DELAWARE
News
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NEWS: Please note that cities and towns follow after the News
Highlights in Delaware include Fort Delaware State Park (Delaware City); the Delaware Museum of Natural History (just outside Wilmington); Dupont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve (Milford), and other points of interest to be added shortly - so return to this page frequently.
The Delaware Museum of Natural History Is A Gem (Check it out below under Wilmington)
Delaware Fishing
Delaware offers lots of fishing opportunities for all ages.
For information about fishing access areas, artificial reef locations, fish consumption advisories, trout stocking program, small pond program, license requirements, free fishing days, or for The Fishing Guide and boating information, contact the following:
Web site: www.fw.delaware.gov
Director's office: 302-739-9910
Fisheries: 302-739-9914
Enforcement: 302-739-9913
Boating information: 302-739-9916
Delaware Travel Highlights
Whether you visit Delaware for a day, weekend or longer, there's always something to do and see -- and, no doubt -- you'll be planning your next vacation here again and again.
Below are places of cities and towns of interest, places to birdwatch, fish, hike, kayak, and much more -- in addition to hotels, motels, inns and bed and breakfast places to stow your luggage and have a good night's sleep.
Delmarva Ornithological Society
Like birdwatching? Consider joining the Delmarva Ornithological Society (D.O.S.). Whether you're a novice birder or an expert, you'll be happy with this group. Offered is an extensive schedule of exciting field trips throughout the year (most within or near the state of Delaware); and monthly meetings featuring informative and entertaining speakers covering topics of local and global interest. D.O.S. is very active in gathering critical data on bird populations thruogh censuses such as the annual Christmas Bird County, and the organization provides a strong voice for habitat preservation. Members receive the D.O.S. Flyer, a newsletter published monthly from September to June; the Delmarva Ornithologist, the organization's annual journal, field trips; member programs; and volunteer opportunities.
Membership fee: Student $10; Individual $20; Household $30; Sustaining $40; Life $400. To join, send your name, address, phone number and e-mail to: D.O.S., P.O. Box 4247, Greenville, DE 19807, or go to www.DOSbirds.org.
DOVER
Bombay Hook
Bombay Hook received its name from the corruption of the Dutch “Bompies Hoeck” meaning “little tree point.” Today, the National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 15,978 acres. The refuge has one of the largest expanses of nearly unaltered salt marsh in the mid-Atlantic and over 1,100 acres of freshwater impoundments. This tour is complimented with visits to other noteworthy sites that may include Little Creek WMA, Port Mahon, and Woodland Beach WMA, dependent on recent conditions.
Although no two years are the same, this trip usually records 20+ species of shorebirds, large numbers of long-legged waders, and other surprises. Species we should encounter include Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Stilt Sandpiper, Caspian and Black Terns. The area is a magnet for rare birds as well, with past trips recording goodies like White Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Hudsonian Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Black-headed Gull, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Sedge Wren.
For further information , please contact Sandy Hook Bird Observatory at 732-872-2500 or mailto: shbo@njaudubon.org. Participants may register for one, two, or all three days. Fee varies accordingly: see www.njaudubon/Centers/shbo for prices. A list of Dover hotels is provided to registrants.
MILFORD
DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve
The DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve is most impressive. From the moment you enter, you'll see a multitude of exhibits; many which invite you to 'please touch.' Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Division of Fish and Wildlife owns and operates the $2.1 million conservation education interpretive center and wildlife observatory.The Center, with its distinctive red roof, includes an observation deck with spotting scopes to view the harbor, bay and shoreline.
Located at the edge of a harbor where the Mispillion River empties into the Delaware Bay, you'll immediately hear the sounds of thousands of birds resting or flying overhead. Each year, thousands of horseshoe crabs mate and lay millions of eggs on beaches visible from the Nature Center's observation deck. The eggs are a key food source for the red knot, a migratory shore bird that is endangered in many states. More than 130 species of birds, fish, shellfish, and other animals populate the area.
The history of the Center is quite interesting. As part of its ongoing effort to protect a habitat vital to both horseshoe crabs and red knots, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) purchased and donated the ground and building to the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife in 2004. PSEGs Estuary Enhancement Program began working in 1994 to restore and preserve portions of the Delaware Estuary in both New Jersey and Delaware. The 1.7-acre property included a waterfront restaurant building on wooden pilings and an outbuilding. The nature center now occupies the newly renovated restaurant and the outbuilding has since been removed. DuPont's Clear into the Futre Delaware Estuary initiative contributed $500,000 in cash for interpretive displays and more than $50,000 in labor and building materials for the center's renovation.
