Coastal Point | Lights, camera Berlin

Lights, camera ... Berlin

By Paul W. Ross
Special to the Coastal Point



	Coastal Point • PAUL W. ROSS Main Street in Berlin, Md. is still today an example of Americana at its finest.

Off we go again — this time south, into Maryland. We will pass through the lush green fields of soybeans, corn and pastures of rural Sussex County into our neighboring state. Follow the directions in “How to Get There,” and you will be in Berlin in under an hour.

Berlin is an incredibly interesting town that has been the location for two movies — “Tuck Everlasting” and “The Runaway Bride.” Both movies are well worth a rental at your local video store. For the movie “Tuck Everlasting,” it was necessary to figuratively move the town back 100 years in time by filling the paved streets with sand and dirt. Fortunately, they have cleaned up the mess. The town is “picture perfect” neatness.

We arrived at lunchtime, and having had a rather light breakfast, we made a beeline for the Drummer’s Café, located in the Atlantic Hotel. The “drummer” doesn’t refer to the musical instrument, but to the term used for traveling salesmen, who “drummed up trade” at the turn of the last century. They came to town to sell their wares and needed a place to stay overnight. The Drummer’s Café offers a varied selection of soups, sandwiches and salads, as well as entrees. A special treat are their homemade potato chips.

The Atlantic Hotel is a restored 1895 Victorian hotel. If you choose to stay overnight, there are 17 guest rooms, all with private baths. They can be reached at (800) 814-7672 for reservations. The Atlantic Hotel also offers fine dining in a more relaxed atmosphere in their main dining room. (Reservations are suggested for the main dining room.)

There are many other great eating places in Berlin, but this is our favorite for lunch or dinner. There is a great Italian bakery on the main street (carbohydrates and calories really don’t count while on vacation!), and a couple of excellent delicatessens. Ice cream is to be had as well, though somehow, we managed to pass on this after the excellent lunch. Oh well, maybe another time… Chocolate works for me.

What else to do and see in Berlin? Well, for those who like antique shops and collect all sorts of odd things, like we do, there are at least half-dozen likely spots along Main Street. “Antique mall” would best describe one of the larger shops that has collectibles from many different dealers.

One of the most interesting buildings just off Main Street on Broad Street is the Globe Theater. This is one of our favorites. The Globe is a restored movie theater, housing a fine-art gallery and a gourmet café, as well as a selection of books, gifts, music and home-decor items. Live music is presented in a coffeehouse setting in the restored theater.

A delightful feature of many of the shops was the hanging flower baskets in full bloom as we walked along the street.



	Coastal Point • PAUL W. ROSS Inside the historic Calvin B. Taylor house.

After our tour of the antique and other shops on Main Street, we walked north to the corner of Main and Baker streets, to the Calvin B. Taylor house, which serves as the Berlin town museum. The Taylor house has been beautifully restored to the date of its construction in 1832 – an enchanting step backward in time to a more gentile era.

For the architecturally inclined, the Taylor house is a feast for the senses, with a wealth of detail and period furnishings. Upstairs, there are a number of exhibits showing photographs and memorabilia from the early days of Berlin. This is definitely a “must see” on your trip to Berlin. A modest donation is requested to continue to finance the restoration and upkeep of the house and grounds.

If you make it a point to be in Berlin on a Wednesday or a Friday during July and August, there is an excellent open-air market with heaps of local produce. If you like “fresh,” this is it.

Do plan on lunch, at least in Berlin, and a leisurely morning or afternoon of shopping.

How do we get there?

This trip involves a pleasing drive through rural Delaware. As usual, our trips begin in Bethany Beach by the Chief Little Owl statue. Proceed west on Route 26 to Clarksville. At Clarksville, turn south on Route 17 toward Selbyville. (Selbyville’s initial claim to fame was strawberries. It is now renowned for its chicken growing.) When you get to Selbyville, turn west on Route 54, following it through town to Route 113. Turn south on Route 113. Just after you cross the intersection with Route 50, watch for the signs for Berlin, turning right on Route 346. When you reach Main Street, turn left into town and find a place to park. There are plenty of places in the various municipal parking lots.

On the way back, if you want to vary your route, pick up Route 50 north of Berlin. Proceed east to Ocean City, and connect with Route 1, the Ocean Highway, which will take you back north to Bethany Beach.