Rehoboth Beach

The death notices for my old friend Grace Shockley Copper ran in at least four newspapers, in Baltimore, Wilmington, Del., and Washington, as well as her home in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Grace, who died at age 86 on Aug. 23, was entirely up to the billing of three big cities and the small town where she earned a reputation as an unforgettable person. Here was a woman who made a deep and wide impression, although she never ventured far from the home where she was born and spent all her life. No.

A NASA rocket launch scheduled at Wallops Flight Facility on Thursday morning will provide a show as far away as the Maryland and Delaware beaches. The space agency is launching a research rocket with 17 experiments on board. The experiments were designed by university researchers and students across the country, NASA said in a news release. The launch is scheduled for some time between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Thursday, with backup launches Friday and Saturday. The NASA visitors center on Wallops Island, Va., will open at 5 a.m. on the launch day for spectators.

Rehoboth Beach Rehoboth Beach has been described as being a touch Cape Cod and a little Key West. That's not as true as it used to be. With the real-estate boom, many of the town's old-fashioned clapboard and shingle cottages are being replaced by expensive condos. Affluent vacationers have made Rehoboth their destination beach, which is changing the character of the place - sometimes for the worse, but usually for the better. Over the years, the town has become increasingly cosmopolitan.

Certain beaches, restaurants and stores on the Delaware Shore seem to land on everybody's "must-do" list. But there are also plenty of places and activities that get less attention. Maybe they're a few miles from the shore, or take place midweek, or don't have splashy ad campaigns, but each of the treasures listed below has its own charms. Maybe they'll become part of your "must-do" list. 1. Freeman Stage This outdoor performing arts venue, four miles west of Fenwick Island, has been wowing audiences since it opened in 2008.

Most families have their own beach traditions. For some, it is a trek to Ocean City every summer. For others, it is North Carolina's Outer Banks. But for many, Rehoboth Beach, Del., is the place to go to swim in the salty Atlantic and consume the many incarnations of greasy beach food. Just a short drive north from sprawling Ocean City, Rehoboth Beach offers a different experience than its Maryland neighbor. While Ocean City's main oceanside avenue is more than 100 blocks, Rehoboth is smaller with a boardwalk only about a mile long.

After four years of construction along its main drag, Rehoboth Beach is especially ready for its annual seasonal close-up. There's a refurbished bandstand at the boardwalk for evening concerts, a new high-end hotel scheduled to open by the end of the summer and a new farmers' market setting up in the park behind the visitors' center. It's yet another new chapter for a destination that's had as many incarnations as Madonna -- Rehoboth Beach started as a Methodist prayer camp, has been known as a gay mecca, and now sees its share of families.

Stroll down any street in the heart of Rehoboth Beach and you'll see the trees. Hundreds of them line the sidewalks, tracing paths from the restaurants and hotels to the beach. They look identical, these leafy red sunset maples and zelkovas. But each tree has its own story.Down by the roots you'll find the clue: A small marble tablet engraved with the name of someone -- someone young or old, tourist or resident, stricken by disease or accident. The trees in Rehoboth don't just provide comfort from the sun. They provide comfort to people who have lost loved ones.

Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival Where:: Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del. When:: 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday What:: The 19th annual festival is all about chocolate, with tastings, gourmet samples, raffles and children's games. The heart of the festival is the Chocolate Baking Contest, open to kids and amateurs, as well as restaurants and professionals chefs. Categories include cookies, brownies, pies, cheesecake, candy and "most unusual."

On February 20, 2005, LELAND B. STEVENS, M.D. of Rehoboth Beach, formerly of Baltimore, MD, loving husband of Elizabeth Anne (Betty) Stevens (nee Perkins); beloved father of Paula Sparks and her husband David, David L. Stevens and his wife Joann, William L. Stevens, and the late Craig B. Stevens and R. Scott Lawrence. Cherished grandfather of Shawn and Craig Sparks, Christopher, Holly, Joseph, Stacey and Lyndsay Stevens and Aaron Rreiser. Relatives and friends are invited to a remembrance gathering on Sunday, February 27 from 3 to 5 P.M. at the VIA building in Rehoboth Beach.

RALPH ABBOTT HAMER, III, age 42, of Rehoboth Beach, DE., died unexpectedly, at home in his sleep, on Thursday February 13, 2003. Born in Baltimore, MD he was a retired Military Policeman and Commercial Debt Financier. Ralph moved to Rehoboth nearly five years ago and found a special place to call home. He was an avid golfer, great dancer and loved singing and live music. He lived for long summer days golfing and cool summer nights on the Rudder Deck dancing with friends and family. He was a loving father, devoted brother and son and loyal friend.

