Travels with Beta: Rehoboth Beach, DE

Well, the plan to travel to Virginia got waylaid. I got a call from my very good friend Dan and he invited me to hang with him in Rehoboth Beach, DE along with his girlfriend, Kay.

Twist my arm; and Beta Max’s tail.

I’ve known Dan since we went to college together at the University of Delaware back in the late ‘70s. Yeah, Dan and I are old. Dan’s retired (I’m not), but he does it in a very bohemian way. He lives off his pension from the state of Delaware, and supplements that as a ski instructor during the winter months in Maine, and then in the summer months as an umbrella boy at Rehoboth Beach. If you don’t believe me read his story here.

Then there is my really good buddy, Ken Beach, who has been hosting me at Dewey Beach, DE for years. We went to University of Delaware together as well. He was the President of the Student Body. He said he was even going to be President of the US in 2008. Even though that didn’t work out, he always had epic Earth Wind and Fire parties.

So Beta and I made our pilgrimage to the Starboard, the most popular insane beach bar you’ll ever attend. When it’s really cooking, thousands descend on it like drunken locusts.

Thankfully, we got there much earlier than that, so it was Dan, Ken, and myself. Oh, yeah, and Big Matt, the greatest bartender in the world.

Big Matt, before working at the Starboard, was the left tackle for the Delaware Blue Hens, protecting Joe Flacco in the pocket - so well, in fact, that Flacco went on to the pros, and a Super Bowl ring, with the Baltimore Ravens.

Big Matt, just so everyone knows, makes the greatest margaritas in the world. I don’t drink margaritas - unless Big Matt presses em. Huh? Yeah, that’s right. He hand squeezes the juices and each new batch gets stronger and stronger.

Last summer, when I was at the Starboard and it was swimming with thousands of college co-eds, Big Matt said he didn’t have time to make me one of his custom margaritas. So I said that if, at any time, ever, he had a chance to squeeze one, I’d buy it. One hour later, while I was at another bar, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and there was Big Matt, two margaritas in his hands for me. He had left his bar station, five deep ringing his bar.

Matt is the greatest bartender in the world. Sip on that.

After my Big Matt Encounter, I spent the night with Dan and Kay at Kay’s house. And, thanks to Matt, and Kay’s really comfy guest bed, I never slept better. So the next time you go to the Starboard, ask Matt to squeeze you into another dimension. And stay with Kay and Dan after. You won’t be sorry.