What Rehoboth Beach is known for

The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary, which is a body of water where freshwater and saltwater mix. The bay is 200 miles long, and the surface of the bay adds up to be around 4,480 square miles. The bay was originally formed 10,000 years ago when glaciers melted and flooded the Susquehanna River valley. Despite the flooding, the bay is relatively shallow. The Chesapeake Bay watershed acts as a home for more than 18 million people, and it is estimated that 150,000 new people move into the watershed every year.[1]

The Chesapeake Bay houses many tourists every year, with the most popular time to visit the area being in the summer months July, June, and August, along with in April.[5] People often come to be on the water, while some come for the activities nearby. The Chesapeake Bay facilities involve the Academy Art Museum, Adkins Arboretum, the C&D Canal Museum, Calvert Cliffs State Park, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Sandy Point State Park, and Smith Island. The Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden/preservation that houses over 600 native plant species. The arboretum was established to promote the conservation and appreciation of plants native to the Chesapeake Bay. A variety of these native plants are sold in the gift and book shop that is located on the property. Calvert Hills State Park is a public reserve and recreation area that preserves the Calvert Cliffs, which are home to over 600 species of fossils. Fossils from the Miocene Era have been found in the nearby cliffs and are featured within the state park. The Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,286-acre island that is a part of the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It was established in 1962 to act as a sanctuary for migrating birds. Other than bird watching, people can also go hiking, mountain biking, crabbing, fishing, boating, and seasonal hunting in the area.[3]

Within the Chesapeake Bay Region are multiple cities, the main one being Dover. The city of Dover has a population of 982,895 residents and is the 7th-least populated state capitol in America.[8] Within the city of Dover is a variety of things for tourists to do, such as visit the Air Mobility Command Museum, the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, First State Heritage Park, the Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover Downs, the Dover International Speedway, and the Delaware Seashore State Park. First State Heritage Park is one of Delaware's oldest urban parks. Along with outdoor activities, the park features art and live entertainment regularly. Dover Downs is a hotel and casino with a large number of dining options and casino games. The Delaware Seashore State Park is a southern portion of Delaware that is made up of Atlantic coast beaches. The beaches are a popular place to go surfing, sunbathing, fishing, and body surfing.[4]

Geography

The Chesapeake Bay Region is located on a stretch of land that is shared by Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Within the region is the Chesapeake Bay, which is what the region is named after. Also within the region are multiple cities, including Dover, Easton, Cambridge, Rehoboth Beach, Salisbury, Ocean City, Berlin, Chincoteague, and Cape Charles. The surrounding landscape is flat with fields and trees. There are also multiple forested areas, parks, and water sources, the main water source being the bay. The region has an overall oval shape, and it stretches around a piece of land that branches out from New Jersey and Maryland. The section of land makes up the district and a small section of the water surrounding it. The north end of the zone goes through Maryland and New Jersey in a thin strip of land separated from the mainlands by water. The southern end of the region ends before reaching Virginia. 

Within the region is the Chesapeake Bay, along with the beaches that go along the bay. Because of the weather, the best time to visit those beaches is from the middle of April to the middle of June. The weather fluctuates in the area throughout the year, with the warmest month being in July and the coldest is February. The average low of the region is around 31 degrees Fahrenheit while the average high is about 79 degrees. The Chesapeake Bay beaches get rain throughout the year, with the most rain usually falling in June and December. Snow falls on the ground in December, January, February, and March, with the highest amount of snow falling in February. The average height of the snow in February is around 6 inches. The Chesapeake Bay is relatively humid throughout the year, though the humidity is lower from January to April. The most common times to visit the area are in June, July, and August.[5]

The Chesapeake Bay, which is located in the Chesapeake Bay Region, is home to many animals, most of which are ocean-dwelling creatures or birds. The bay houses many species of fish, ranging from the bay anchovy to the sandbar shark. Also living within the waters are horseshoe crabs, blue crabs, oysters, eels, rays, sea turtles, dolphins, and jellyfish. Many birds live near the Chesapeake Bay, with the main ones being bald eagles, great blue herons, gulls, swans, ducks, geese, and snowy egrets.[6]

Plants that thrive near the Chesapeake Bay include fourteen species of grasses. The most common of these grasses are sago pondweed, wild celery, widgeon grass, and redhead grass. Outside of the water, plants such as salt grass, smooth cordgrass, salt meadow cordgrass, black needle rush, and marsh elders can be found. In the nontidal wetlands are plants like willows, button bushes, alders, red maples, black gums, black willows, river birches, Atlantic white cedars, and bald cypresses.[7]

History

The Chesapeake Bay, which is located in the Chesapeake Bay Region, was originally formed at the end of the ice age. As the temperature became more moderate, plants and animals became established, and forests, grasslands, swamps, and lagoons were formed. It is believed that the first people to inhabit the area arrived between 12,000 and 11,500 years ago, though there is the possibility of their arrival occurring several thousand years before that; no one knows the exact date of the arrival of the people to the area. It is known that they are referred to as the Paleoindians. The Paleoindians established temporary camps, fashioned weapons, and tools out of natural materials, and traded with other people. The people lived on the land for thousands of years before the Chesapeake Bay was discovered by Captain John Smith between 1607 and 1609.[2]

Before Captain John Smith discovered the Chesapeake Bay, it was found by Giovanni da Verrazano, who was an Italian man sailing under the French flag in 1524. One year later, Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon explored the coast of North America and went as far as the Delaware Bay. Ayllon also established a small settlement near what would be Jamestown. A Spanish explorer by the name of Diego Gutierrez showed the Chesapeake Bay on his large-scale map of the Americas in 1562.[2]

John White, who was an English explorer, provided the first detailed information about the native people that lived in the area, along with the plants and animals through his drawings and paintings in 1585 and 1593. Most of the interactions that took place with the natives in the area involved trading until the English established a permanent settlement at Jamestown, which is now in Virginia.[2] 

The Virginia Company of London first organized their expedition to the area in search of silver, gold, and a water route through North America to the Northwest Passage, which was believed to be full of riches of all kinds. They landed on April 26, 1607, near what is known today as Cape Henry, Virginia. The English later moved their ships up the James River and selected an island which they named Jamestown in honor of King James on May 14, 1607. Over time, more colonists came to begin building a permanent colony in Jamestown. After the town was officially established, many immigrants moved into the area and settled on large portions of land. New colonies were formed across the region, and in the process, many trees were cut down and used to build their homes.[2]

Because of the diseases the English settlers brought with them, many of the Native Indians in the area perished. Many of them were forced to move, though some of them simply adopted a non-native lifestyle within the cities or colonies.[2] 

Chesapeake Bay itself played a large role in the American Revolution. The Battle of the Chesapeake ended with a French blockade of the bay. When the war was finished, the blockade was taken away. During the Civil War, the Chesapeake was used by both sides. Because both parties used the bay, there was constant fighting at the location. Much of the land around the Chesapeake Bay was destroyed and took years to recover.[2]