...I found relaxation on a two-day vacation. By now, most of you have probably visited Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, or Ocean City. Finding a soul who hasn't vacationed there would be the equivalent to finding a home without a television, I suppose. But I discovered a new way to vacation at the beach... Camping.
Oh yes, I love it. It's kind of funny how as our society grows forward in technology and architectural dwellings, many are reverting back to a primitive style to see the world. Reason #1 for me- it's cheaper. Thus, I happened upon Cape Henlopen State Park and Indian River Marina campgrounds in the Rehoboth-Dewey-Lewes area. http://www.destateparks.com/ Unfortunately, Cape Henlopen was fully booked, so I made my reservation at the tight and crowded Indian River Marina just outside of Dewey. For $30 a night, I can set up my tent, take a shower, use the toilet facilities, and visit any Delaware State Park until 12 midnight on the day my reservation ends.
I've been to Cape Henlopen State Park before, but this time, it held some sort of new magic for me. I was able to forego paying the $8 out-of-state entrance fee into the park because I displayed my Indian River Marina reservation tag. Woohoo! $8 saved. I got snapshots of the two lighthouses, walked up to the beach, strolled along the fishing pier while battling winds that whispered "Irene is coming..." I climbed the World War II tower just in time to watch the daylight close it's eyes upon the beach. As I stood gazing upon miles and miles of spruces and pines, sand, the Lewes ferry, and the distant lights of Rehoboth Beach waking up for a night on the town, I was stunned at the awesome-ness of it all. Then it struck me. Had I been at this very spot approximately 30 hours earlier, I might have been scrambling to hold onto the railing and wondering if the tower would collapse as the earthquake shook the east coast. Ten years ago, when I stood in the same spot, I didn't marvel at the beauty of the landscape. This time however, I smelled the burning of campsite fire-pits and heard the sound of children's feet as they hurried to ascend to my point of view. A wave of gratitude washed over me as I appreciated the moments in life that are rare. The stars twinkled at me and I felt safe looking upon the park as I quietly declared that it could all be changed by the end of the week when Irene rolls in.
The beauty of nature is that at any time, it could be ruined, destroyed, leveled. As I looked back at old photos of the 1960s hurricane that put a hurting on Rehoboth, I realized that with time anything can bounce back and be even more spectacular. So I learned that the Delaware coastline has a lot to say from up high.
The war tower, a massive structure that was designed and built at the cost of $29,500 in the 1940s to intercept German ships and set off underwater land mines, decorate the Delaware coastline. It's strange to think of something as utilitarian as a World War II tower, which was created for defense now serving in an almost spiritual capacity by allowing people to have an ah-ha or zen moment and discover the richness of the landscape. On the one hand is war--created by man; on the other hand is the earth--not created by man. And you can also have a bird's-eye view of incoming ships--to see how technology has changed our culture in less than a centenary. It's strange to think that 70 years ago we would need these hulking structures while today we have radar equipment and satellites that can spot the enemy from afar.
If you've seen Rehoboth from a hotel room, try camping there next time instead.
