(upbeat music) (air whooshes) - From the beach and the boardwalk to buried treasure and bald cypresses, "You Oughta Know" is on the road.

We're in the first state to check out a few hidden gems that will have you cruising to the Delaware beaches and surrounding towns.

(upbeat music) (air whooshes) Welcome to "You Oughta Wanna Know."

I'm Shirley Min.

We are starting the show off in Rehoboth Beach.

But stick around 'cause in a few, we're gonna veer off the coastal highway and check out other popular spots here in Sussex County.

Everyone knows this iconic Dolle's sign, which brings us to our first stop, the Rehoboth Beach Museum.

Inside, you'll see the evolution of Rehoboth, which was established in 1891.

You can check out how bathing suits changed over time, learn about the area's full-time residents, and how food continues to be a draw to the beach.

(upbeat music) Every year, horseshoe crabs come ashore to sandy beaches to spawn.

These prehistoric creatures predate dinosaurs, and you'll find them along the Delaware Bay.

(seagulls calling) - Right now, this is a great picture of what spawning is gonna look like at its best.

We've got the females and the males.

They came up with a high tide.

She moves her legs a little bit, the water goes over her, and she sinks down and she pushes with the front of her shell until she gets down to about eyeball height.

To like right about there.

At that point, she's gonna start laying her eggs.

And the males are going to cluster around her.

One's gonna be hanging on the back.

This is a male.

And his front two pincers look like boxing gloves.

And he uses those to grab on the back of her shell.

While she's releasing her eggs, he's releasing his sperm to fertilize the eggs, as is all these males.

So there's one gal right here, an old female you can see by all the fouling on her shell, all this stuff on her shell.

And she's got all these males that are right around her.

And all of them will be releasing their sperm in the water at the same time she's releasing her eggs.

She'll move forward, and you'll just see her kind of push up.

She'll push these guys with her.

She'll go about another eight inches or so.

She'll angle her head down, and she'll do it again.

(gentle music) - I grew up in Delaware, so I feel like I've been seeing horseshoe crabs since I was just a little kid.

When I decided I wanted to go into science, my mom said, "Let's go out and see if you actually like science."

We started with the horseshoe crab survey.

I have a special place in my heart for horseshoe crabs 'cause of that.

But I just think that they're really cool.

They haven't changed a ton, since they were prehistoric and around the time of dinosaurs.

I think that it's really interesting that a simple creature can make it so long.

(seagulls calling) (gentle music) - We're very much stewards of our environment here.

This is a natural beach.

We are a horseshoe crab sanctuary.

Sanctuary means you're not gonna be able to take the live horseshoe crabs.

But when you become a habitat, that's exactly what you are.

You become more of a habitat for them.

(gentle music) - Let's see if we can find a cluster.

So I don't know if you can see that right there.

Okay, so this is a cluster.

And it's about a golf ball size, and it has 4 or 5,000 eggs in it.

She's gonna do four or five of those.

So she's gonna get about 20,000 eggs out on one trip.

(gentle music) - Horseshoe crab survey happens around our new and full moons in May and June.

We bring volunteers out onto the beaches, and we go out at the time of the high tide, when the horseshoe crab spawning is going to be at its peak.

It gives us a sex ratio between male and females, at least what we're seeing on our beaches.

And then we give all of that data back to Fish and Wildlife, and it goes towards the Delaware Baywide survey results.

It just helps us get a picture of what each of our beaches are looking at.

- [Glenn] People might see these images and say that they want to come down and they want to experience it.

The key is to come at high tide.

Ideally, about an hour before.

Watch them come in, watch them spawn.

As the tide goes out, they start to go out.

So you give yourself like a two-hour window.

The tide isn't the same for the whole bay.

If they're upside down and you're going to flip them over to save them, you can take a moment and study them, touch them.

They're not gonna hurt you.

And then flip them over.

It's a really interesting animal, a very passive animal.

Very easy animal to understand and get close to.

