Bethany Beach is a very small and affluent beach town located between Rehobeth Beach and Ocean City (MD) in southern Delaware. The population is just under 1,000 although it swells to 15,000 during the summer holidays. Bethany Beach was founded by the Christian Missionary Society as a summer resort and Chatauqua-type summer resort. It was dry until recently and even now the number of bars and hours of sale for alcohol are tightly regulated. The town has considerable resources, including a short boardwalk and restaurants. This area is popular both as a resort and as a retirement destination. It opened up when the Chesapeake Bay Bridge first opened in 1952. Bethany Beach and nearby towns Lewes, South Bethany, Dewey, Rehoboth Beach, Fenwick Island comprise most of the Delaware shore resort area. Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island are popularly known as "The Quiet Resorts". Delaware is a desirable place to retire due to its tax-friendly status.
Photo of boardwalk courtesy of and per license of Wikipedia and Kit Conn; photo of A View of the Beach courtesy of Wikipedia and PointsofNoReturn. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0/ | 
