#Gates50States

Spring Break 2025 and we wanted to make it a drivable destination. Our original plan was to visit Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, but the more we looked into Delaware, the more we found our interests lied in the north of the state, adding a lot more driving to an already full week. We decided to push off Delaware and combine it with New Jersey, and take more time, or at least less rushed time in Virginia and Maryland.

But then things changed.

Because of a knee injury, Lincoln had to pull out of a tennis tournament in York, PA, we’d all been planning on, so that gave us an extra day on this trip. We made a decision on the fly to add Delaware to this leg of #Gates50States. This involved going from Chincoteague, VA, to Ocean City, MD, then up the coast to Rehoboth Beach through Bethany Beach.

Let’s be real. There’s not much to Delaware. It contains three counties. Three. Nobody is more faithful to giving each state a fair shot at appreciation than this very Gates family. It’s at the very foundation of our #Gates50States philosophy and mission. In my lead-up planning, I was disappointed at the lack of American History destinations in Delaware, especially given its claim to The First State. The more we looked into it, the less that excited us, and most of what seemed interesting was in the northern part of the state, quite a ways from our next destination of Annapolis, MD. But a drive up the coast gave us a very good look at the beach towns and views, and cutting across the state… we got to see Delaware’s neighborhoods, farm land, and… yeah… Delaware.

I picked up a book at Bethany Beach Books about the history of Bethany Beach, and Jenn read some excerpts while we drove. One was about how Delaware became such a powerhouse in the chicken production market, all because of a woman who received a delivery of more chicks than she ordered way back in the 1920s. This explained the scores and scores of poultry facilities we saw all along our drive and throughout the peninsula.

Delaware does beach towns much classier than Maryland. Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, and Rehoboth Beach were very pleasant. We made it up to Above The Dunes in Rehoboth for lunch, and chose it because they offered a number of gluten free options on their menu. It was okay, not bad, but in some respects it fit with our experience in some destination areas where a restaurant doesn’t have to kick out great product because they’re not really counting on repeat business. Some restaurants downright mail it in. ATD didn’t mail it in… Lincoln and I really liked our meals, the others were pretty average.

Of course Dogfish Head Brewery and Distillery in Milton was cool. Their very not small operation is smack in the middle of a neighborhood! We missed the tour time, but got a good sample of one of their whiskeys and gained a good appreciation for the scope of their operation.

We finished our Delaware experience by swinging back to Wilmington in the norther part of the state after we’d concluded our Maryland visit, all in an effort to visit the Hagley Museum, home of the DuPont family and their black powder operation.

One of the several things we learned here is how inventors must submit a miniature of their invention to the US Patent Office. A very big selection of these miniatures are on display. As Barber Motorosports Museum displays motorcycles, so does Hagley display these miniatures, and if you’ve conversed with us at all about some of our greatest finds on this #Gates50States adventure, you know Barber ranks at the top. The lighting and the display boxes made photographing these miniatures difficult, but you can take our word for it, they were impressive.

Delaware ought to be eternally grateful to the DuPonts. So much of the old wealth, beautiful gardens, and buildings that bring attention and prestige to the area were established or endowed by this amazing man and his family.

I don’t believe we saw the best Hagley had to offer. First, it was the earliest of spring when we arrived, and the trees had not yet budded, nor had any flowers but daffodils begun to emerge. As much of a botanist as DuPont was, we can only imagine how beautiful they maintain his grounds and how pretty the area will be in a few short weeks. Second, because we visited before their busier season when they’d be running at peak efficiency, the place was being run by a skeleton crew of volunteers. They were working hard to be sure, and they showed us around well, but not to the degree we believe they are capable when they’re pulling with everything they’ve got.

To our readers who might follow in our footsteps, absolutely do not miss the Hagley Museum as you visit Delaware. Maybe just go in the late spring or summer.

After our time at Hagley, we grabbed some lunch at Kid Shelley’s Charcoal House & Saloon. Nestled back in a neighborhood with a train track running right beside it, we had a good meal in a pleasant environment before we hit the road for home.

One final impression… Delaware looks like Ohio with fewer hills.

We failed to get chocolate chip ice cream in honor of our only president from Delaware, but I did trip on the steps and remembered him in the process. And then it was on to Maryland!

I was tempted to lead this post with, “Congratulations, Mississippi! You’re no longer on the bottom of the #Gates50States list.” But that would have been very unfair. Each state has its share of places worth visiting and important contributions to our union worth considering. We can’t escape, though, our take-home that Delaware was the least inspiring state for us to date. Well, Delaware… you tried. Until next time…