Delaware, PA Road Trips

Despite being only 100 miles (160 km) long and less than 30 miles (48 km) across at its widest point and covering just 2,489 square miles, Delaware is a surprisingly complex and diverse state. The C&D Canal, which bisects the state two-thirds of the way up, serves as a sort of internal Mason-Dixon Line, separating the more urban and industrialized northern portion of Delaware, closely associated with the Northern metropolis of Philadelphia, from the more rural "slower, lower" southern part, which is more part of the Delmarva Peninsula and synchronized with the rhythm of rural parts of Maryland and Virginia. Fittingly for a surprisingly diverse state (and oddly enough for a small one), Delaware has a diverse economy, affecting the kinds of things available to visitors. The largest city, Wilmington, is a very business-oriented city; on account of Delaware's General Corporation Law, which is very favorable to managers of corporations, the majority of large US corporations are incorporated in the State of Delaware, and maintain a nominal presence in the state. Generally, this presence is in Wilmington, on account of its links to Philadelphia. This is especially true of banks, which also benefit from Delaware's laws respecting lending, and therefore maintain large workforces in Wilmington. Wilmington is therefore a very businesslike environment; most restaurants and bars downtown cater to those who work in Wilmington but live elsewhere ("elsewhere" often being Pennsylvania or even New Jersey).

Delaware has many beaches and seaside parks, including the Delaware Seashore State Park, Bethany Beach, and Rehoboth Beach. In Dover there are historical buildings and exhibits such as the Old State House. Winterthur Museum and Gardens is a fascinating museum featuring American antiques.

Delaware's beaches, like Rehoboth Beach, are pleasant whether you're there for a stroll, a bit of beach-combing, or some more active beach pastimes.

Delaware has many excellent restaurants and a surprising number of brewpubs for a small state, including Dogfish Head in Rehoboth Beach and Iron Hill (in Newark and along the Riverfront in Wilmington). As the location of the University of Delaware, Newark is the home of a number of bars and restaurants popular with college students and locals. One such restaurant is Klondike Kate's (on Main Street). Ask for a tour of the jail cells in the basement, dating from the late 1700s. The Deer Park (also on Main Street) is a long standing Newark institution with a rich history. Although the current building dates from 1847, there has been a tavern on the site since colonial times. Edgar Allan Poe once stayed at the St. Patrick's Inn, which used to stand on the same site. Legend has it that he put a curse on the building and the city after falling in the mud outside the hotel. Due to the site's association with Poe, the symbol of the Deer Park is a raven, and there is a wooden raven on display in the main dining room. In the city of Wilmington, Trolley Square, about one mile from downtown along Delaware Avenue, is widely popular with locals in their 20s-30s. Among the bars in Trolley Square, The Logan House is arguably the most popular drinking location. Just outside of the city on Route 52 in Greenville is Cromwell's, which has quality pub style food and a comfortable ambience.

Some brewpubs include: Iron Hill Brewery. Dogfish Head Brewing. Stewart's Brewpub. Do not drink and drive in Delaware, the penalties are very harsh.

Commercial airline service into the state of Delaware is limited, but areas of the state are reasonably close to major international airports in either Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, or Virginia. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL IATA) is 20 miles or about a half hour to the northeast of downtown Wilmington and serves as the main commercial aviation gateway for most visitors to Delaware. PHL is accessible to northern Delaware via SEPTA Regional Rail; passengers seeking to take SEPTA rail from PHL to Delaware should take the Airport Line to a Central Philadelphia station and purchase a ticket to Wilmington from there. Baltimore-Washington International (BWI IATA), is less than 90 minutes away, and has many national and international flights. It is accessible via Amtrak from Delaware, but no commuter/regional rail line in Delaware connects to it. Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY IATA) serves many visitors to southern Delaware's beaches and is about an hour south and west of Rehoboth Beach. Wilmington is a major stop for Amtrak trains running along the Northeast Corridor. There are frequent high-speed connections with premium Acela Express trains throughout the day from Baltimore, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.. Slower Northeast Regional runs along the same with additional stops in-between the major cities, Delaware's third largest city Newark being one of them. Some regional trains also continue into northern Virginia.

Cars are the main mode of transportation, except in the city of Wilmington, where ample mass transit is available. DART First State is the primary public transportation system that operates throughout Delaware. Although most of its routes run in and around Wilmington and Newark in New Castle County, DART also serves Dover (in Kent County) and Georgetown in Sussex County. In the summer months, DART provides Beach Bus service to the Delaware Beaches. DART provides connecting service with the Wilmington/Newark line of SEPTA Regional Rail, which travels between Philadelphia and Wilmington; within Delaware, the Wilmington/Newark Line always stops in Claymont, and in any given day, a few trains will continue on to Newark. The Delaware Department of Transportation subsidizes Regional Rail operations into Delaware. Information on Delaware Transit can be found here.

Staying safe in Delaware is a matter of staying smart. In Wilmington, city officials and downtown merchants have formed (armed with two-way radios but not guns) private security patrols that wander the restaurant and entertainment districts in the downtown area to supplement the city police. Most restaurants will summon a security person to escort you to your car if requested. In the city of Wilmington it is best to apply common sense and pay attention to your surroundings; listen to your inner voice. If it's telling you that you've wandered into a bad area, you probably have. In general, it's best to avoid walking alone after dark in the downtown area. Interestingly enough, Wilmington has one of the highest concentrations of remote security cameras of any city its size. Of course, these cameras are best at identifying criminals after the fact, so don't take much comfort in their presence. Like everywhere else, common sense needs to be used. Outside of Wilmington, there is little to worry about outside of leaving your windows down when it starts to unexpectedly rain.