LIFE IN THE SLOWER LOWER SLOW LANE

Your favorite mooch crew is house sitting for friends in Milford, Delaware this week. We’ve been here before and it is a comfortable setting. Their development is approximately 20 miles from Lewes, the first of the ocean beachs and so it is not a lighthearted decision to head out there. When Route 1 and 9 and later route 24 converge in Lewes traffic is a mess. The phrase Slower Lower Delaware is kind of appropriate. Beach traffic, outlet shopping traffic and general back and forth traffic as well as the time of day or day of the week weighs heavily in planning a day around here in Slower Lower Delaware.

GOING BACKWARDS

The other day we decided to drive into Rehoboth Beach to ostensibly stroll along the boardwalk, although we really had our eye on the Dogfish Head Brewpub. It stopped raining by the time we reached the tony beach burg, but the traffic going through the Lewes/Rehoboth Beach corridor was horrendous. Because of the rain there were a lot of people heading to the outlet shopping malls that line route 1 in this area. It took us half an hour to go three miles! I remarked that had we been going any slower we would have been going backwards. Janet told me to shut up.

A HAPPY PLACE

Our patience with the traffic was rewarded with a stop at Dogfish Head Brew Pub. While there Janet had a black and tan of Chicory Stout and 90 minute IPA and I had a Burton Baton and we shared Duck Poutine; fries covered with duck confit and gravy made from their stout.  

DOGFISH HEAD BREWERY

MULTI-TASKING

Today is Friday around 9 am. We’re heading out to the beaches soon. We are going to the “Tower” Beach which is south of Dewey and so we figure if we leave now we’ll get there about mid-afternoon.  Our thinking is to shower off the sand at a beach stall later and head to Big Fish to avoid “commuting”. Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth Beach is another of those "must" visit establishments here in Delaware. Great food and a great atmosphere.

BIG FISH GRILL

A WEEK OF PUBBING

Other places we’ve “visited” this week include:

Arena’s Sports Bar, Milford

A Small chain establishment. We were there on wing night. $6.99 for 10. $1.00 extra for fries. Nice sampling of beers. Friendly place. Sit outside along the Mispillion River! Nice setting.

Irish Eyes, Lewes

No visit to Delaware is complete unless we stop at Irish Eyes along the canal. Typical shore bar. Not a great selection of beers, but their happy hour prices are great. We had half dozen oysters for $7.00

Modern Mixture 2, Milton

Cute setting in historic quaint town. I had a burrito and Janet had coconut shrimp. Great margaritas and a wonderful selection of Dogfish Head Beer; the brewery is just around the corner. Reasonable prices.

Dogfish Head Brew Pub, Rehoboth Beach

We like this place enough that we traveled there for a New Year’s Eve celebration! That night was a lot of fun.

Meding's Seafood, Milford 

They are north of the town on Route 1. You can easily find this place because it has a huge propeller on the front lawn. Nice to not have to drive through the mess on Route 1 to get a great meal. Thursday is oyster day. We shared fried oysters for an appetizer. Janet had scallops and I had blackened catfish.

MEDING'S SEAFOOD

Mispillion River Brewing, Milford

Growing in popularity, the bar has a great selection of their beers. Growlers and six-packs for sale.

MISPILLION RIVER BREWING

                                                                

BLOB FEST

IT EATS YOU ALIVE!!!

Today in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania BLOBFEST begins. The weekend-long event has been held yearly since 2000 to celebrate the 1958 cheesy science fiction horror film THE BLOB. Much of the film was shot in Phoenixville. One unforgettable scene in the movie is when the Blob, an alien amoeba that absorbs every living thing it contacts and now massive, comes oozing out of the projection room at the Colonial Theater and the audience runs screaming onto the street.

HEALTHFULLY AIR CONDITIONED

The Colonial Theater is still on Bridge Street and the chaos of that scene in the movie is recreated with the “Run Out” which kicks off BLOBFEST tonight. Prior to the actual mayhem there is a stage show and screenings of The Shorty Amateur Film/Trailer Contest. Shorty was the nickname of the film’s director, Irvin Yeaworth. Sadly tickets for this coveted event are sold out, but you can hang out on the street and watch the antics. The Run Out happens at 9 pm. But that’s just the beginning of the hilarity for the weekend. All things Blob will consume this vibrant burg as there will be live music in the streets and the numerous pubs will be brimming. Tonight there is a Blob Ball being held at the Great American Pub down the street from the Colonial Theater. 

 THE BLOB BALL

Saturday there’s a street fair, with vendors selling all kinds of Blob memorabilia, a costume contest and a parade of fire extinguisher wielders mid-afternoon! (Fire extinguishers were used in the movie to quell this extraterrestrial foodie.)

Also on Saturday double features will play at the Colonial. THE BLOB will be paired with features like the Creature From The Black Lagoon and Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein. Sunday there is yet another viewing of The BLOB and paired with The Ghastly Love Of Johnny X…and afterwards there’s a Q&A session with the director.

 

PLAQUE INSIDE THEATER

Here is a full list of the weekend’s activities.

BLOB FEST STUFF

• RUN DON’T WALK

THE BLOB was the sort of film created for the newly-established drive-in genre when it was shot in 1958 and it starred a young Steve McQueen in his first starring role. Paramount Pictures released “The Blob” as a “B” or double feature along with “I Married A Monster From Outer Space”.

The enduring popularity of The Blob is evident and not just in Phoenixville. It is 21^st on IMDB’s most popular “B” Horror Films list.

For those interested in taking a self-guided tour to filming locations for THE BLOB.

THE BLOB SHOOTING LOCATIONS