Where We Stayed
While there are a few hotels on the Delaware shore, since we were a large group this time (5 of us!), we decided to rent a house instead. What a fantastic, fantastic decision that was. We ended up finding the house through www.vrbo.com, and while it was a bit of a process it was well worth it. Our search started based on location-we wanted something within walking distance of the beach and the boardwalk in Rehoboth. After narrowing it down quite a bit, we finally decided on this house: http://www.vrbo.com/334613. By renting a house, we actually managed to keep the cost per person at a ridiculously low price-going on the tail end of the summer season also allowed us to have decently warm weather with lower costs and less crowds.
The owner of the house was a pleasure to deal with, and honestly made the rental process as easy as possible. When we arrived, we were amazed at how beautiful the house was; it was even more beautiful in person than it was in the pictures. We had plenty of room to have alone time, while still having enough room to hang out comfortably in the common areas. If you’re looking to travel with a family, or a larger group of people, I would completely recommend renting a house for your group.
The owner of the house was a pleasure to deal with, and honestly made the rental process as easy as possible. When we arrived, we were amazed at how beautiful the house was; it was even more beautiful in person than it was in the pictures. We had plenty of room to have alone time, while still having enough room to hang out comfortably in the common areas. If you’re looking to travel with a family, or a larger group of people, I would completely recommend renting a house for your group.
What We Did
Dogfish Head Brewery
If you haven’t started to realize it yet, Rob and I quite enjoy visiting breweries, and Dogfish Head happens to be Rob’s favorite brewery ever. Hence, a large portion of this trip (or perhaps the majority of it) was planned around Dogfish Head.
That being said, their brewery and their beers are awesome. The actual brewery is located about 25 minutes outside of Rehoboth Beach, in Milton-and the brewery is gigantic! We made tour reservations a few weeks before our visit, which is a definite must, because they fill up quite quickly. Make sure to wear closed toe shoes as well, because if you don’t (oops), they provide you with a pair of Crocs-which are not only not particularly fashionable, but can’t be that sanitary either.
The tour itself is free, and lasts for about 35 minutes. We actually ended up doing the tour twice because of the arrival of some of our group, and I will say that our weekend tour guide was much better than our weekday tour guide. I’m not sure if it’s always like this, or if they save the “better” guides for the weekend, but although we took the tour twice in two days it literally felt like two completely different tours.
Once the tour is complete, you are rewarded with four tastings of their tap beer of the day. Our tasting consisted of Punkin Ale, 120 Minute IPA, Chateau Jiahu, and Olde School Barley Wine. Dogfish’s Punkin Ale is like no other pumpkin beer available, and is next to impossible to find here on Long Island. If you get the chance, buy it. Buy all of it. It is delicious, and it very well may change your life.
That being said, their brewery and their beers are awesome. The actual brewery is located about 25 minutes outside of Rehoboth Beach, in Milton-and the brewery is gigantic! We made tour reservations a few weeks before our visit, which is a definite must, because they fill up quite quickly. Make sure to wear closed toe shoes as well, because if you don’t (oops), they provide you with a pair of Crocs-which are not only not particularly fashionable, but can’t be that sanitary either.
The tour itself is free, and lasts for about 35 minutes. We actually ended up doing the tour twice because of the arrival of some of our group, and I will say that our weekend tour guide was much better than our weekday tour guide. I’m not sure if it’s always like this, or if they save the “better” guides for the weekend, but although we took the tour twice in two days it literally felt like two completely different tours.
Once the tour is complete, you are rewarded with four tastings of their tap beer of the day. Our tasting consisted of Punkin Ale, 120 Minute IPA, Chateau Jiahu, and Olde School Barley Wine. Dogfish’s Punkin Ale is like no other pumpkin beer available, and is next to impossible to find here on Long Island. If you get the chance, buy it. Buy all of it. It is delicious, and it very well may change your life.
Tanger Outlets
Delaware’s lack of state tax makes it a prime shopping opportunity. Although I’m really not much of a shopper, there are plenty of others who are. We took a quick trip to walk through the outlets, and were pleasantly surprised by their vast selection of shops. The outlets are separated though, so you do need to drive from one location to the next.
Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk
Rehoboth Beach is quite obviously a beach town, so there’s no way we could visit without taking a walk on their boardwalk. I know that some people find boardwalks to be cheesy, and they can be; but there is something about walking along a boardwalk that just makes me want to smile. Similar to other beach towns, the streets are lined with quaint shops and restaurants, and walking along the storefronts provided a lovely evening.
Where We Ate
Dogfish Head Restaurant
After driving to Delaware to visit Dogfish Head, we obviously needed to frequent their restaurant while we were there. The restaurant is a chill place; there’s really not much more that’s needed to describe it. You walk in, and everything feels relaxed and enjoyable. During our earlier tour, we were informed that the leftover brewing barely is used to feed local cows and pigs, and these animals are then used by their restaurant for everything from burgers to steaks, which is a nice circle of awesomeness. The burgers were fantastic, and we were also able to order samplers of their beer-for under $10 you can have five 4-oz pours of your choice, which gives you the opportunity to taste quite a few beers. Trust me, we would know.
Our Itinerary
Day 1
Drive from New York to Delaware
Tour at Dogfish Head Brewery
Walk along the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk
Dinner and drinks at Dogfish Head brewpub/restaurant
Day 2
Brunch at Cracker Barrel
Tour at Dogfish Head Brewery
Shopping at the Tanger Outlets
Dinner and drinks at Dogfish Head brewpub/restaurant
Day 3
Drive home to New York
Drive from New York to Delaware
Tour at Dogfish Head Brewery
Walk along the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk
Dinner and drinks at Dogfish Head brewpub/restaurant
Day 2
Brunch at Cracker Barrel
Tour at Dogfish Head Brewery
Shopping at the Tanger Outlets
Dinner and drinks at Dogfish Head brewpub/restaurant
Day 3
Drive home to New York