There is soooo much going on in Rehoboth this fall. During the week the town is filled with people taking leisurely walks through town and on the beach, but on weekends it is still downright crowded. As you can see from the photos that I am posting many of the businesses in town are still open. It is so very different from when I grew up here. All of the businesses closed and boarded up on Labor Day back then. I think the only store open in the fall was Lingo's Market on first street. Back then, they were the small "country store" that provided for the needs of the "locals" all year.
Now, there is tons of things to do all over Sussex County every weekend. It is hard to pick what festivals to attend and impossible to do it all. This weekend was Jazz Festival weekend in Rehoboth. Almost every restaurant had a Jazz singer, group, or band for entertainment. There were so many choices that it was mind boggling and leaves you wishing that you had a whole week to take in everything. Each year, this festival gets bigger and better.
Thursday, we were visited by the first of two Nor'easters; the second arrived yesterday. The winds have been bad all weekend, gusting to over 40 mph at times. It has rained almost continually all weekend - sometimes just a mist and at other times torrential. When the rains have lightened people have rushed out wanting to get a look at the beach and to feel the shear power of the ocean. There is nothing like the feel of the salt air stinging your face. The beach has been eaten away by the surf and the water is licking the dune lines at high tide. Interestingly, a Nor'easter, draws people to the beach, so there were even more people here for Jazzfest then usual. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to stroll restaurant lined Wilmington and Baltimore Streets to listen the the jazz music drifting onto the streets.
I drove from Bethany Beach to Rehoboth around noon on Thursday. The winds have blown the water up into the backbay, so water was all the way across Route 1 in places. Friday, really wasn't a bad day for winds, so driving around wasn't bad at all and people packed the outlets. Yesterday, it was the worst day of the weekend. The winds and rain were at their worst and only the hardiest were out. Route 1 between Rehoboth and Bethany was not a fun drive as the water was on the road in many places and crossing Indian River Bridge was a nightmare. It seemed to me that the worst of the storm hit last night. Today, I didn't go to Rehoboth. I did walk around Bethany and much of it is under water. Bethany is much lower then Rehoboth and is often flooded during a storm.
Good news, Rehoboth has received some of the federal stimulus money. They are replacing the rest of the boardwalk with that money. As many of you know, it is not before it is due. I have posted a picture of the construction. They have started on the south end of the boardwalk and will move to the north end when they are done there. Until they start on the north end, it is still possible to walk from my house to Funland on the boardwalk.
Life is good here!!!!
