The Daytripper: Lewes a trip well worth the drive

By Paul W. Ross
Special to the Coastal Point

	Coastal Point • PAUL W. ROSS The lightship Overfalls is seen in the distance from the Lewes shore.

Lewes prides itself in being “the first town” in Delaware. Henry Hudson discovered the area around Lewes on a voyage up the Delaware River in August of 1609. The Dutch settled the town of Lewes in 1631, well over 350 years ago. In later years, control of the area passed to the English, and after the revolution, to the United States.

Lewes is one of my favorite communities to visit.

Within an area approximately a half-mile square, you will find the Lewes historic district. This area contains many of the older homes and museums.

Lewes is much more than a simple resort community, as there are a variety of attractions available throughout the year.

Lewes is a shopper’s delight with more than 40 shops that provide an uncommon selection of merchandise, ranging from antiques to modern gallery art. The best feature for us is the selection of restaurants where you can take time out and have a relaxing meal. There are also several inns, bed and breakfasts, and motels if you wish to stay overnight. Of course, reservations are needed for sleeping accommodations.

After lunch, walk along Front Street and browse the shops. I am a bit of an antiques freak, so my favorite is the Lewes Mercantile Antique Gallery. I make it a point to stop there every few months to see what new items they might have.

After all this hard work, time for desert! No low-carbohydrate stuff for us. Go up Front Street to King’s Ice Cream. It is all homemade, hand-dipped and in more flavors than you might imagine. I’m a chocolate fancier, so my choice is easy. The milkshakes at King’s are exceptionally creamy.

Back out for more prowling around in the Lewes shops.

For those inclined to visit museums, a stop by the Zwaanandael Museum on the corner of King’s Highway and Savannah Road is worth your time. It is three blocks west of Front Street. The Lewes Information Center is here, as well, where you can pick up brochures and maps of the Lewes area.

Throughout its history, Lewes has relied on the sea for its existence. Lewes is home to an excellent harbor and remains an active fishing port. You can charter bang-up fishing trips for a morning or afternoon. For the truly ambitious, all day-trips can be scheduled. The boat dock is located to the east across the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal on Savannah Road.

One of the more interesting sights in Lewes is the Lightship Overfalls. It is located to the north, along Front Street. This lightship was the last one built by the United States Lighthouse Service. It was commissioned in 1938 and was considered at that time to be “state of the art” in lightship design. It was taken out of service in 1971, and decommissioned in 1972.

The Overfalls is one of only 17 remaining lightships out of a total of 179 built from 1820 to 1952. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Maybe time for some more ice cream before we head back to Bethany Beach? Touring can be hard work.

How do we get there?

From the statue at Bethany Beach, head north on Route 1, Ocean Highway. Continue on past Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach and the outlets. Watch for the signs for Lewes and Route 9 East. Bear right on to Route 9, east toward the Cape May ferry and Cape Henlopen State Park. Bear right again on Cape Henlopen Drive and follow the signs into Lewes. Parking is available on the main street, and in off-street lots.

Driving time to Lewes is about 45 minutes, depending on traffic. The distance is around 22 miles.