Lazy L at Willow Creek -- A Relaxing, Dog-Friendly Retreat

Options are limited when you travel with your pooch, but one incredible bed and breakfast inn in Lewes, DE, provides both a relaxing retreat and a hearty welcome for your four-legged best friend.

Many bed and breakfasts will welcome well-behaved dogs to just one room of theirs. The Lazy L at Willow Creek welcomes dogs to all their rooms as well as a private cottage that opens up into the fenced-in dog run.

All around the bed and breakfast are reminders of how welcome dogs are. We didn’t travel with our dog this time, so I missed him, but that was okay, since I got to greet several other pooches.

The Lazy L at Willow Creek abuts the Great Marsh Preserve, so kayaking right off the property was our goal. Don’t have your own kayak? No worries — you can use the kayaks on the property, available for a minor rental fee from Quest Kayaks (arranged through the bed and breakfast inn).

Being able to go kayaking at sunrise was a spectacular treat!

While you’re there, you’re likely to see heron, egrets, and eagles. In fact, we noticed two eagles on trees right at the edge of the property along the Great Marsh Preserve.

I’ll never stop getting a thrill from seeing bald eagles!

Most of the rooms offer queen size beds, and all offer private bathrooms.

What I found most pleasant about the inn were the several sitting areas available, including an “eagle’s nest” loft room with a gorgeous view of the marsh, a second floor hallway sitting area, and a basement game room (with a pool table and pinball machine) and a sitting area, that opens up onto the lawn and patio areas.

On the lawn itself is a fireplace / patio area that in warmer weather might have lured me out for the evening; instead we opted for the hot tub.

Breakfast, a mix of pancakes or waffles, egg dishes, and fruit and yogurt, is served buffet style in the dining room, with private tables set up on a porch overlooking the front lawn and gardens.

Although not in Lewes proper, it’s just outside of town and close to a variety of things to do — from biking in Cape Henlopen State Park (or sunbathing on the beach), bird-watching in nearby Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, enjoying the quaint shops of historic Lewes, or taking a boat tours to see dolphins or up the Broadkill River to Milton.

Teriyaki wings are a specialty at Matt’s Fish Camp.

There are also a number of nearby restaurants to consider visiting, including Matt’s Fish Camp, which offers contemporary American seafood cuisine, and Gilligans Waterfront Restaurant, in historic Lewes overlooking the canal, which features an upscale American menu with creative seafood options.