Travel Destination: Delaware

Photo Credit: www.rehobothbeachde.net

My bet is that, when you were thinking of places to travel, Delaware wasn’t even on your long list.  Delaware has an identity issue.  It’s a small state with an uncommon name that’s tucked in between some powerful states, and thus gets overlooked at a place to visit.  Yet Delaware has its own charm and some things that are worth giving it a look.

Delaware is the second smallest state in the nation; Rhode Island holds the smallest distinction.  It’s tucked in between Maryland, New Jersey, and a sliver of Pennsylvania.  It’s only 96 miles long, and at its widest is only 35 miles, it’s shortest only 6 miles.

Strangely enough, Delaware has one of the largest beach fronts on the East Coast, over six miles worth of beachfront property.  Rehoboth Beach, located in Delaware Seashore State Park, is a very popular beach that’s crowded most of the summer.  The park itself is over 2,800 acres of sun and sand.  Most people love to just sit in the sun or go swimming, but there’s also a lot of boating and some fishing, since it’s on the ocean, as well as surfing and sailboating.  There’s also the Thompson Island Preserve, though visits there are restricted since it’s protected.

Delaware doesn’t have any state taxes, so more than 50% of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware, and many of them have some sort of physical presence in the state because of that.  It also doesn’t have any sales taxes, though there are some county taxes and, of course, property taxes.  Therefore, something else Delaware is great for are shopping trips to its many malls.

And there are some of the standard things that people love to see in cities, or in the state in this case.  There’s the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington, which is the largest city in the state.  It’s known for its dinosaur exhibits and its butterfly garden.  There’s Fort Delaware State Park, which at one time housed more than 30,000 Confederate soldiers after the Civil War.  In the capital city, Dover, there are the annual stock car races at Dover International Speedway, as well as the Schwartz Center for the Arts, which hosts both the symphony and ballet.

And, if you’re looking for luxury, Wilmington is also home to one of the top luxury hotels in the country, the Hotel De Pont, which has been open since 1913 and has had some of the top names in history stay there, including President John Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Charles Lindbergh, and includes a 1,200 seat theater which hosts Broadway plays.

See more:
Top Travel Destinations
Delaware Tourist Attractions
Delaware Beaches