A DAY WITH THE MISTRESS BORGHESE

Friday, November 13, 2026

HISTORIC SEASIDE

Yes that's right! The gay playground is now historical! I've been going down to Rehoboth Beach since 91 and the actual beach was always coined Poodle Beach, now all these years later the Delaware Public Archives unveiled a State of Delaware Historical Marker at the boardwalk at Prospect Street and the south Boardwalk to honor Poodle Beach, while we were there that week.

The state put up a historical marker recognizing the LGBT site and it's chose Poodle Beach, the stretch of sand at the southern tip of Rehoboth Beach that's been unofficially gay for longer than many of us have been alive. The earlier chapter of this story starts with one Louisa Carpenter. Born into the Du Pont family fortune, she was the daughter of a top DuPont executive. but she didn't just coast on the family name. She earned her pilot's license at a time when women still faced serious barriers in aviation. Louisa owned an oceanfront property near the end of the boardwalk called the Shell House and she used to host a huge close-knit circle of friends that included many from the LGBTQ community. The stretch of sand out front came to be known informally as Carpenter Beach. It was a private-ish refuge tied to her and her guest. Why does this matter? In the mid 20th century, being openly gay could get you arrested, fired, or outed in the local papers. Bars were raided. Public hangouts and cruise areas were risky. Places where queer people could relax, flirt openly and be themselves without looking over their shoulder were welcomed if not rare. A beach house with a host who had your back wasn't just a good time. It was a lifeline. As the years rolled on, more gay beachgoers made their way to the southern end of Rehoboth's boardwalk. By the late 1970's that gathering place had grown into what we now know as Poodle Beach, and the party has continued since then. Friendships formed, romances cemented, themed beach set ups and fancy beach umbrellas became protocol, campery ensued and the legendary Labor Day Drag Volleyball Tournament became tradition.

Needless to say, I had quite a few late-night walks down there too. And many good memories. It seems nice to see a place get made a historical place in my lifetime that I have been going to for years. This historical marker helps preserve Poodle Beach's place in LGBTQ history, but the beach itself isn't a museum exhibit. It's a living, breathing part of Rehoboth's gay scene, sand and all.

Happy Gay Pride.

Thursday, November 12, 2026

AUTUMNAL SEASIDE

In October for my birthday, it was spent yet again at the beach, and it's where I wanted to be. Many say, The beach? This time of year? While I'm a summer person first, even I admit, the autumn is my favorite time at the seaside...off season for one. The beach has never been just a summer thing for me. And while being in town is nice, and the boardwalk fare, my favorite area up at the end of the boardwalk, where we lay out in the summer, is the Silver Lake area. It's a scenic area, quiet, residential and a natural refuge. It was formed by receding glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age and is one of the only natural freshwater lakes in the state of Delaware, and it sits very close to the Atlantic Ocean, closer than any other natural freshwater lake in the United States, separated from the beach by only a narrow strip of land and homes. It is a stunning place to see, as the streets wind around the lake, feature beach cottages of classic cedar shake homes, and upscale homes, docks, and gazabos on the lake, and is a bird watching place, designated as a state refuge since the 30's. Around 60 different songbirds call it home, canvasbacks, redheads, ruddy ducks, geese, cormorants, swans and herons not to mention the stop over migratory birds. It's like having the best of both worlds, the seaside and a lake environment. Some more postcards from that week.

The beach....