Bethany Beach versus Rehobeth in Delaware? Can anyone compare?
 

We (family of 5 with young children) normally do a week vacation in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Friends said we would be much happier in Rehobeth because more is "happening." Is anyone familiar enough with these two vacation spots to say whether we should try Rehobeth?

Yes, there is much more to do in Rehobeth/Dewey beach than in Bethany - like night and day. R/DB are much more fun for adults and kids. B is a small family-oriented beach town aboiut 10 miles or so south. We live in DC and go to both R/DB abd B every year - forever.

I used to live in Delaware for 8 years. I prefer Ocean City, Maryland first, then Rehobeth second, then Bethany Beach.

Rehobeth Beach is a small "city" in the summer, that is to say there is an actual town with streets to wander through and tons of restaurants and good shopping, and lots of people watching. Rehobeth has a boardwalk with a small amusement park and various arcades, salt water taffy stands and it can get very crowded particilarly on the weekends. Rehobeth has a variety of neighborhoods, including North Shores where we usually stay with townhouses, beach houses and 1 apt building, and Henlopen which has beautiful homes. <BR> <BR>Bethany is much smaller and within easy driving distance for a night out, however Rehobeth is notoriously diffficult for parking at night. <BR> <BR>If I was traveling en mass with lots of family members, it would be great to rent a big house around Rehobeth and stay there for most of the trip. However we prefer Rehobeth as we go with just our kids and love being able to put them to bed (with a sitter) and go have a great dinner nearby.

OOPS! I meant to say with a big family I would stay in Bethany. With my immediate family I would stay in Rehobeth.

The previous posters have not been totally honest with you. Bethany is a nice family resort. Rehoboth is a combination of the very wealthy and the VERY, VERY QUEER. The homosexual community of the Mid-Atlantic has decided to take over Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches. I would stay in Bethany but include restaurant visits to Grotto's Pizza and Nicola's in Rehoboth. Rehoboth may no longer be a family resort (in Dewey, homosexuals in those little panty swim suits the French "men" wear go mouth-to-mouth with each other in broad daylight on the beach) but it is a good place for great pizza and fries.

I'd say the only "queer" thing is Tom's posting. To suggest that Rehobeth is overrun with any particular group is simply a fib. I also don't see why Tom needed to use the word queer - what in the world has stunted your growth, Tom? Cindy, enjoy Rehobeth, and don't get caught up in hysterics of some posters. Rehobeth caters to all types and interests, just like DC where I live, NYC, SF, you name it. I am disgusted even having to respond to his stupidity. The other postings offer sound insights - I'd listen to them if I were you. Ciao

Thanks to all who responded. Maybe I should be more specific. We're pretty familiar with Bethany, but I am wondering whether lodging in Rehobeth is more expensive and, in particular, whether the beach and public areas are much more crowded due to Rehobeth's popularity. Also, I was wondering whether traffic in Rehobeth is a problem. If I'm going to spend more to be in Rehobeth (am I?), then I just wanted to know if it is worth it. The sexual orientation of the visitors doesn't really matter.

Anybody with a name like Leone, and an end to a post with "chow", is probably a little defensive because they are off on their own immoral trip through life. <BR>Lighten up Leeone, everyone is entitled to his, or her opinion....

Hi <BR> <BR>I think it really depends what you want out of your vacation. IF you want to be in a beach town with more restaurants /boardwalks/ night entertainment, Rehoboth may suit you better. If you prefer somewhat quieter and don't care about nightlife, I think Bethany's fine. (frankly in the summer, I find although quieter, Bethany's not exactly get-away- from-it-all either.) Rehoboth is somewhat more expensive to my understanding also. <BR> <BR>DAN

Snidely - AKA Tom, no doubt. My immoral trip through life? Him or her? Entitled to an opinion? LOL. Moral - him - and yes, thank god, my opinion is not yours. How bigoted some people behave when their faces are hidden. And Leone has meaning, an uncomfortable concept for you, no doubt. Ciao.