So enjoy them.

(gentle music) - Despite its name, horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders and ticks than actual crabs.

Okay, let's get away from the sand for a bit.

The boardwalk, always a great option.

But our next story takes us about an hour inland.

Trap Pond State Park is a hidden gem, where you can get away from the sun and still enjoy the outdoors.

(gentle upbeat music) - [Shauna] Welcome to Trap Pond State Park.

This is one of the gems in Delaware.

(gentle upbeat music) Trap Pond offers so many things in terms of recreational opportunities.

If you get a little sunburned, you can come here and take some hikes through the woods.

There are many trails that intersect, so you can pick your adventure.

(gentle upbeat music) We have free bicycles that you can take out on our trails.

- [Shirley] One of the best ways to enjoy Trap Pond is on the water.

(upbeat music) On the water, you can glide among beautiful bald cypress trees.

These trees are what Trap Pond is known for.

- It is the northernmost naturally occurring stand of bald cypress trees in North America.

(upbeat music) - I love being surrounded by the bald cypress trees here at Trap Pond State Park.

The water level is kind of low.

Take a look at that bald cypress over there.

You can see where the water should be.

And for this reason, instead of kayaking here on Trap Pond, today we're gonna be kayaking on nearby Trussum Pond.

(gentle music) Trussum Pond is part of Trap Pond State Park and equally stunning.

It's so peaceful.

- [Shauna] I find kayaking to be the quickest way to reach zen.

- [Shirley] Yeah.

(laughs) I could see that.

(gentle music) - [Shauna] I always wanna see a blue heron.

- [Shirley] Yeah, they're beautiful.

We did see a blue heron, but it flew off before we could get a shot of it.

We did, however, watch this cormorant fly effortlessly across the water.

Kayaking in and around these amazing trees takes you to another place.

(gentle music) - You're really just paddling through these amazing trees.

There's wildlife.

(gentle music) And you're kind of in the woods and on the water at the same time.

- Whether you choose to camp, hit the trails, or get on the water, Trap Pond State Park is a great way to reconnect with nature.

Not a bad day of work, I'll say that much.

From kayaks to a big cannon, I'm outside the Fort Miles Museum in Cape Henlopen State Park.

The fort's important role in American history makes this place a must-see landmark.

(gentle valiant music) This underground museum is the place for history buffs.

It brings to life Delaware's wartime stories.

Behind me, the Delaware Bay was also an inviting waterway for pirates.

It's said the infamous pirate Captain William Kidd anchored his ship off the shores of Cape Henlopen in 1699.

And legend has it, he buried his treasure somewhere along the Delaware shoreline.

(dramatic music) - The legend of Captain Kidd is that after his documented visit here in Lewes, Delaware, he sailed behind the shores of Cape Henlopen and buried his treasure.

(adventurous music) Historically, Captain Kidd is one of the few documented pirates to actually have buried his treasure in Gardiner's Island, New York.

That doesn't stop the Lewes towners from believing that those sweeping, rolling hills contain gold, jewels, diamonds, and riches untold.

That legend, that myth perpetrated probably from the artwork of a famed true American treasure artist, Howard Pyle.

Howard Pyle set up very much the imagery we have of pirates today, dressed in black, the eye patch, the earring, sadly none of that true.

But Captain Kidd, operating in the late 1600s and early 1700, was really a very successful privateer.

When he crosses the line into piracy is still debated by a lot of historians.

But life aboard ship was difficult, and the historically dressed accurately figures behind me here in the museum, you can see they're young.

In the golden age of piracy, there are many who are setting out to sea to basically make their fortunes.

And they're coming from the British Royal Navy.

They're coming from a harsh environment.

Flogging is one of the only punishments for disobedience.

So Kidd's damning story, that is truthfully documented, is that when he refuses to raid a Dutch vessel, his crew almost mutinies, and including one of his gunners.

Gentleman by the name of William Moore steps up and questions the captain.

