I developed a deep affinity for the Delaware coast since I started vacationing there in 2012 with my wife and several friends. Parasailing in Dewey Beach and visiting Cape Henlopen State Park have become summer traditions. Prior to that, I had not been to Rehoboth since high school. Due to COVID, I wasn’t able to visit this year, but I hope to return in 2021.
Over the years, I wrote a few short stories set in Rehoboth. Three were published by Cat & Mouse Press, based in Lewes, DE. “Tower Sixteen” took second place in the 2016 Rehoboth Beach Reads contest and was included in the anthology BEACH NIGHTS. In 2019, my stories “Tapestry” and “The Celestials” were accepted into BEACH PULP.
Just before Christmas, the news broke that Dolle’s Salt Water Taffy would be leaving their current location on the corner of the boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue when their lease expires on January 31. Although relatively minor, this is yet another disappointing development in 2020. I hope they find a way to keep the iconic Dolle’s sign on display either in its current location or at another prominent site along the boardwalk or Rehoboth Avenue.
While Dolle’s is relocating only three doors away to merge with Ibach’s By The Sea (both shops are owned by the Tom Ibach), other landmark businesses, such as Nicola’s Pizza and The Pond, are moving out of downtown to Route 1. Change is inevitable, but I hope this does not become a trend.