In the summertime, we here at ShoreBread often find ourselves confined to our surrounding areas of Ocean City and Berlin, solely due to the summer traffic that drastically increases commute times. Come fall, you’ll find us traipsing all over the Eastern Shore, from St. Michaels to the Cape May Ferry. Nonetheless, we found ourselves itching to get out on a day trip this week, inciting a long-overdue afternoon adventure in one of our favorite Delaware towns, Lewes. If you haven’t been to Lewes, we highly suggest it. Proximity to the beach, quaint houses, historic buildings, shopping and dining are just a few of the major selling points, not to mention the museums and adorable bed and breakfasts.

Let’s start our journey with a few fun facts about Lewes:

• The town was founded in 1631, making it “the first town in the first state”
• Lewes is situated where the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet at Cape Henlopen
• Lewes is in close proximity to seven state parks
• According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747
• Super fun fact: In August 2013, a helicopter dumped $10,000 multiple dollar bill denominations over the Lewes Harbor to fulfill a deceased local residents wish
• Tourism has helped fuel a 20-year growth spurt in Lewes
• Lewes is an East Coast port of call and is home to a large fleet of charter fishing boats

For our afternoon adventure, we found ourselves in Historic Downtown Lewes, a quaint strip of fabulous dining and unique shops that line Second Street. As foodies, our first stop of course was at local hotspot, Agave, for lunch. Click here for our review (spoiler alert, we LOVED it). After filling our bellies we wandered back to the Lewes Historical Society to stuff our purses with pamphlets, brochures and maps of the town (stay tuned for our upcoming ‘history of Lewes’ post).

After digesting our lunch – and some town history – we couldn’t resist stopping for ice cream at King’s Homemade Ice Cream. King’s has been serving Lewes for an impressive 37 years, so its no wonder it was listed as a must-see stop along Second Street. We were impressed of course, particularly with the mini-cone that was the perfect size for a post-feast appetite.

We continued along the street to admire the collection of shops and eateries. Antiques, novelty items, clothing, jewelry and more can be found in the shops, along with our personal favorites, the pet shop (Pups of Lewes), book store (bibilon) and gourmet candy boutique (Edie Bees).