I have questions about DE (Wilmington, Dover: live, restaurant, shops)

[DelawareLiz]

You'll be fine, seasoul . Out of the 40+ homes in my development, only three are owned by native Delawareans (one is mine) and we all get along just fine. Transplants far outnumber natives at the DE beaches; it's just a fact of life. Hey, I'd want to move here too if I was was one of them . Let me know if you need an advice if you happen to be in my area (Bethany Beach/Ocean View).

jm02--great pics!! My husband's family was involved with the Woodland Ferry many years ago. I never was a fan of western Sussex, but I did marry a Seaford native and I also work for a western Sussex County school district. Some of the nicest people I ever met are my co-workers.

[~seasoul~]

Oh yes beachliz, I do need advice on your area.

So my first 2 days in DE are going to be beach days (week days!)

Day 1 we are doing Cape Henlopen State Park beach (unless someone here tells me its a bad idea)

Day 2 is Bethany Beach. I thought I read that there is a nice boardwalk - true? Besides swimming and sunbathing, I'm wondering if bike rentals might be a possibility? Or maybe we'll just bring our rollerblades.

As for dining in the Bethany Beach area, give me some suggestions for both lunch and dinner. On Tripadvisor, some that caught my eye were: Off The Hook, Blue Coast, Cottage Cafe, and Blue Crab.

I'm already sold on the Mexican food in Lewes, so I want seafood at Bethany Beach!

Also beachliz, if there are any cute shops my sister and I simply must check out, do let me know!

And lighthouses. We love and miss them. Any worth seeing in DE?

[doctorjef]

I also don't mean to dis' Lower DE at all. You should enjoy the Atlantic coast of Sussex and the lower DE Bay bit of Lewes. I really would recommend checking out the Hotel Rodney in Lewes -- may or may not be affordable/avaialble.

[Pine to Vine]

seasoul - Have a great visit.

[DelawareLiz]

for Cape Henlopen--you'll love it! Be sure to hike up to the top of the observation tower and take some pics.

Bethany Beach has a small, quaint boardwalk. It can get rather packed on eveings and weekends, but it's much less "tacky" and nowhere near as loud as Rehoboth boardwalk. It doesn't have the criminal element either...not that you need to fear Rehoboth boardwalk by any means. However, if you are a woman out at night without a man present, then I would stay in the crowded areas to avoid any drama. There were multiple assaults and muggings there last year, and most were directed towards tourists. Same goes for Ocean City boardwalk, although it does not appear you'll be headed that far south.

There is a bike rental shop on the north end of Bethany Beach, but it's not right at the boardwalk. You can't miss it though. There are some cute shops you'll enjoy in Bethany Beach, for sure! Many of them are not right on the boardwalk, but they are right along the "main drag" going into Bethany or hidden right off the main strip. The totem pole on route one signifies Bethany's main strip.

If you like antiques, furniture stores, or any other unique stores, then you may want to head west on route 26; there are a few stores between Ocean View and Millville which attract many tourists.

Blue Coast is very tasty, and I am a frequent diner at the Cottage Cafe--love the place!! They have excellent dune fries (cheese fries with bacon and scallions) which come with homemade ranch dressing. The platters are a good deal, but don't shy away from their burgers. They are some of the best I've had!! I haven't been to the other two restaurants, but I have heard good reviews about them.

[~seasoul~]

As promised, I'm posting after my trip to DE.

The short version: I did not want to go back home!

The historic section of New Castle was a favorite area of mine. Ate at Jessop's Tavern and did waaaay too much shopping at the little shops in that area.

Another favorite place was Lewes and specifically Cape Henlopen State Park beach. That is a damn good beach. Historic stuff in Lewes and restaurants were a great part of the trip.

Enjoyed the historic village in Dover and was thrilled to find an entire street just outside Dover where every single house had a barn and horses! (I have a horse that I currently board, but dream of owning more horses and keeping them at home some day).

Biggest surprise about DE: the people. I should have expected friendly based on you lovely folks that have offered such helpful advice here in this thread, but my goodness the people of DE are AWESOME! We met so many nice, friendly, genuine people all over the state.

Also loved: Bethany Beach, Winterthur tour and surrounding area, Odessa, the bridges, all of the agriculture throughout the state, farmers markets, and the CRAB CAKES!!

