Delaware

Delaware was the first state to ratify the US Constitution. Delaware is well known as a corporate tax haven due to its laxed and secure banking laws. It is bordered by the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Counties



 * New Castle County (Northern Delaware)
 * Kent County (Delaware) (Central Delaware)
 * Sussex County (Delaware) (Southern Delaware)

Cities

 * Dover, the capital, located in the middle of the state.
 * Wilmington
 * Newark
 * Bridgeville
 * Dewey Beach
 * New Castle
 * Rehoboth Beach
 * Middletown
 * Bethany Beach
 * Fenwick Island

Understand
Despite being only a hundred miles long and less than fifty miles across at its widest point, 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 from the more rural "slower, lower" southern part.

Climate
''You might be from Delaware if you once thought that you might have a White Christmas... and then it rained.''

The weather in Delaware varies greatly from season to season. Summers are almost always hot, very humid, and unpleasant. The air quality is accordingly poor, but no more so than surrounding counties. Winters, although it rarely snows heavily, can get bitterly cold. Spring and fall are generally the nicest seasons, although snow storms can arrive in April, and heat waves can hit in late November. Delaware weather is unpredictable, the only real way to prepare would be to carry an umbrella and pray for sunshine.

Talk
Due to its location as a border state lying between the North and South, people from Delaware have American English accents which vary accordingly based upon location and environment. Southern accents begin to be encountered below the C&D Canal, and increase in volume the further south you go.

By Plane
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 the District of Columbia. In 2013, Frontier Airlines offered commercial flights to New Castle County Airport including direct flights from several US Cities including Chicago-Midway, Orlando, Tampa, Houston, and Denver.


 * Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) 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.
 * Baltimore-Washington International (BWI), is less than 90 minutes away, and has many national and international flights.
 * Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) serves many visitors to southern Delaware's beaches and is located about an hour south and west of Rehoboth Beach, DE.

By Train
The Amtrak station in Wilmington is a major stop on the system's Northeast Corridor, with frequent high-speed connections throughout the day to NYC, Boston, and D.C. The station is located on Front Street between French and Walnut Streets in downtown Wilmington. It has one inside level which has stores, a cafe, Amtrak and SEPTA ticket offices, a car rental office, and a post office; passengers board their trains on the second story train platforms. It is served by Amtrak trains along the Northeast Corridor going south to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and going north to Philadelphia and New York. It is also served by SEPTA's R2 Regional Rail Line with service to Philadelphia and Newark, Delaware. Like all stations in Delaware, SEPTA service is provided under contract and funded through DART First State, which also provides extensive local bus service.

By Car
The only interstate highways in Delaware bisect merely a small portion at the north. These are I-95 and I-495 coming from Philadelphia and I-295 coming from NJ. At some point outside Wilmington, all of these roads merge and continue onwards towards Maryland and Baltimore. Most traffic from Washington, however, uses US-50 and US-301, avoiding the tolls and traffic of I-95 in Maryland.

By Boat
At least in the summer, a ferry operates between Cape May, NJ, and Lewes, DE. It is completely possible to use a private boat to arrive in Delaware, by the Delaware River/Bay from PA or NJ.

By Bus
Greyhound has a limited number of bus terminals throughout the state. There is also "Chinatown" bus service from Dover, Smyrna, and Wilmington to New York City, Albany, Baltimore, and VA which operates throughout most of the day.

Get around
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, and has one route running into New Jersey, which connects with New Jersey Transit buses, and one route into Elkton with connection to the dial-a-ride service of Cecil County.

DART provides connecting service with the R2 Newark line of SEPTA Regional Rail, which travels between Philadelphia and Wilmington, with a few trains continuing on to Newark. The Delaware Department of Transportation subsidizes Regional Rail operations into Delaware.

Do
Delaware has beautiful beaches. The more popular ones are:
 * Rehoboth Beach (known for being gay friendly)
 * Lewes (known for its historic district)
 * Dewey Beach (popular with college students)
 * Bethany Beach (popular with families — Bethany Beach is part of what is referred to as "The Quiet Resorts")


 * Delaware also has a very extensive and well maintained park system, most parks are free or at little cost


 * The Blue Rocks baseball team.

You can gamble 'til your heart's content
 * Delaware Park Racetrack and Casino
 * Dover Downs Racetrack
 * Harrington Raceway & Casino

There's also quite a bit of small town charm, like:
 * St. Anthony's Italian Festival in Wilmington DE. Held the 2nd full week in June, this popular fair covers 4 blocks and has plenty of food, wine and entertainment (http://www.stanthonysfestival.com/)
 * Delaware's State Fair
 * Sussex County's Punkin Chunkin, where specially grown pumpkins are shot from devices such as air-powered cannons, trebuchets, catapults, and various other contraptions. The goal is to see which device can hurl a pumpkin the greatest distance, with some currently reaching distances of almost a mile. The carnival atmosphere is themed in pumpkins with more and more attractions added each year.

