My husband, mother, three-year-old and nearly one-year-old sons, and I had never been to the Delaware beaches before. We have been Jersey Shore-goers all our lives, so for our first full week of vacation since the little guy was born, we decided to take a chance and try something new. We could not have been happier with Tom and Mariel's home. To start, that photo of the sunroom overlooking the lake in the back of the house was easily where we spent most of our time. My boys treated it as their play room, and my husband was out on the pier almost every morning fishing and crabbing. Since we traveled before Memorial Day, some of the amenities like the pool were opening as we were leaving, but we still walked to the playground almost daily and loved the secluded feeling as if we had an entire "resort" to ourselves.
Being first time travelers to Delaware, we asked Tom for some recommendations for favorite attractions and restaurants, and not only were his responses timely and enthusiastic, they were also incredibly detailed. He included addresses, simple directions, and was eager to share what he loved to do with his family. We made some of our own favorite discoveries based on his pointers and would return in a heartbeat the next time we are considering a beach vacation. Among our favorite spots--Smitty McGee's wings are where it's at. You can walk there from the house. Go.
Crepes and Crazes: perhaps a 10 minute drive, easily our favorite breakfast spot, and a really fun gift shop! I mean, our three year old was asking for blueberry pancakes with pretzels on top (because why not?), and we were able to get him a crepe that was JUST THAT. He was pumped.
Of course, the beach. Fenwick Island was no more than 10 minutes away depending on how you hit the lights, and the beach was clean and easily accessible. We had it all to ourselves before the holiday weekend. Just lovely.
Overall, the home was clean, comfortable, and well-decorated, the owners were delightful, responsible, welcoming, and always available to answer a question or address a concern. The location is central to food, entertainment, and local treasures, and perfect to get to Ocean City, MD as well. We felt like we were visiting friends and hope to stay again!