Reader’s Digest named the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk as “Best of America”. AARP has named Rehoboth Beach as one of five dream towns as “Best Places to Retire”. Located on the Atlantic Coast only two hours from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, or Philadelphia, PA., this town combines the best in hospitality, a beautiful beach and genuine small town character. The sands of Rehoboth have been recognized as one of the top ten beaches in America by several travel magazines and rightly so! The one end of the mile end boardwalk is traditionally packed with gay men. It has been known for years as Poodle Beach and is located at the end of Queen Street!

Rehoboth Beach was founded in the 1870’s as the site of a religious camp. Following the development of a railroad and boardwalk in the 1900’s, Rehoboth Beach evolved into an active resort town. Today, it stands as a year-round gay resort, with more than 200 gay-owned restaurants, shops, lodgings and night spots.

Thought of as the Mid-Atlantic region’s answer to Key West or Provincetown, Rehoboth boasts two gay beaches with plenty of eye candy to look at and a lively boardwalk full of arcades, eateries and bars. Many of the restaurants and attractions are surprisingly affordable, and there’s a great mix of cheap, elegant and trendy. This means you can grab a hot dog, stop at a crab shack, ride the bumper cars or spend the day at a spa or sit down for a lavish dinner.


                        

Now the biggest challenge is actually getting here. Public transportation is practically nonexistent, so you must drive. If you are flying, the driving time from either Washington’s National, Baltimore’s BWI or the Philadelphia area airport is about the same: 2.5 hours depending on traffic. From the Baltimore Washington area, you’ll have the pleasure/horror of driving over the mighty Chesapeake River on the Bay Bridge and going from four lanes of traffic to one lane and through farm land and speed trap towns. It’s all part of the experience of what the locals call this ‘slower lower’ part of Delaware-Sussex County.

There are some gay places to stay at. Another very popular option is to bring a group of your friends and rent an entire beach house. Rehoboth is a place where many straight families also summer, but don’t let this discourage your coming. You know how it goes, the gays make somewhere fabulous and all the straights want to come! There are many lesbian- and gay-owned and friendly businesses throughout the town even on the main drag, Rehoboth Avenue. Harassment is not tolerated and the local police back up this policy with vigilance.


                                    

There is  lots of useful information online about Rehoboth. Famous for its beaches, eclectic shops, amusements and sporting activities, gay Rehoboth Beach continues to be one of America’s favorite gay summer destinations. If you can make it for a summer holiday party weekend, big celebrations take place Memorial  Day, Labor Day, and the 4th of July. But plan ahead and book early!