Well, Kidd, his anger must have been triggered, for he beat William Moore to death with a metal-rimmed lined bucket.

He had committed murder.

(triumphant music) So Captain Kidd was able to raid a vessel past Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean, and took a complement of silver.

They were stealing from merchant vessels.

They were taking rum, molasses, sugar, the muslins, the calicos, the clothing.

Once he's accused of piracy, he comes back through the Caribbean, up the American coast, and he's stopping at different ports.

And he's selling off parts of his cargo.

But the people of Lewes knew that they could not purchase it because you'd be aiding and abetting a criminal.

One of the preceding myths and legends is that an area known as Kidd's Hummock, it's attributed to Kidd.

What is significant about it, that is what pirates were looking for.

That the ship can slide in and disappear.

So if you knew local areas.

And again, whether Kidd knew that area or not is questionable.

So Kidd is sent back to England.

He is tried and found guilty of four counts of piracy and, really, murder.

So when Kidd was found guilty, he was hung by the neck until dead.

His body was covered in tar.

He was placed in what's known as the gibbet, or a human-sized cage, put at the entrance to the River Thames as a warning to other pirates.

And it was said that he was a feast for crows.

- What's a pirate's favorite letter?

R!

(laughs) The museum isn't the only activity you can enjoy here at Cape Henlopen.

Grab a rod and cast your line to catch some fish.

Lace up your sneakers and hop on a bike.

Or spend the weekend on their campgrounds.

So much to see and do here at Cape Henlopen State Park.

Now we head to a different park in Millville, Delaware, that has free pickleball courts.

(upbeat music) - Pickleball was started 55 years ago now.

Just didn't catch on, and that's because tennis was at its peak.

Pickleball was named after a dog.

Pickles was his name.

And they're trying to develop the game, and they'd say, "Pickles, go get the ball.

Pickles, go get the ball."

And the dog loved it.

He'd go get the ball and bring it back.

(upbeat music) It started out in the Pacific Northwest.

Some people were trying to play different games from the same court, and they tinkered and tinkered and tinkered and came up with pickleball.

It's an underhand serve in pickleball.

(upbeat music) Just to take away all of the power so they can just go out and enjoy themselves.

Pickleball is made up of badminton.

The court is the same size as the badminton court, which is about roughly a quarter of the size of a tennis court.

It's made up of tennis, and it's made up of ping pong.

I've heard it might be 50 million pickleballers.

Because it's easy to play.

The equipment is pretty simple.

There are paddles.

The ball is plastic, weighs about an ounce.

There's an outdoor and an indoor.

And it's got holes drilled in it, because the wind will really work on it.

So the scoring is first person to 11.

The rules otherwise are simple.

You know, you hit the ball deep, but you have to wait.

If I serve to you, I have to wait for your return.

(upbeat music) Playing pickleball helps with the balance.

We'll play three hours, three days a week, four days a week.

So it helps with the breathing, it helps with strength, leg strength, ankle strength, all of those.

(upbeat music) - I've been playing pickleball for six years.

And I discovered it because I was in my shell, had moved to Delaware after retirement.

I wanted something to do that's active and involved.

So I took a class.

I loved it because I've never been athletic in my life.

I never played any sport.

And I took the class, and immediately I could be involved and hold my own on the court.

So it leveled the playing field.

I go lots of places.

I have hundreds of friends now.

It's such a social network.

And that's I think what's so attractive about pickleball.

- It's been a godsend for me.

I was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2015.

I've been playing pickleball ever since.

And so it's been nine years now, and I'm still going strong.

I lost about 25 pounds since I started playing.

The favorite thing is the people.

The social aspect of the game is just phenomenal.

I recommend it highly.

(upbeat music) - It's a good activity where you're not stressed too much athletically.

It's just a lot of fun.

If you see it, just go out and try it.

- Well played, well played.

- Good game.

- We've traveled through the waters, learned about prehistoric horseshoe crabs, went in search of buried treasure, and tried pickleball.