Delaware is well known for having no sales tax. Most Delawareans shop at malls or strip malls with big box stores. Notable malls include:
 * Christiana Mall
 * Concord Mall
 * Dover Mall
 * Rehoboth Outlets

In addition to the beaches, gambling, and shopping, Delaware has many small and unique historical places and museums. Some things to check out would be:

In New Castle County:
 * Buena Vista
 * City of New Castle Historical Society
 * Delaware Art Museum
 * Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts
 * Delaware Historical Society
 * Delaware Museum of Natural History
 * Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame
 * Gardens at DE Center for Horticulture
 * Greenbank Mill and Philips Farm
 * Hagley Museum & Library
 * Historic Houses of Odessa
 * Iron Hill Museum
 * New Castle Court House Museum
 * Old Swedes Church & Hendrickson House Museum
 * Rockwood Park
 * Winterthur Museum & Country Estate
 * The Grand Wilmington - The Grand Opera House, also known as The Grand or Masonic Hall and Grand Theater, is a 1,208-seat theater for the performing arts in Wilmington, Delaware. Each year the Grand hosts 60+ events including Opera, Ballet, Symphony and dozens of top name performers each year.  http://www.thegrandwilmington.org/
 * World Cafe Live at the Queen - this venue is part of WXPN Public Radio out of University of Pennsylvania and hosts over 300 events every year of both up and coming artists along with established names. The venue resides in the former Queen Movie theater and was refurbished and reopened in 2011 for the World Cafe Life http://queen.worldcafelive.com/

In Kent County:
 * Air Mobility Command Museum
 * Biggs Museum of American Art
 * Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
 * Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village
 * Delaware Archaeology Museum
 * Delaware Public Archives
 * Delaware State Police Museum
 * Delaware Visitor Center and Galleries
 * First State Heritage Park at Dover
 * John Dickinson Plantation
 * Johnson Victrola Museum
 * Monster Racing Excitement
 * Museum of Small Town Life
 * Old State House
 * Parson Thorne Museum.

In Sussex County:
 * Abbott's Mill Nature Center
 * DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum
 * Georgetown Train Station Museum
 * Lewes Historical Society Complex
 * Laurel Historical Society
 * Milford Museum
 * Nassau Valley Vineyards
 * Nutter Marvel Carriage Museum
 * Old Courthouse – Georgetown
 * Overfalls Lightship Museum
 * Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
 * Seaford Historical Society Plantation & Museum
 * Treasures of the Sea Exhibit
 * Zwaanendael Museum.

Buy
Keeping with the state attitute of "No Taxes", Delaware doesn't impose a sales tax on products within the state.

Eat
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 formerly stood 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. For those staying in Downtown Wilmington there are several excellent bars and restaurants in the downtown area including The Chelsea Tavern, Ernest & Scott Taproom and Mikimoto's. On the West Side of Wilmington is the Little Italy district including 'Restaurant Row' - the numerous restaurants found on Lincoln and Union Streets. This includes several authentic style Italian Restaurants like Mrs. Robino's, Mona Lisa's Euro Bistro and Luigi Vitrone’s Pastabilities Restaurant along with other popular places like Walter's Steakhouse, Union Grille, Dead President's Pub and Restaurant and Blue Parrot.

Drink
The legal drinking and purchasing age of aloholic beverages is 21. Some brewpubs include:

Irish Eyes in Lewes, Sussex County Frazier's in Dover, Kent County McGlynn's Pub in Dover, Kent county
 * Iron Hill Brewery
 * Dogfishead Brewing
 * Stewart's Brewpub

Stay safe
Staying safe in Delaware is a matter of staying smart. In Wilmington, city officials and downtown merchants have formed private security patrols (with two-way radios, not guns) 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 (as it is anywhere); 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 too much comfort in their presence.

Despite the above advice, Delaware has less crime than most other states due to its small population. A visit anywhere in the state is safe. 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.

Fireworks
Keep in mind, Delaware is one of the few states that bans all consumer fireworks. If you wish to purchase and use fireworks, please do it in a neighboring state that allows it. Maryland and Pennsylvania are the only choices. And Do Not bring your purchased fireworks back into Delaware; that qualifies as smuggling as you (the consumer) are in possession of fireworks. Punishments for smuggling fireworks in Delaware will lead to serious prison time. Lighting them in the countryside isn't recommended as you'll never know if there are any sheriffs nearby. This also goes for anyone who is just driving through the state with a vehicle of fireworks.

Get out

 * New Jersey — Delaware's neighbor to the north, the Garden State offers a surprising amount of natural beauty in the south and western parts of the state.
 * Pennsylvania — The city of Philadelphia makes an easy day trip from Delaware and offers a glimpse into America's Revolutionary War era history.
 * Maryland — Located to the west and south of Delaware, Maryland offers "America in Miniature" with everything from history to nature to modern cities

isin: Mid-Atlantic

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