. Vacationers enjoy sunning and swimming along the wild, windswept seashore at adjacent Cape Henlopen State Park, but the heart of Lewes (pronounced Loo-iss) still belongs to Delaware Bay and the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal.

No more than six blocks square, downtown Lewes is Delmarva’s own Nantucket, filled with cedar-shingle houses, art galleries, antiques stores, friendly cafes, wine bars, gourmet shops, and practicing preservationists, who have saved an impressive number of 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century buildings.

Diversions

You can launch an adventure a day here. Board a sightseeing boat at
Fisherman’s Wharf (next to Lighthouse Restaurant, Lewes & Rehoboth Canal drawbridge, 302-645-8862) and watch for dolphins and whales along the coast. Charter a deep-sea fishing trip at Anglers Fishing Center (Anglers Marina, 213 Anglers Rd., 302-644-4533). Book a ride with the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation to tour Harbor of Refuge and Delaware Breakwater East End lighthouses (Lewes Ferry Terminal finger pier, 302-644-7046). Lighthouse tours offered monthly: June 27, July 25, Aug. 22, and Sept. 12.
For a taste of Lewes lore—ordinary and extraordinary—visit the properties operated by the
Lewes Historical Society (110 Shipcarpenter St., 302-645-7670), including the Cannonball House & Marine Museum (118 Front St.), struck by a British projectile in 1813.

Dining
And
Kindle makes three. The Milton fine-dining restaurant is relocating from the Shops at Paynter’s Mill to 111 Bank Street, replacing Books by the Bay Café. It plans to retain its contemporary-American dinner menu and add lunches.
Bethany Blues BBQ Pit (18385 Coastal Hwy., 302-644-2500) brings its signature wood-smoked St. Louis ribs and other slow-cooked favorites to a new Route 1 location in Lewes. And back for its second season, Hopkins Farm Creamery (18186 Dairy Farm Rd., 302-645-7163) serves ice cream the way you remember it.

Deals
It’s worth a few guilders alone to see the interior of the intriguing
Zwaanendael Museum (102 Kings Hwy., 302-645-1148), the highly ornamental replica of a Dutch town hall that houses a museum dedicated to Lewes and Sussex County history. But admission is free (donations accepted) to view the town, lighthouse, and shipwreck. Enjoy owl prowls, night hikes, WWII gun battery tours, seining trips, and other nature and history adventures at Cape Henlopen State Park—all for $5 or less per person. (See Henlopen’s summer program schedule at destateparks.com).

Information: Lewes Chamber of Commerce, 877-465-3937, leweschamber.com.

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THE BEACH BUCKET LIST

Twenty things you just have to do at the shore this summer!

1. Kayak the “back bays” at sunset.
2. Parasail at Ocean City or Dewey Beach.
3. Ride the giant Ferris wheel in Ocean City on a moonlit night.
4. Take the car ferry from Lewes to Cape May, NJ.
5. Drink Orange Crushes at the Lighthouse’s “taco toss,” Friday nights in Dewey Beach.
6. Play mixologist at the Starboard’s Bloody Mary smorgasbord in Dewey Beach.
7. Sip and bob on the floating chairs at Seacrets in Ocean City.
8. Toast sunsets to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture at Fager’s Island, Ocean City.
9. Get 1950s nostalgic with a milkshake from Dumser’s in Ocean City.
10. Nosh on Thrasher’s french fries on the boardwalk.
11. Munch on Cottage Café’s “dune fries” in Bethany Beach.
12. Test the eternal pizza challenge in Rehoboth Beach: Grotto vs. Nicola.
13. Feast on Fenwick Crab House’s all-you-can-eat crabs.
14. Reel in a big fish aboard a charter boat out of Ocean City, Indian River, or Lewes.
15. Surf fish in the seashore state parks.
16. Toast marshmallows over bonfires on the beach.
17. Experience karaoke night at the Purple Parrot in Rehoboth Beach.
18. Make the music scene at Ruddertowne or the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach.
19. Practice your spirals at the Carousel Hotel’s indoor ice rink, Ocean City.
20. Stand astride Maryland and Delaware along the Transpeninsular Line at the Fenwick Island Lighthouse.