Now it's time to rest.

The Lewes Ferry Grounds is a beautiful place to set up a picnic.

Now, if you love the idea of a picnic but hate the work, then check out the Dewey Beach Picnic Company.

- I grew up outside of Ocean City, New Jersey, so I have always lived by the beach.

(gentle music) Love the beach.

It's a huge part of my life and always has been.

My husband and I moved to Key West, Florida in 2011 and lived there for nearly nine years.

By chance, I just happened to meet somebody that owned an amazing wedding planning company in Key West, Florida and started working for her.

She helped me grow and learn so much.

Then I became a wedding planner.

We ended up moving up here full-time after we had our daughter.

Planning weddings seemed a little bit too big, so I thought a little smaller, doing luxury picnics on the beach.

(upbeat music) For the decor for today, we do have a bachelorette party of eight.

And it'll be super fun.

The bride's last name is Mooney, so she wanted to the Moon and back type of theme.

So we're doing a little hint of sun, moon, and stars.

So it'll be a pretty fun theme, and it's a little bit more unique than what I've been getting lately.

The types of clients of Dewey Beach Picnic Co. is mostly bachelorette parties, which is super fun.

It wasn't something that I really anticipated as my client base being.

Then they just started reaching out to me, and the more that I posted on Instagram about the bachelorette parties, that really caught fire.

We also do a lot of proposals and date nights.

(upbeat music) I am truly blessed in the aspect of Dewey Beach Picnic Co. has been way busier than I anticipated it being.

I thought I would be lucky if I got one a week.

I'm pretty much doing three, four a week.

And some weekends, like this weekend, which is pretty crazy, I have six.

The night before, the morning of, you'll see me loading everything into my van.

We pack the tables in, the pillow and poufs.

I'm going down the checklist of everything we need.

Bluetooth speaker, basket of provisions.

(gentle upbeat music) (upbeat music) The grueling part is getting everything on the beach.

It doesn't always look glamorous, but it's a good workout for me.

So I enjoy it.

We'll load everything from my van onto the beach, get everything situated, and then that's where the designing part comes in.

(upbeat music) I've pretty much packed for everything of what I'm gonna use, but then I kind of make everything, bring it into fruition and put it on the table, and see what works and what doesn't work.

A complete tablescape for everything that you'll need.

So we usually do something like a charger, a plate, a napkin, and a glass.

(upbeat music) - [Beachgoer] You know, they think you're not bad.

- Who knows about the piece about Travis?

- Yeah.

Yes.

- [Jessica] We'll also have the Southern California style with a little hint of blues.

Some of the boho style will be mixed in there.

All of our decor is customized.

We have the picnic table, of course, with the pillow and pouf seating that we do, so you're not directly into the sand.

- [Beachgoer] I'm so excited.

- [Beachgoer] It's so pretty.

- [Jessica] We do string lights, which are fun for when the sun goes down.

Adds a little bit of lighting to your picnic.

Then set the table for everybody once they arrive.

(upbeat music) - [Beachgoer] Oh wow.

- [Beachgoer] This is so nice.

- Oh, wow.

- How cute is that?

Ready?

(beachgoers cheer) - You guys, the Moon.

- Oh.

Oh my God.

- [Beachgoer] The stars.

This is the cutest thing I've ever seen.

- Amazing.

- Cheers, guys.

- Say cheers.

- Thank you so much, everyone.

- I love your awe.

- Cheers.

- [Beachgoer] I'll never forget this.

- With food, we outsource other companies.

Anybody that's my client, I'm able to share the love a little bit with local companies around here.

Charcuterie boards are great, sandwiches are great.

I steer my client into those directions, and I help coordinate with those vendors to get the catering to their picnic tables.

It's not easy for somebody to do on their own, the luxury picnics on the beach.

Whether they bring their own food or they have me get it for them from another company, they can just enjoy their time instead of the fast pace of a restaurant.