Although you probably won't want to leave the observation deck, the inside of the Center has a wealth of hands-on exhibits devoted to the Delaware Bay's natural history and ecology. Inside is a tank containing live, juvenile horseshoe crabs; Delaware Bay natural history displays; an exhibit devoted to the history of the Mispillion Lighthouse; bird identification panels; shorebird exhibits; an interactive station; and monitors with live camera feeds from nearby breeding grounds. As a bonus, a naturalist is always on hand to answer questions. The bird identification panels are designed to help visitors spot many of the species that may be seen in and around the harbor.
One of the interactive exhibits sponsored by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, is "Fly the Delaware Bay," providing an aerial tour of the estuary. In addition, lovely murals illustrate the anatomy of the horseshoe crab, trace the migration of a red knot, and provide information about the biology and ecology of both species illuminating the connection between them. Young and old will enjoy the computerized touch-screens taking each visitor beyond the exhibits with lively closed-captioned video.
History buffs will love the historical displays which recollect early colonial time when shipyards, sawmills, tanneries and flour mills thrived on the Mispillion River. And that's not all: Additional exhibits describe research efforts to protect crucial shorebird feeding areas and nesting habitats, horseshoe crab spawning areas, bait use, and the importance of the horseshoe crab in modern medicine. An internet access station is available as an additional resource for educational information on wildlife and their habitat.
The Center's Hours of Operation are Tuesday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. It is closed Monday; the grounds and observation deck are open dawn to dusk.
Please note: Easterly winds, moon phases and weataher coditions may cause high tides which may flood the access road to the center. On occasion, 12 to 18 inches of water has covered the road at any given time. Please check prior to planning your visit.
For more information visit web site www.dupontnaturecenter.org or call Dawn Webb at 302-422-1329.
Mispillion Lighthouse -
From 1873 until 2002, the Mispillion Lighthouse stood just a few feet south of where the nature center building now stands. The lighthouse served as an active navigation beacon until 1929, when the steel tower to the west of the nature center took its place. In May 2002 a lightning bolt struck and burned the lighthouse tower. A private party purchased the ruin and used it to build a replica, which is now at Shipcarpenter Square in Lewes, Delaware.
DuPont's Clear into the Future
What exactly is Clear into the Future?? It is a DuPont initiative to enhance the beauty and integrity of the Delaware Estuary for generations to come. As a company founded on the Delaware Estuary, DuPont realizes it is a commercial and ecological treasure and, through Clear into the Future, DuPont hopes to demonstrate the value it places in its history on the estuary and in its commitment to a sustainable future. Science and education are two pillars of Clear into the Future, and Professor Green, a robot who teaches children about the importance of estuary ecosystems, has been utilized for this purpose. By the end of 2008, it is estimated that "Professor G" will have visited about 60 elementary schools assemblies in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Clear into the Future also provides universities with research assistance and fellowships, and is helping the University of Delaware researchers develop an alternative to horseshoe crabs which is a bait used by eel and conch anglers.
Location: The DuPont Nature Center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford, Delaware 19963; 302-422-1329.
PEA PATCH ISLAND
Fort Delaware State Park
Just getting to Fort Delaware State Park is exciting -- for it's situated on Pea Patch Island -- a small island in the middle of the Delaware River. The Delaware River Bay Authority ferry in Delaware City, Delaware will take you there in about ten minutes, or you can board the ferry at Fort Mott State Park in Pennsville, New Jersey, for a pleasant half hour ride. Admission to the park is included in the ferry fare. Once on the island, you'll be whisked by jitney to the granite and brick fortress. On the way there, you may spot some of the island's wildlife and, as you get closer, the huge Fort where Union soldiers marched and drilled in the 1860s, and where Rebel prisoners were taken during the Civil War, comes into view. Step off the jitney at the entrance to the Fort, cross the moat, and you'll immediately go back in time as docents and soldiers in period attire greet you.
Walk the parade ground, check out the Officers' Quarters, the Mail and Supply Clerk's offices, the Mess Hall and, inside the orientation room, examine the artifacts and a scale replica of the Island during the Civil War prison years. Activity schedules are free, as are maps of the Fort and island.
