Day 4 September 29, 2020

Thank goodness the weatherman is not always right!  It was supposed to start raining at 5 AM and continue for another 30+ hours, but as I type, it’s still just cloudy so we were able to have a relaxing start and a full breakfast with bacon, eggs, home fries, and toast.  

 I’m not sure when the practice started but no state park allows you to bring your own firewood, so you have to buy it from the campground.  As we enjoyed our eggs we watched the residents from the Sussex Community Correction Center unload and stack a truck full of wood.  Nice guys, I had to wonder what were their crimes against society, but decided not to ask them.

 

Leaving the campsite, we headed into Lewes to check out the historic district of Lewes, which was originally a finishing village and one of the first settlements in Delaware.  Lewis is filled with gorgeously restored homes and shops.  The architecture is combination of early American homes with clearly some plantation style influence.

As we continued the driving tour the rain finally arrived with sprinkles quickly becoming torrents.  Our search for a lunch spot was now restricted to indoor dining, which is challenging during the pandemic, and we unanimously agreed to return to yesterday’s lunch spot, Matt’s Fish Camp.  Our decision was indeed a good one; Matt’s menu is loaded with various local seafood selections, and all of us were delighted with our meal.

Shrimp and Grits

Fish Tacos

Lump Crab Sandwich

 

After lunch we returned to the campground as the rain continued to fall.  It was a perfect afternoon for reading and naps.

 

For dinner we continued to rely on Trip Advisor, selecting the #1 restaurant in Lewes, “Striper Bites”.  Crab, sushi, and oysters dominated our choices that reflected the fusion of Asian and mid-Atlantic cuisines.  Another wonderful meal.

By the time we returned to our campground, it was time to listen to the first Presidential debate.  Our patience quickly dissolved as Trump remained Trump and after five minutes we stopped listening.  Based on the post debate analysis there appears to be strong agreement that this should be the last Presidential debate.  

Day 3-September 28, 2020

Slept ‘til 7:30 AM, which is really sleeping in for me, but that’s one of the joys of camping; no rush to do anything.  

 Breakfast was simple:  OJ, coffee, and Marvel’s donuts!  

Despite what this picture shows, our campsite is not private at all; we are right on a walking path to the camp store, so we get to chat with a lot of passers by.  Campers are very friendly and we happily gave several tours of our van before we took off to explore the nearby beach areas that are part of Cape Henlopen State Park. 

 

The closest beach is right on the Atlantic so there are great waves, board and kite surfers, and in the distance plenty of ocean going ships heading to and from the New York and Philadelphia ports.

There are WWII  gun placements and observation towers still in place; installed to guard against U-Boats.  It’s very reminiscent of those along Normandy Beach in France, and it reminds me of my parents and grandparents stories about how they had blackout curtains on their beachfront home in Beach Haven in order to prevent the Germans from realizing how close they were to the US coast.

 

Lunch at Matt’s Fish Camp…raw oysters, lump crab meat sandwich, & crabby fries!   Delicious!

After lunch we returned to the beach we visited in the morning, but this time we drove right on it.  No stickers or fees required.  The only requirement is that you possess all the normal off-road equipment and lower the pressure in your tires.

The off road beach was much less crowded than what we experience on Cape Cod.  The water was warmer, and there are no sharks so I had a lot of fun in the waves and we were all treated to the acrobatics of a skill kite surfer.  

 

Dinner was so-so.  My app, roasted avocado with lump crab was delicious, 

but the crab cakes tasted like they came from Sisco, and not blog worthy.

Day 2

Up at 6 AM, and on the road by 7 AM.  Thank you Rosemary and Bill for your wonderful hospitality, not to mention the fresh coffee and babka that we took with us.

 Sunday morning is the best possible time to drive through metropolitan NYC.  As many of you know I am not fond of tall bridges, so we avoided the Tappan Zee and crossed the Hudson on the lower deck of the George Washington Bridge.   Other more traffic than I would like, the crossing did not test my nerves.

Our first destination was Marvel’s Market in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island.  Their donuts are the best, bar none, so we bought a dozen.  When I was a young boy, Marvels sold a bakers dozen for $0.55.  Not so cheap anymore, but still just as yummy as ever.

Leaving Marvels we headed to Southwick’s Marina where my grandfather kept his boat.  The Southwick family has run this marina since 1953.  I chatted with the current owner, who is my age.   We reminisced about all the wonderful days in the 50’s & 60’s, and who lived where and how much everything has changed.  Joni patiently waited in the van.

We next visited 13508 Ocean Boulevard, which is where my grandparents’ vacation home was located.  It was torn down years ago and replaced with a mansion, but the beach still looks the same as does the Atlantic.  How I loved those summers!

2020

1954

1951

2020

We visited some of my other favorite locales, purchased hoodies, and then headed off island toward Cape May, where we were booked for the 4:30 PM ferry to Lewes, Delaware. 

 

I had never been to Cape May, but had always heard about the beautiful Victorian homes, and was looking forward to seeing this vacation spot for the first time.  I was not disappointed.  The homes are spectacular; somewhat reminiscent of Charleston or Beaufort, SC.  Joni picked out a restaurant for lunch.  We only had to wait 20 minutes for a table, and as we waited, we were able to walk along Jackson St. and check out all the restored homes, B&B’s, & hotels. 

 

Our meal was very satisfying; we both had eggs benedict, although mine included crab instead of Canadian bacon.

Leaving the restaurant, we returned to the van, drove along the beach, and further checked out all the beautiful homes, before heading to the ferry.

Our ferry ride across Delaware Bay to Lewes was smooth, but it was very foggy so we really couldn’t see much.  We docked around 6 PM, and the drive to Cape Henlopen State Park was less than two miles, so by 6:15 PM we were pulling into our campsite where Wendy and Carl were waiting for us.  They were hungry, so we didn’t set up our campsite, we just got in their truck and drove to our dinner destination, the Surfing Crab.  As the restaurant’s name suggests, crab was their speciality, and indeed their crab dishes were superb including crab soup and crab cake sandwiches.  Joni’s reputation for finding great restaurants remains untarnished!

Day 1

On the road by 8 AM, picking up muffins at Café Chew in Sandwich.  The drive to Glastonbury was an easy one; the traffic was light and the foliage was beautiful.  

We arrived at Nick’s around 11:15 just in time to join Jack , Nick, and Abbi (the dog) for a walk.  

 

Jack kept us entertained until Alex and Alice arrived.  They were going to spend one night with Nick before heading north to Vermont to visit friends.

 

We left Nick around 2 pm, and drove to our final destination of the day, the home of our great friends Bill & Rosemary Carlough, in Pleasantville, NY,

We spent the evening condemning Trump, reminiscing, laughing, drinking wine, and finishing with a wonderful  dinner of steak au poivre.  The steak was photo worthy, but I was too hungry to pause and take a pic. 

The Aging Hippies Are Back on the Road

It's been a long time since we've been on a trip.  Neither Canada nor France would let us visit, and there aren't too many states where the COVID numbers aren't growing out of control; but if we're careful, wear our masks, and stay outdoors, we should be OK camping.  

So our van is packed...

...the weather forecast looks great,  and tomorrow we're heading south to the mid Atlantic states where we'll spend nine nights at state parks in Delaware and Maryland.  My sister, Wendy, and her husband, Carl, are joining us for this trip.  Can't wait to see them.

My  personal goal is to eat crab every day.  This should be fun!