(upbeat music) In addition, one thing that I do that is super fun is I like adding picnic games in.

So I have quite the list of different picnic games.

I have a game that's just for bachelorette parties.

So it's just fun questions you get to ask your friends.

And I've heard it's pretty fun.

- [Beachgoer] It's the champagne giggles.

- Creating the luxury picnic on the beach just opens up, like, a different venue and a different relaxed atmosphere that they don't get other places.

They can just enjoy their time.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) - [Performer] One, two, three, come on!

People of Lewes, let me see you go crazy!

- [Shirley] The Lewes Ferry Grounds is also home to Rocking the Docks music series.

- [Performer] Everybody, put your hands in the air!

(upbeat music) - Matt VanBelle joins me now.

Matt, thanks so much for having us.

- Thanks so much for coming.

That's really great.

- I was in the VIP tent earlier, and it looked beautiful.

Jessica Jones, who we just saw from Dewey Beach Picnic Company, she decorated the whole place.

She did a great job.

How long has Rocking the Docks been going on?

- This is our second year with the series.

We've turned it into a 10-week series that runs across the entire peak months of the summer down here in Lewes.

- The turnout is incredible.

I mean, you have, what, 1,000-plus people here?

- [Matt] Yeah, there's about 1,000 people out here tonight.

- [Shirley] I mean, what does that turnout tell you?

- It's just crazy.

Moving here from Philadelphia, we really just thought that there was a void in the live music and entertainment scene.

And so we really thought it was something that we could kind of, like, hone and develop and bring here on the water in this incredible venue.

I mean, that was kind of the idea.

- Who's playing tonight?

- So tonight's the Amish Outlaws.

- That's great a name.

- A really fun day.

- [Performer] Hell yeah, people.

If you feel all right, let me hear you!

- Hold on.

Cameraman, we got Amish choreography coming right here.

You won't want to miss it.

You'll drop it later in post.

It's okay.

♪ Everybody ♪ (Shirley laughs) - Really fun band.

Yeah, they play all the music.

It's fun.

- [Shirley] And do you need tickets?

- Yeah, so tickets on sale for every show.

They, you know, range from 35 to 75 for the VIP tent.

And all the tickets are online at rockingthedockslewes.com.

- Okay, and there's still plenty more weeks, plenty more concerts.

- Yeah, this is week four.

So yeah, there's six weeks left.

We try to bring touring musicians and different acts to really diversify the music.

- And you also have children's concerts, which I love.

- Yeah, so the children's concerts are new this year for us.

It's called Kids Coastal Beats.

It's in partnership with Rock and Roll Playhouse out of Brooklyn.

And basically, it's a way to introduce kids to music that is, you know, popular music.

You won't hear, you know, the "Wheels on the Bus," but you'll hear, you know, music of Bob Marley.

Or music of Taylor Swift was last week.

- Oh, I love that.

- Yeah.

And it's a cover band that introduces in an interactive way for kids.

It's really fun.

It happens all right here, underneath the tent.

- Matt, thank you so much for having us.

- Thanks for coming.

I really appreciate it.

- And now we get to enjoy the concert.

♪ Can you tell me how to get ♪ ♪ How to get to Sesame Street ♪ - This guy's from the public PBS thing in Philly.

- So much energy here tonight.

This experience is just incredible.

There are plenty of food trucks here and lots of drink options.

I hope we've inspired you to take a trip to the Delaware beaches and its surrounding towns.

The Amish Outlaws will take us out as we leave you now with more from Rocking the Docks on the Delaware Bay.

Cheers.

♪ One of you ♪ ♪ She's 60 now ♪ ♪ Summer dreams ♪ ♪ Written in the seams ♪ ♪ But ♪ (performer laughs) ♪ Those summer ♪ - [Performer] Everybody sing!

♪ Nights ♪ ♪ Tell me, oh ♪ ♪ Tell me, oh, oh, oh ♪ (upbeat music)