America’s ‘First State’ is one of the country’s smallest and most densely populated states, with the official drink being milk. Boasting beaches, forests and an abundance of outdoor activities, Delaware makes for an excellent outdoors vacation. Offering activities ranging from canoeing and fishing to hunting and golfing, a trip to this tiny state will delight all the family.
Explore: Dover • Lewes • Middletown • New Castle • Newark • Rehoboth Beach • Wilmington
State capital, Dover, has a few lovely beaches with well established resorts. Attractions include several popular casinos and the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village. Here you will find a miniature version of 200 year old Delaware, preserving the state’s rural heritage.
Thriving Wilmington is a great example of a city that really knows how to move with the times. Many of the old factories and warehouses have been turned into bustling clubs and cafés, and the trendy Riverfront area is a pleasant place to have a couple of drinks and watch the world go by. Here you will find the First USA Arts Center, boasting a fine revolving collection of art from around the world. American illustration and British pre-Raphaelite art can be enjoyed at the Delaware Art Museum.
Fort Delaware State Park can be found on the quaintly named Pea Patch Island. Hiking trails, picnicking spots and lovely scenery can be enjoyed here, and during the summer months, watch out for Civil war re-enactments around the five sided granite fortress.
Delaware boasts a number of decent beaches. Seashore state Park is an area of pleasantly peaceful beaches and sandy spots, away from the hectic city. Those looking for a livelier scene should head to Dewey to mingle with an energetic young party-loving crowd.
New Castle is home to some pretty, well preserved houses from the 17th and 18th centuries and sits alongside the Delaware River. Dutch and British influences are evident in the former state capital’s charming cobbled streets and brick houses.
An abundance of magnificent birds can be spotted at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Home to egrets, ducks, bald eagles, sandpipers, wintering herons, willets and geese, the park makes for an enjoyable visit even for those not usually into twitching. Several relatively easy hike trails can also be enjoyed within the park and offer some excellent opportunities to take some decent wildlife photographs.