DE definitely has more traffic than where I live in WNY. By that I mean that there are many more cars on the roads and you have to stay alert when driving. However, I liked that the people kept it moving and I liked the way people drive there in general.

I really can't say enough about your lovely state! I guess the ONE thing I wish was different is that you had more varied topography / more hills in the lower 2 counties, like you have in N.C. county, but that is a minor nit-pick in the grand scheme, right?

One other interesting note, at least I thought it was interesting: The people in the northernmost county really seem to look down their noses at "slower lower / lower slower". But the reverse did not seem to be true. I adored the people and the surroundings in all 3 counties and think DE has a TON going for it. What a phenomenal state!

Already planning another trip in the Fall to see more.

Oh my gosh and the bugs were non-existent! Something I was really concerned about with that intense humidity you have there. I think it is too humid even for bugs in DE. The bugs moved to Florida to escape the DE humidity! I would buy a house with A/C and a POOL in DE.

[Pine to Vine]

seasoul - I was thinking recently about the thread you started and wondered if you'd visited. I was just back in DE this weekend for a visit myself. I got a chuckle at your observation of how folks from the "two Delawares" observe one another. I found the folks down south are too busy having fun to give much thought to anyone up north. Not sure what's going on up north - jealousy?

Glad you had a great visit. Thanks for posting.

[rdlr]

seasoul..........So glad you had such a blast! Sounds like you experienced it all in Delaware.

Most people do say the same things about above and below the 'ditch'. Kent and Sussex County people proudly wear the "rural badge" while others of us in Kent and Sussex go overboard and just wallow in being called "hicks".

Come back soon!

[James420]

Originally Posted by ~seasoul~

As promised, I'm posting after my trip to DE.

The short version: I did not want to go back home!

The historic section of New Castle was a favorite area of mine. Ate at Jessop's Tavern and did waaaay too much shopping at the little shops in that area.

Another favorite place was Lewes and specifically Cape Henlopen State Park beach. That is a damn good beach. Historic stuff in Lewes and restaurants were a great part of the trip.

Enjoyed the historic village in Dover and was thrilled to find an entire street just outside Dover where every single house had a barn and horses! (I have a horse that I currently board, but dream of owning more horses and keeping them at home some day).

Biggest surprise about DE: the people. I should have expected friendly based on you lovely folks that have offered such helpful advice here in this thread, but my goodness the people of DE are AWESOME! We met so many nice, friendly, genuine people all over the state.

Also loved: Bethany Beach, Winterthur tour and surrounding area, Odessa, the bridges, all of the agriculture throughout the state, farmers markets, and the CRAB CAKES!!

DE definitely has more traffic than where I live in WNY. By that I mean that there are many more cars on the roads and you have to stay alert when driving. However, I liked that the people kept it moving and I liked the way people drive there in general.

I really can't say enough about your lovely state! I guess the ONE thing I wish was different is that you had more varied topography / more hills in the lower 2 counties, like you have in N.C. county, but that is a minor nit-pick in the grand scheme, right?

One other interesting note, at least I thought it was interesting: The people in the northernmost county really seem to look down their noses at "slower lower / lower slower". But the reverse did not seem to be true. I adored the people and the surroundings in all 3 counties and think DE has a TON going for it. What a phenomenal state!

Already planning another trip in the Fall to see more.

Oh my gosh and the bugs were non-existent! Something I was really concerned about with that intense humidity you have there. I think it is too humid even for bugs in DE. The bugs moved to Florida to escape the DE humidity! I would buy a house with A/C and a POOL in DE.

When it comes to the northernest part of the state, the residents don't look down on lower Delaware hicks, lol, they look down on everyone. Kind of a equal opportunity thing.

[DelawareLiz]

Glad to hear you had a wonderful trip, seasoul!! I knew you'd love Cape Henlopen .

I had a good chuckle over what you and James said about the NCC folks. I'm originally from there (Brandwine Hundred at that) but have resided in eastern Sussex for most of my life. However, my family was hick-ish (LOL!!) whether we lived in NCC or Sussex so we fit right in here when we moved. I rarely travel up north now; I have too much fun down here.