Bob and Kenny spent the day fishing at the inlet and on the surf.
I met up with my forever friend Elaine in Lewes. Lewes, pronounced Louis, is another beach town just up the road from Rehoboth.
We met in the parking lot of the Cape May/Lewes Ferry. Here's Elaine with Pete the Pirate, the ferry mascot.
We sat in the sun and talked for a long while watching the ferries come and go. There are five total and they make the trip between Lewes and Cape May, New Jersey. Its a 17 mile ride and it takes approximately 90 minutes. I made this trip a long time ago but I get seasick so it isn't a fun trip for me. Geez, seasick even on a ferry, on the bay no less, not even out on the big waves of the ocean!
Each ferry holds 100 cars and 1000 passengers. Seeing a RV, bicycles and even a tractor trailer are not uncommon sights on the ferry.
Having our fill of ferry sightings we decided to take a walk through the streets of downtown Lewes. Lewes was founded in 1631 by Dutch settlers. Since it was the first town in Delaware and Delaware is the first state to ratify the Constitution, the town refers to itself as "The first town in the first state." We Delawareans are just so darn clever!
Our first stop was the dock area. Here, hundreds of boats spend the entire summer or come in just on weekends. There are lots of nice restaurants in this waterway area.
We had the perfect day for walking the streets of this quaint town. We enjoyed looking at the homes that have been here since the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries! Lots of gingerbread adorn these homes and many have the most beautiful gardens!
Before long we found ourselves in front of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. This is the first church, in the first town, in the first state.
This church was founded in 1681 and the original church building was completed in 1724 and it sat in front of the present day building which was built in 1858.
Since it was open we walked inside.
I liked how they made use of the items that says, "We may be a church but we are a church at the beach". Take note of the fishing net, starfish and seashells.
Of course the stained glass windows are just magnificent!
As we ventured back outside we took notice of the cemetery on the grounds. Of course it is the oldest cemetery in Delaware....you just know where I'm going with this don't you? I don't care, I'm gonna do it anyway. So we stood in the first cemetery at the first church in the first town of the first state. Whew! What a mouthful!
A lot of the headstones are nearly void of the engravings because of time and elements. These graves in the forefront of this picture date back between 1746 and 1775.
There is one grave that gets lots of attention. The inscription reads: "In memory of Elizabeth H. Cullen, born February 30th 1760 and departed this life September 30th, 1830, A.D. Aged 78 years and 7 months."
Also buried here is Dr. Henry Fisher, born in Ireland in 1700. He was the first physician in the territory of Delaware. Get ready......so we stood at the grave of the first physician in the first cemetery at the first church in the first town of the first state. OK, OK, I'm done.
There are lots of other Delaware notables such as governor's sea captains, justices, too numerous to mention and too boring to read about.
By now our tummies are rumbling and its time for lunch. Elaine treated me to lunch at The Buttery, a charming restaurant with a wonderful menu. Thanks girlfriend!
Lunch done, and immensely enjoyed, we made our way back to the streets of Lewes. We came upon the Cannonball House, formerly known as the home of David Rowland, this house was built in the 1790's.
It was struck by a cannon ball during a two-day British bombardment in April, 1813 as part of the War of 1812. Here is what remains.
You would think after all these years that someone would have worked that cannon ball loose! I'm glad they didn't but I'm surprised all the same.
As we walked through a park we noticed these cannons.
These were instrumental in keeping the British at bay during the time they tried to disrupt the commerce and shipping that was the mainstay of the area. Having been refused supplies by the Delaware authorities the British took up bombardment positions in the bay and shelled this town for 22 hours! Although short on ammunition the American batteries were able to effectively reply and cause damage to enemy vessels forcing the British to withdraw and take up more distant positions. You don't mess with Americans!
This is the Zwaanendael Museum. The first floor exhibit is.....are you ready for this?.......
"Lewes: The First Town In The First State" which showcases over 11,000 years of Lewes culture beginning with the original Native American residents, through the period of European colonization, the American Revolutionary War, the birth of the United States as a nation, and the War of 1812. The exhibit utilizes a historic timeline to tell Lewes' story, supported by an array of artifacts, maps, sketches, lithographs, and photographs of period buildings.
I can remember coming to this museum when I was in the fourth grade as part of learning Delaware history.
Before we knew it it was time for Elaine and I to part ways as we both had other places to be. I certainly did enjoy our little tour of Lewes together and the time spent catching up with each others lives.
Forever friends are truly special people.
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