Delaware’s Hidden Seashore by Andrew Der
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t the beach without a cloud in the sky and hot, exploration of Delaware's Atlantic coast had to wait while I cautiously sipped 300 year-old shipwreck rum from a Spanish Galleon in Florida’s waters While my gums tingled, the gracious owner of a modest maritime and artifact "museum" over an unassuming gift shop on Fenwick Island elaborated on the rum’s origins. The Discoversea Shipwreck Museum, my favorite regional “hidden” activity, is easy to miss. But moving past the lower level of souvenir paraphernalia will reveal a staircase to real found treasures of gold, colonial coins, jewelry, tales of Blackbeard, and
artifacts of the pre-Titanic cruise ship R.M.S Republic Unique artifacts include the once molten " ngers of gold" poured on wet Delaware beach sand by local buccaneers of the 18th century. One can visualize the owner hurriedly melting the valuable metal by a re while looking over his shoulder. The wet sand at the waters edge provided the rm nger-drawn depressions needed to quickly cool the gleaming liquid before smuggling it shipboard (see sidebar)
Parks, Beaches, and Histor Summer is the popular season for the Atlantic beaches of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia
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Photos, clockwise: Sunset Over Rehoboth Bay from Dewey Pier, Dewey Waterfront and Lighthouse from Pier; Lewes Waterfront