Isn't Rehobeth where Kathie Lee Gifford's parents have a motel or B & B? Seems like she talked about that on her old show with Reeg! <BR>

The truth is somewhere between Leone's and Tom's version of the truth. Rehoboth, and especially north Dewey, has a strong homosexual presence. Some people, and probably a large minority of Americans, would not find a problem with this presence. A majority of Americans, and I count myself as part of this majority, would not like to vacation amongst such a large grouping of homosexuals. I don't hate them but I don't like being around them. For instance, I already don't like Jeff of the Survivor show as I know what he is.

Frank, you already don't like someone just because he's gay? Doesn't that fly against the old adage of not judging a book by its cover? How would you feel if people judged you before getting to know you? It's un-American. <BR> <BR>As a gay man who has spent many summer weekends in Rehoboth Beach, I can say that yes there is a gay presence there. Thank God! Now we have one 2 block strip of sand where we can be ourselves between NY and Florida. If even that is too much to ask, then I guess we haven't come as far as I thought we had. <BR> <BR>As for families feeling comfortable in Rehoboth, the VAST majority of people visiting the area are families and people going to the outlet malls. I would hardly call the place a gay mecca. The gay crowd hangs out at the far end of the beach, out of sight and mind from the family crowd. There are gay establishments in town, but they are not on the boardwalk. You would be hard pressed to find them if you didn't know where to look. <BR> <BR>I personaly feel that peoples hatred of gays has more to do with fear of the un-known than anything else. If they spent some time thinking and talking about it, then a lot of the silly stereotypes and myths would disappear. However, I'm not holding my breath. The human race hasn't quite evolved to the point where tolerance in an inborn trait. <BR> <BR>Rehoboth is a great place to visit, and I would encourage everyone to go and stay for awhile! <BR> <BR>Ciao.

Hooray for Flyboy, for giving a sane and factual case. I'm straight and walk the beach in R all the time. Yes, there is a short area south of the boardwalk where most of the people on the beach are gay. So what? Am I suppose to think I'm in danger or being contaminated somehow? Are we back in the Dark Ages? You know what troubles me about that area - few African Americans. But that would not stop me from going there. I am disappointed about the openly anti-gay sentiments on this posting. Go to Rehobeth, Cindy, or go to Bethany, but don't be influenced by fear and hatred.

Hi <BR> <BR>Flyboy--thank you for your statement of truth about Rehoboth. I found the boardwalks/ambience in Rehoboth is overwhelmingly het. Rehoboth has a visible Gay community but not as much so as other places I've been, Montreal's Gay Village, Greenwich Village, Philadelphia's Washington Square West, etc etc. <BR> <BR>BTW I don't know about it being un-American for people to judge you before they get to know you. All too often in our country (and in many places worldwide), I find that people DO judge others before knowing them...for all sorts of reasons.

All right, already, with the gay thing! It's really not that big a deal. <BR> <BR>As for your question, you may want consider staying in Lewes, which is just south of Rehobeth. It's a quiet little town where the most action every night is at the ice cream shop. The beach there is quiet, and if you want more action, you can take a 10-minute shuttle bus to Rehobeth.

Last time I looked Lewes was not south of Rehobeth. And if you wish to stay in Rehobeth, do stay there. Lewes is small and insular, and boring.

Just an observation: The gays and gay defenders who have responded on this thread at least know how to spell REHOBOTH correctly. Count me in the latter group. My ideal vacation at this location would be to stay in Bethany, go once during the week down to Ocean City for some crabs at Phillips and some serious boardwalking, and two or three times during the week to Rehoboth for more nighttime activity that you will find in Bethany, but not so overwhelming as that in OC. Alas, my usual is a day at the Indian River Inlet at the public park. I LOVE looking back toward land (when on the beach) and seeing nothing but sand dunes. We stay until it closes at 8:00 and then go to OC for a few hours on the boardwalk, buying some Dolles caramel corn to eat on the drive back to the D.C. area late at night when most of the traffic is gone.

Are there any insect or aquatic issues (large mosquitos, biting flies, jellyfish) to consider when planning my summer beach vacation to this area?