LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Lewes Lips |
CAMPnote: A new feature in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, LEWES Lips is the creation of a troika of residents of Lewes, Delaware, the "First Town" in the "First State." With the canal, the bay, a state park and the ocean all within or abutting Lewes, this small town has more options for water sports than many nearby towns. But it is more than water sports that have kept the people of Lewes busy. The water's edges in and near Lewes have been sites of conflict over the years while today the conflicts look more like heated controversy about their uses. We'll talk about some of the ongoing controversies in future columns. But for now, we'll give you a brief tour of the areas near the water's edge, and invite you to a happy hour in Lewes to see it for yourself. The Lewes-Rehoboth canal is the focus of much activity here, with the center of town nearby. This is in stark contrast to how our sister town, Rehoboth Beach, focuses more on its access to the ocean. Of course, Rehoboth Beach DOES sit directly on the ocean, and Lewes does not. In Lewes, therefore, we have learned to make the most of this little waterway. Lewes history is tied closely to the canal and the bay, though the town's proximity to water has not always been fortunate. The Dutch established the original settlement as a whaling station in 1631. Those first Dutch settlers were massacred within a year by the Lenni Lenape Indians because of disputes over the Dutch coat of arms the settlers were displaying. (This no doubt foreshadowed the many quarrels between design control queens in Lewes beach houses over which rainbow flag to display, that continue to the present.) Many pirates, including Captain Kidd himself, arrived from the sea and tormented the town through subsequent years. During the War of 1812, cannonballs fired from British ships hit Lewes. The only casualty was a hen, though a pig reportedly suffered serious wounds! Cannonball House Marine Museum, with an embedded British cannonball still visible in its faade, sits on Front Street. Across the street is 1812 Memorial Park, from which you have a terrific view of the Lewes harbor. The small memorial park commemorates the successful (wellexcept for the hen) defense of Lewes during the British attack. The harbor that it overlooks, which opens to Delaware Bay, is the northern end of the Lewes-Rehoboth canal. From Lewes Harbor you can charter small fishing boats, or jump on a small tour boat that leaves periodically from the landing in front of the Lighthouse Restaurant. If you want to know more about Lewes history, stop by the nearby Zwaanendael Museum. The museum was built in 1931 by the state of Delaware in memory of the original Dutch settlement. The museum sits at the crossroads of Savannah Road and King's Highway, just two blocks from the canal. You can't miss it: Modeled after the town hall of Hoorn, The Netherlands, it looks like nothing else in Lewes (and maybe nothing else in Delaware!). Admission is free. The book "Lantern on Lewes" is an entertaining collection of articles on Lewes history, written by Hazel D. Brittingham and published by Lewestown Publishers. It's available in local bookstores, or look for it on the web at http://www.lewestown.com. A short distance past the canal is Lewes Beach. Our town beach sits on the Delaware Bay, not the ocean. The shoreline curves gently out, both north and south, creating a lovely, extended vista in both directions. To the north, this includes glimpses of the many stately, historic homes sitting behind the dunes that line the bay. To the south are views of the pier and Cape Henlopen lighthouse. Lewes Beach seems a quiet throwback to earlier times, with its vintage Dairy Queen nearby. There is little other commercial activity near the water's edge. In spring and fall, when the winds at ocean side beaches make them too brisk for sunbathing, our more protected town beach can be just right. Though there are no primarily gay beach areas here, we have never seen even an eyebrow raised when we have held hands with our respective partners hereor anywhere else in Lewes. Just down the road, past the Cape May-Lewes ferry buildings, is the entrance to Cape Henlopen State Park. The park extends around the bay from Lewes all the way to Rehoboth's North Shores, covering more than 3,700 acres. It includes extensive bike paths and hiking trails, which wind their way by the ocean and bay beaches, across dunes, through pine forests, and by World War II bunkers, a salt marsh, freshwater wetlands and Gordons Pond. The Point is the name given to the extended area of land where the bay meets the ocean. With broad expanses of water to all sides, the Point can feel like the end of the earth, particularly on a quiet spring or fall day off-season. Most Rehoboth beach-goers are familiar with the WWII-era observation towers on the shore just past North Shores. Cape Henlopen has more of them, including one that is open to visitors. From atop its observation deck, enjoy panoramic views of the park, ocean and bay, south to Rehoboth Beach, and back, of course, to Lewes, where we started this journey. What's Happening in Lewes? July 14 & 15: 42nd Lewes Antique Show and Sale at Bethel United Methodist Church, 4th & Market, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. $3. Stones, a new play by local playwright Kristen Foery, presented by Henlopen Theater Project. Cape Henlopen High Little Theater. 8 p.m. Tkts: $3 - $10. Call 226-4103. July 17: J For J, a play by Jenny Sullivan stars Academy Award nominee Bruce Davison, John Ritter & Sullivan. Based on diaries of her father, the late Barry Sullivan. Tkts: $30 - $40. Call 226-4103. July 19 - 22: Another American: Asking & Telling, written & performed by Marc Wolf, winner of the 2000 Obie Award. Performance on Wed., 7/19 benefits CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Project & includes Meet the Cast Party at Celsius following. Tkts: $25 for 7/19 (includes party), $15 - $20 7/20, 21 & 22. Call 226-4103. July 19 - 22: Join us for Lewes Lips' First Unofficial Roving Happy Hour. Our first stop will be aboard the S.S. Minnow at Gilligan's Restaurant on the canal at Market Street, Saturday at 6 p.m. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 9, July 14, 2000. |