Bowen and Avery Ryan

Store # 7807
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

At dusk one evening as their Atlantic beach town was winding down into the off-season, Bowen Ryan and his daughter, Avery, 7, walked down the street from their house to their local Starbucks to hang out.

“It’s a very, very close-knit, cool, artsy, open-minded community,” Bowen said. “It’s your typical beach town – chaotic and crazy during the summer, then as soon as everybody leaves, the locals relax and come out and start hanging out.”

Father and daughter took a moment to share their favorite things about each other.

“I would describe her as probably one of the smartest, sweetest, kindest, strongest, bravest little girl you could ever meet,” Bowen said. “She’s very smart, very funny and probably the most creative and cool little girl to walk the earth. I don’t want to boast, but she’s very, very smart. Her mommy is from Belarus, and Avery is completely fluent in Russian and English and also speaks a little Spanish. She also plays the piano.”

“I do horses, too,” Avery chimed in.

“I’m sorry, yes. And horseback riding and swimming,” her dad said.

And as for her father?

“Well, he’s strong, fluent, funny, strong … oh, I already said strong. He is special and he is very caring and very honest,” Avery said.

—Jennifer Warnick

“She’s very smart, very funny and probably the most creative and cool little girl to walk the earth.”