Net Gains
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- Written by Kris Legates
Fun and fitness combine to make pickleball increasingly popular in coastal Delaware
By Chris Beakey
Photograph by Scott Nathan
From the July 2022 issue
Over the past several years, Ginny Rickards and her teenage grandson, Jason, have learned to surf together, spent long days on the Rehoboth boardwalk together, and shared too many wonderful family meals to count. But then, just when she thought life couldn’t get any better, they both discovered pickleball, one of the nation’s fastest growing sports and now her family’s favorite way to stay in shape.
“Jason started first, in May of last year,” she recalls. “I watched him play with my daughter, Katie, over at the courts at Redden Ridge near Rehoboth. I was somewhat reluctant to try it because
I was never a real tennis player — I’d hit the ball around just to have something to do. But I was surprised at how different pickleball is — the ball is lightweight but moves fast, and once you start playing you realize how much better you get with practice.”
Bluegrass and Beyond
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- Written by Kris Legates
Foursome infuses rock and country into their beloved genre’s traditional sound
By Lynn R. Parks
Photograph by Scott Nathan
From the June 2022 issue
There’s not much bluegrass-y about rock legends Queen and Guns N’ Roses. But that hasn’t prevented the local group Homestead Bluegrass from adopting a couple of those bands’ songs as part of their repertoire.
“We don’t play all traditional bluegrass,” says banjo player and singer Casey Kenton, who lives in the Rehoboth Beach area. “We are all acoustic, of course. But we play a wide variety of music, and I think that that’s what makes us unique.”
That includes Queen hit “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, as well as the occasional song by Jerry Garcia and his classic group. “People in the audience don’t expect to hear us sing a Grateful Dead song in bluegrass style,” says upright bass player Dawn Thompson, an Oak Orchard resident and one of four members of the band. “And it’s kind of neat to see their reactions when we start out. They’re like, ‘That’s really cool.’”
The Culinary Coast Continues to Flourish
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- Written by Kris Legates
Despite the challenges, there’s no shortage of new restaurants and fresh ideas
By Pam George
Photograph by Scott Nathan
From the June 2022 issue
Visit one of the Facebook pages dedicated to coastal Delaware, and you’ll repeatedly read the same question: “Where should I dine?” Tourists want local recommendations for seafood, Asian cuisine, crabs, steak and family-friendly spots. And both residents and visitors want to know about new options.
Despite supply-and-demand issues and virus variants that challenged the industry, many restaurants have opened over the past year, and their focus covers the gamut, from coffee to shakes to fine dining.
(Since openings are subject to permits and inspections, call first before visiting newer businesses.)