Rock the Boat Ferry Cruise

The band Glass Onion

Delaware and New Jersey have a good thing going on Friday nights during the summer.  Who ever had the idea of a Rock the Boat Ferry ride from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey and back is a genius.  And whoever shepherded through all the coordination and approvals that had to be done to make it a reality is also amazing.  It's the kind of thing that many bureaucrats might shy away from saying it's in the too hard to do category, that it would be crazy to put a band on a ferry and encourage ferry passengers to dance and drink and in general, whoop it up.  I love it.  Good job.  

We didn't know about the Rock the Boat ferry cruise until this summer when we went to a free concert on the Mispillion River behind the library in Milford, Delaware and listened to Glass Onion enthusiastically play popular rock and roll tunes.  The energy was great. They threw Mardi Gras beads to children gathered in front of them.  And they announced that they play every Friday on the Rock the Boat ferry cruise.  That's all we needed to hear.  We got tickets.  The first time we went it was a bit rainy and not that many people came out to play.  We had fun and decided the Rock the Boat cruise was a keeper and a great way to show off the area to friends.  

The second time we were going to take friends with us but timing didn't work out so we were able to postpone use of the tickets until August 19.  The weather was beautiful and the ferry was packed.  The band was up to the job and we all had a lot of fun.  It's quite a trick to dance on a gently rocking boat but at least this time the deck wasn't wet with rain.  We didn't get too randy with our dance moves though.  Just in case.  

Friends of ours who used to pilot one of the Dupont family member's yacht had told us recently that the Delaware River was probably the most boring of the places they motored that yacht over many years.  It's kind of a bummer to hear that though perhaps it is true.  But this is the Delaware Bay that the ferry crosses and there are a couple of light houses.  And what's not to like about Lewes, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey.  They are two very quaint, historic, and scenic towns that also have lots of natural beauty and claims to fame with the monarch butterfly migration and the eastern flyway migration route for birds.  There are also lighthouses right at the mouth of the bay.  Who doesn't love a lighthouse? 

I believe this is a shot of our departure from Cape May.

Upon entering the docking area for Lewes, the crew flips the ferry around and essentially backs it into the slip from a helm on the side.  

It was a beautiful evening.  We finished it off at the Crown and Rose in Lewes, sitting up at the bar for a late evening dinner and drink.