Delaware: if you go

By ROBERT N. JENKINS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 17, 2001

Personal observation after spending a week in Delaware: I have never been greeted more by passers-by: "How're you doing today?" "Try to stay dry." It may seem like a phenomenon nowadays, but such pleasantries make you look strangers in the face and actually see people, not just moving shapes sharing the sidewalk. Quite refreshing.

GETTING THERE: Busloads of people come from Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to shop in Delaware. That's because there is no sales tax and the several outlet malls feature brands such as L.L. Bean, Bass, Ann Taylor, Waterford, Williams Sonoma, Dockers, J. Crew, Pottery Barn and Nautica.

But for those not living next to Delaware, you are likely to fly into Philadelphia -- the airport is about 25 miles from Wilmington -- or to Baltimore-Washington International, about 85 miles from Wilmington. Many major airlines serve one or both of those airports, and rental cars are available at both.

ATTRACTIONS: The list of what to see and do in tiny Delaware is surprisingly long. Following are a few of my favorites, some of them featured in the accompanying articles. The area code for all of Delaware is 302.

Historical sites are nearly everywhere. Lewes (LOO-iss), which calls itself "the first city in the first state," has a number of 18th and 19th century structures, some arranged in a tidy park. There is also the Zwaanendael museum, built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the first Dutch settlers in Lewes.

For information, contact the museum at 645-1148 and the Historical Complex at 645-7670. But places such as New Castle are virtual living history villages. Along this city's pretty little park named the Green, and for a couple of blocks on both sides of it, are homes that date to 1700. Some of these are museums, which charge a fee for admission.

For information, go to www.newcastlecity.org or contact the New Castle Visitors Bureau for a handy Heritage Trail map/brochure at P.O. Box 465, New Castle, DE 19720; call toll-free 1-800-758-1550. Dover, the state capital, has its own 18th century structures to tour but also offers a couple of small but fun museums and the chance to eat foods made and served by members of the local Amish community.

It takes no more than half an hour to visit either the Museum of Small Town Life, a cozy arrangement of 19th and early 20th century items, and, one block away, the Johnson Victrola Museum.

The latter tells the fascinating story of how Delaware native Eldridge Johnson was hired in 1896 -- for 50 cents -- to create a motor that would provide uniform turntable speed to the new Grammophone record-playing machine.

Johnson would ultimately win a court battle for the rights to produce his version of the machine and use as its trademark the picture of a small dog with its ear cocked to the famed "morning glory" amplifying horn and the slogan: His Master's Voice. Johnson named his company Victor, for his court victory, and built 15 factories on four continents.

In 1926, Johnson sold the company to Radio Corporation of America (RCA) for a staggering $29-million plus stock options. The museum is filled with models of the machines that made his fortune.

It's about a five-minute walk from these two museums to Spence's Bazaar and Auction, held Tuesdays and Fridays.

The bazaar's flea market goods don't impress, but in a crowded hall next door, Amish women serve and sell portions of freshly made dairy and meat products and salads. Some shoppers buy the food to take home, but most buy one of the overstuffed sandwiches or containers of salad and chow down at the indoor picnic tables.

For information on the museums, call the Delaware State Visitor Center at 739-4266; Spence's Bazaar information is at 734-3441.

Other big draws in the capital are Dover Downs Entertainment, which features NASCAR races, harness races, 2,000 slot machines and live entertainment (call 674-4600, www.doverdowns.com) and the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, which displays both vintage planes and the largest cargo planes in the world (677-5938, www.amcmuseum.org). For information about touring the Nanticoke Homes factory, 1 mile north of Greenwood, call toll-free 1-800-777-4561. Contact Canis Lupus Wolf Foundation at 3002 Rosetree Lane, Newark, DE 1702; call 453-8618; the Web site is www.tonka.wxs.org.

WILMINGTON: The state's largest city displays enough wealth in public and residential buildings to convince visitors it is a corporate city, though there are blighted areas and middle class row houses close to the skyscrapers.

But the city is also quite near the Brandywine Valley, named for a river flowing south from nearby Pennsylvania. The valley is closely identified with that fabled family of American painters, the Wyeths.

You don't need to cross the state line to view impressive displays of the three generations: Works are exhibited in the Delaware Art Museum (571-9590), in Wilmington's downtown library (18 original oils by N.C. Wyeth done for an edition of Robinson Crusoe) and in the Wilmington Saving Fund Society headquarters (N.C.'s huge mural, Apotheosis of the Family).

Wilmington's gentrified industrial waterfront downtown, the Riverwalk along the Christina River, has outlet shops, a couple of large restaurant/bars and pleasant green spaces. There is also a park named for onetime slave Harriet Tubman and a white merchant, Thomas Garrett, both of whom were dedicated to helping slaves use the Underground Railroad here in the 19th century.

For a brief history of the city, hop aboard the Christina River Boat Co.'s water taxi, which offers narrated, 30-minute trips with several stops.

And if you are in town during baseball season, buy a ticket to see the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a Kansas City Royals farm club, playing in a handsome stadium.

Contact the Hagley Museum via its Web site at www.hagley.org or call 658-2400. For information on Nemours Mansion and Gardens, call 651-6912. Both of these du Pont estates charge admission.

EATING THERE: Despite Delaware's boasts about its soft-shell crabs, my only memorable meal was a great steak, at the Vault, a former bank in downtown Wilmington. Opened less than a year ago, the Vault offers excellent service, pleasing decor and large portions cooked to perfection. Pricey but worth it. (652-8821). FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Delaware Tourism Office toll-free at 1-800-441-8846. The Web site is www.state.de.us/tourism.The site for state-operated museums is www.destatemuseums.org.Three regional offices can supply information and events calendars and assist with lodgings. The state office can supply details, or go to these web sites:

Northern region: www.wilmcvb.org. Central region: www.visitdover.com. Southern region: Call the Sussex County Convention & Tourism Commission toll-free at 1-800-357-1818.

The state office has a highway map that includes several city maps. For good back roads driving, I consulted the three county road atlases published by ADC the Map People. Contact the company at 6440 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312-2447; call toll-free 1-800-232-6277; the Web site is www.adcmap.com.

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