Free daily programs, include:
Interpretive Tour of the Fort - Meet the people who lived on Pea Patch Island during the war as you investigate the various rooms. Hear about the restored rooms from both the modern-day perspective and the perspective of the people who lived here in 1864.
Heavy Artillery Demonstration - Hear how the artillery at Fort Delaware could fire over 40,000 pounds of iron in 30 minutes at an enemy ship. Check out the 8-inch Columbiad - the second largest Civil War cannon still fired in the United States, and hear what the fort's guns could do and how a crew fired this giant.
Heavy Artillery Drill - Visitors love this program which is interactive. Recruits are 'drafted' from the audience for the heavy artillery drill and, under the supervision of one of the officers, you'll learn how to handle the implements required to load and fire a 32-pounder gun.
Light Artillery Drill - This type of artillery was important to the war effort on both sides. The soldiers will teach you how these cannon work.
Reverand Isaac Handy: Rebel With A Cause - Find out how he came to be a political prisoner at Fort Delaware and figure out if he should be in prison, or if he's a traitor to the Union.
Captain G.S. Clark: Feeding Fort Delaware - Captain Clark served as the Commissary Officer for Fort Delaware. He was good at his job which was to make certain that all lthe soldiers, both the garrison and the prisoners, got fed the proper amount. This wasn't easy because the island had no drinking water!
Interpreters at various stations will relate the history of this important Fort as well as answer questions. Feel free to help the laundresses wash clothes the 19th-century way -- if you have the necessary strength. Chat with the Ordnance Sergeant: Keeper of the Guns, to learn how he took charge of all the ammunitition; learn how and why drilling was so important; hear stories of escape attempts; and about the dozens of African Americans who helped to build and operate Fort Delaware, and much, much more.
If you prefer a personalized, in-depth tour, opt for the Premium and Hands-On Programs (additional fee).
Birdwatching Opportunities -- If the ground is dry, take the 60-90-minute round-trip walk from the Fort's sally port (main entrance0 to the north end of the island to see some of the more than 10,000 herons, egrets, and other birds nesting here. You can do this alone or join experts who will discuss the history of this part of the island. Binoculars and insect repellent are recomended - as well as water-proof shoes if it has rained recently. Programs begin at 11:30 a.m. the bird observation tower. With binoculars you may spot many species. If not, you're sure to hear them. As I walked through the wetland areas, I spotted several beavers - so have a camera ready to shoot the action.
Children's Programs --
Musketry Demonstration and Children's Infantry Drill: Youngsters will be taught some of the complicated drills of the 19th-century army.
Pea Patch Scavenger Hunt: Children will be given a list of questions and activities and to complete the hunt, they must visit nearly all of the restored areas and speak with a few of the charaters.
Civil War Games: Find out what children on Pea patch Island did for fun.
School Days: The school marm will bring fun to the classroom for visiting children - who, in turn - will get a sample of a typical day in school and the strict discipline and different lessons that were common at the time.
Hours: Open weekends and holidays from the last weekend in April through the last weekend in September. From mid-June to Labor day, the park is open Wednesday through Sunday. For more information call 302-834-7941.
Note: The lower level of Fort Delaware is accessible to people with disabilities. Restrooms are available outside the Fort. Picnicking is permitted and grills are available for public use. Water and soda machines are available to visitors. A full-service gift shop is located inside the fort, and operated by the Fort Delaware Society. An additional gift shop is located at the Delaware City Ferry ticket office. Tickets for limited edition programs may be purchased at either gift shop.
WILMINGTON
Delaware Museum of Natural History
The Museum opened its doors to the public in 1972. Its mission is "to excite and inform people about the natural world through exploration and discovery," and is the only natural history museum in the state. While there, I found it appeals to all ages who receive educational and enriching experiences. I watched as young children's eyes popped wide open when they spotted the huge dinosaur, learned how eggs vary in size from the tiniest to those unbelievably huge, and spent a long time checking out the animal displays while their parents read the display's legend. As I walked along viewing the exceptional displayed exhibits, I paused when I got to the barrier reef -- for it was underfoot and I didn't know if the glass beneath my feet would support my weight. It did . . .and was one of the most unique displays I've ever seen. The bird collection is amazing; at 118,000 specimens, and 36,000 nests stored at the Museum, it is one of the largest collections in the nation. And, if that isn't rare, the Museum's collection of more than 2 million mollusks ranks among the top 10 in the United States!