1. The main food groups are seafood, candy and beer. Though Rehoboth Beach is justifiably well known for its seafood restaurants, homemade fudge and taffy, and the excellent ales at the Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats, the culinary scene offers much more. In recent years, several restaurants with a farm-to-table focus have opened, and more are on the way. Ethnic food is also gaining popularity. For example, the Cultured Pearl Restaurant and Sushi Bar (www.culturedpearl.us/) serves Asian food, Dos Locos (doslocos.com)

Every year, new restaurants, stores and other attractions pop up on the Delaware shore. This year is no exception. The list below is a sampling of some of the more interesting places that have recently opened their doors, as wel as some beach standbys. Rehoboth Beach What's new Little Egg Harbor Soap, 129 Rehoboth Ave., lehsoap.com. This is the third location and the first in Delaware for the New Jersey-based fancy-soap retailer, founded in 1997. The shop sells blocks of house-made soaps in attractive colors and scents, as well as sugar scrubs, lip balms and lotions, all made with all-natural, nonanimal ingredients.

Indulge at Rehoboth Beach Restaurant Week What's the deal: Rehoboth Beach Main Street Inc. presents a gourmet restaurant experience running June 5 to June 11, offering fixed-price meals at 20 of Rehoboth's finest restaurants including: Adriatico, Dos Locos Fajita & Stonegrill Restaurant, Lupo di Mare, Pig + Fish Restaurant, Summer House and many more. Dine on Delaware's beautiful coastline and enjoy a range of cuisine from French to Mediterranean. What are the savings: The savings vary depending on the restaurant but most participating eateries serve a three-course meal for a fixed price of $20 or $30. Some restaurants are also offering a three-course fixed-price lunch menu.

The official Mardi Gras isn't until next week, but why not start the celebration a little earlier? Find a mask and string on some beads for a Rehoboth Beach Mardi Gras. Cajun cooking, Bourbon Street beverages, parties and live music make up this year's celebration in Rehoboth Beach. There will be special Mardi Gras parties and signature meals all over town, including restaurants serving up their own recipes for a spicy Gumbo Cook-off. The plan: Gather at restaurants featuring authentic New Orleans cuisine in downtown Rehoboth.

What happened to summer? It seems to have disappeared faster than a tub of Thrasher's fries. Luckily, the weather is still summer-appropriate even though the kids are returning to school and yellow leaves are beginning to sprinkle the sidewalk. For now, we're giving fall the strong arm while we reminisce about our vacation by the shore. Over the past few months, we've been taking a dip in the ocean scene and finding the best of the beach. Our Baltimore Sun bloggers have been checking out the coast from Rehoboth Beach, Del., to Ocean City and beyond.

Salt air blowing through his hair and sun shining on his face, Justin Grossman was getting in a good ride just a block away from the Atlantic Ocean. True, Justin hasn't quite mastered pedaling because he's only 2. But soon enough he'll be hitting all the Rehoboth Beach area streets and trails with vigor, like his mother, Robin Grossman, and others who use their annual beach vacations to get some rays on their skin and some miles under their belts. The Maryland-Delaware oceanfront increasingly is attracting a crowd that wants to bike, as well as run and swim - even compete, according to those who organize workouts and races and market equipment.

Every year, new restaurants, stores and other attractions pop up on the Delaware shore. This year is no exception. The list below is a sampling of some of the more interesting places that have recently opened their doors, as wel as some beach standbys. Rehoboth Beach What's new Little Egg Harbor Soap, 129 Rehoboth Ave., lehsoap.com. This is the third location and the first in Delaware for the New Jersey-based fancy-soap retailer, founded in 1997. The shop sells blocks of house-made soaps in attractive colors and scents, as well as sugar scrubs, lip balms and lotions, all made with all-natural, nonanimal ingredients.

Sophisticated travelers who zealously journey to exotic shores have discovered magnificent beaches nearby, on the Delaware shore. The beaches are ranked among the cleanest in the U.S., with soft, golden sand and heaping dunes. Formerly deemed "the quiet resorts," Delaware's coastal towns - Lewes, Rehoboth, Dewey and Bethany/Fenwick Island - are revered today for their chic shops, year-round eclectic dining scene and progressive music and arts vibe. Lewes, a once-sleepy bayside town, has suddenly awakened with a jolt of energy and a groovy, granola aura.

Ready for the shore, but not sure you can afford to go? Our annual Beach Guide has the lowdown on how to have good, cheap fun in Ocean City, Rehoboth Beach, Del., Wildwood, N.J., and Virginia Beach, Va. Look for it in The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday.