Hello -

I seached but am hoping for your help deciding between Lewes and Annapolis for a romantic weekend with my husband. We have a new baby, and are so tired that we will probably sleep, eat, and maybe walk around, but not much more! I want something peaceful, pretty and romantic, and am willing to spend about 150 a night or less. I was thinking about the Inn on Canal St. in Lewes, and have NO idea where to stay in Annapolis, although we do love b&b's. Could you give me your pick, and I would REALLY appreciate suggestions on where to eat or stay at either of these places.

We are trying to stay within a few hours of Wilmington DE but if you have other suggestions, please let me know!! Thanks - I will check regularly!!

Oh - forgot to add that baby will not accompany us. thanks!!

Lewes is peaceful, bordering on sleepy. Annapolis is lovely, but not peaceful.

Lewes is charming but very samll - shopping/downtown consists of about 2 blocks. You could visit Cape Henolopen State park to explore the beach learn about WWII history. The Inn on Canal would fit the bill - although I remembered price as being higher - maybe that was in season. Lewes has lots of good restaurants - the Buttery for "fine dining", Fish On for great seafood. La Rosa Negra for Italian and the Rose and Crown for pub fare.

Annapolis is much bigger than Lewes and has a whole lot more to "do" in the way of shopping/walking around town.

Just to get you thinking - my first choice for a romantic weekend would be Cape May, NJ. Its bigger than Lewes and but smaller than Annapolis. All of the victorian "painted lady" mansions make it fun to just wander around.

I would second the Cape May suggestion. Tons of B&B's. We stayed at the Queen Anne (I think) last June and had a wonderful weekend. Going off-season should be even nicer to avoid crowds.

Thanks for the help - I am still on the bubble of what to do. Does Annapolis have good places to eat? What about Cape May?

And I did a search of B and B's in Annapolis and there are a lot - are any better than others?

This is great - my first time posting, and I appreciate the help!!!

Cape May has fabulous restaraunts. Alot of them are BYOBS. Look for a B&B called the Fairthorne ask for the Emma Kate suite. Its awesome. Restaraunts are CucinaRosa, The Ebbitt Room , Black Duck, Waters Edge, among other great places. I would highly recommend Cape May . Its a fantastic town.

Cape May does have its charm, but is pretty touristy. I feel Annapolis is a special place but it is a city whereas Lewes is a seaside place more relaxing perhaps. All good for strolling and dining. Could recommend a few eateries but surely you will find them.
Bill in Missouri
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If you're planning to ge b4 Labor Day, please consider Cape May. It is not touristy until summer and has enough places to walk that you can wear out the stroller.If the weather is nice, you can always take a passenger ferry ride to Lewes.

Downtown Annapolis is a very charming place to visit. I get down there as often as I can. There are alot of great little shops and resturants to eat at. I also like going to the pubs and bars to listen to some good music and have a few drinks. The Rams Head can be alot of fun. If you can give me the names of a couple of the B&B's your are looking at I can give you a little info about them. If you stay downtown Annapolis you can walk to almost everything.

If anyone is reading this, I'd suggest they ignore the suggestions for restaurants and B&B from sunriseway, since on another thread he asked if anyone had any ideas for a place to stay or ideas for restaurants in Cape May. Does that mean these aren't first hand recommendations or just something made up for fun?

My wife and I stayed in Lewes over a long weekend in October, and found it peaceful and romantic. Annapolis, by contrast, is too busy and accessible for DC/Baltimore weekenders. Cape May is beautiful as well, with the ferry you have the option of visiting Cape May if you stay in Lewes or vice versa.

In the off season, Lewes will be very peaceful with great restaurants like the Buttery (the Sunday brunch is great), and Fish On (near Route 1, we loved the healthy, delicious seafood and hip atmosphere). You have Cape Henlopen State Park for beachwalks, and Rehoboth Beach for an outlet visit. My wife and I also are from Wilmington, DE - which is an easy 1.5 hour drive to Lewes. It's our favorite place to relax and recharge our batteries.

Here's another vote for Lewes. It's remained surprisingly close to the way we found it over 30 years ago. If you don't count the real-estate prices....