You'll feel as though you're actually touring part of Africa in the African Watering Hole, or are at the beach discovering new shells at the Shell Gallery. No matter how old or young you are, you'll surely love learning where chipmunks sleep, what eagles feed their young, and much more, while exploring the hidden habitats and dwelling into the secret lives of forest animals. The beautiful murals - with images of wildflowers, blue herons, butterflies, and rabbits -- transported me to a grassy meadow where I followed four winding sets of animal tracks, and discovered which animals left them. The animal sounds added to my pleasure and education.
In addition, movies are shown in the Auditorium throughout the day, and the Discovery Room provides a fun, hands-on, environment for children to discover the natural world for themselves.
Don't leave without going on the Outdoor Scavenger hunt starting at the Boar Fountain. Actually created for children, I noticed how interested I and other adults were looking for the 'hidden' creatures on the museum's grounds. Everyone is encouraged to rub the boar's nose for good luck before tracking down the 8 lounging lizards hi8ding out under the leaves and in the open, the big toad, 14 snails, 7 crabs in different sizes, 9 frogs hiding around the boar, a snake, huge turtle, 2 tiny mice, and a bumble bee.
The Museum is Open Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM and on Sunday from noon to 4:30 PM. It is closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is located on Route 52, 4840 Kennett Pike, just outside Wilmington, and is accessible via DART, Bus #10. For details on DART call 800-652 DART
Admission:
· Adults (age 18 through 59): $7
· Seniors (age 60 and older): $6
· Children (age 3 through 17): $5
· Children (age 2 and younger): Free
About the Delaware Museum of Natural History
As the only natural history museum in Delaware, DMNH opened its doors in 1972 to excite and inform people about the natural world through exploration and discovery. The museum houses the state's only permanent dinosaur display, surrounded by exhibits of mammals, shells, and other specimens from around the world. The museum houses world-renowned scientific collections of mollusks and birds, including the second largest collection of birds' eggs in North America. For more information, call 302-658-9111 or visit www.delmnh.org.
Best Western Brandywine Valley Inn (Wilmington)
When visiting the Brandywine Valley area, one of the best places to stay is the Best Western Brandywine Valley Inn. Located close to museums and gardens, the rooms are comfortable, breakfast and daily newspaper is included, and the staff is friendly and professional. I had already checked out, but needed tissues and the person at the desk gave me a new box! Now that's service!! If you are here during the summer months, you'll welcome the large outdoor pool and lovely setting.
The Inn offers several Getaway Packages for guests who wish to sample the Brandywine Valley and all the rich history and culture it has to offer.
Best Western Brandywine Valley Inn is located at 1807 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803 off Exit 8, I-95, Rt. 202 North. For more information call 302.656.9436 or e-mail: info@brandywineinn.com
Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats (Rehoboth)
Besides the 'eats' at Dogfish, there are regularly scheduled events.
For the past ten years, the restaurant's goal has been to bring guests an original experience. From pizzas, steaks and seafood grilled over oak and hickory logs, to a complete line of original Dogfish Head ales and spirits, it's a place where you can relax, enjoy great food & drink, listen to live, original music, and have a good time with your friends or family. On the evening I was there, my partner and I found the hamburgers gigantic, but overdone. However, our friends couldn't get over the unusual pizzas, which they passed around the table and were, indeed, delicious. So were the huge onion rings - nice and crispy with just the right amount of batter.
Dogfish also offers free Wi-Fi and is located at 320 Rehoboth Ave.
Sambo's Tavern (Leipsic)
Located on Front Street in the quaint town of Leipsic, this tavern is indeed unique. Whether you are alone, with a friend or a group, you'll be accommodated at a table not set with a linen tablecloth, but with newspaper. And, you'll enjoy having a roll of paper towels at your disposal - because if you're like me, you'll be making a mess after ordering the restaurants specialty dishes ranging from soft shell crabs, clams, and the yummiest crab cakes I've ever tasted. Get your favorite dishes deep fried or steamed and wash it down with beer on tap or bottled, wine, or a variety of sweet teas and sodas. The house drink is Candied Crab - a frozen amaretto sour with Grenadine, so that should tell you a little about how different this place is! As a bonus, it's on the waterfront with great views of the fishing boats.
Warning: Credit cards aren't accepted and no one under 21 is allowed inside.
For reservations call 302-674-9724.