Did you see what I did there? Delaware is considered the “First State” as it was the first one to ratify the Constitution of the United States and was also the first state we visited to kick-off the new year! On our Sunday day trip we visited Dover, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Henlopen and Rehoboth Beach. We got very lucky with a 50ish degree day, which made it a perfect day to be outside and exploring new places. It also meant that because it was January, we had each of these places to ourselves.
Don’t Ditch Dover
Dover is a really quaint capital city. The highlight for me was stopping at the House of Coffi. Th
e coffee house is adorable with lots of unique art inside to match their unique selection. I completely indulged with a cinnamon roll latte and red velvet muffin (yep, muffin, not cupcake)! No wonder this place has 4.8 stars on Google!
After you’re loaded with your caffeine, it’s only about a 10 minute walk to see Wesley College. It’s was the first private college in Delaware and has beautiful brick buildings. The gorgeous Victorian houses along the way really make the walk worthwhile. 
On your loop back toward the coffee shop, stop by Woodburn, which is the Governor’s Mansion to at least get a picture of the building or gardens.
Across from the House of Coffi is the huge public library and then easy access to all kinds of Federal buildings from the post office to the archives and eventually the huge Legislative Hall (or State Capitol). Coming in January has its perks – like being able to photograph the entire Legislative Hall across the Green without a single person in the pic! Seeing the Old State House is also nice and right next to it is where we found free, unlimited parking for our time here.
In talking with the locals at the coffee house, Silver Lake Park was recommended. The park has a pretty waterfall and some nice areas to walk. While we didn’t try it, McGlynns Pub and Restaurant were recommended to us because of the perfect location in the middle of the lake.
All in all, this is a great day trip from the Washington, D.C. area as it’s only two hours away over the Bay Bridge. If you’re interested in touring any of the historical places or the Capitol, make sure to verify the hours online in advance.
Prime Hook and Cape Henlopen
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Cape Henlopen are great stops on a nice day for some hiking. Prime Hook has tons of trails and it’s free! We hiked the Dike Trail and Boardwalk Trail near the Visitors Center (which was sadly closed due to the government shutdown along with the restrooms) because we were able to take the stroller on both. 
We only saw one great blue heron, but if you love birds, you’ll want to check the website for which migratory birds will be there and when. We found Christmas Holly, which is Delaware’s State Tree along the Boardwalk path. 
Cape Henlopen normally costs $10, but for some reason it was free the day we went. It’s really close to the Lewes Ferry that will take you to Cape May, New Jersey. We drove up to Herring Point which had ample parking. There’s a great view of the ocean as well as access to a beach. The physical structure there has a “spy” history. Across the street from the physical structure are some paths, including a nice boardwalk path along Gordon’s Pond. If you have time, the Visitor Center offers free bikes on a first-come, first-serve basis and there are tons of biking paths to take advantage of.
Sunset on Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach is one of the many beaches in Delaware (some other include Dewey and Bethany) and popular for retirees. From researching which beach to check out, it appeared Rehoboth would be the best due to the one mile boardwalk. We timed our arrival so we’d get there around 4:30 pm and close to the sunset time. We are so glad we did because the sky looked beautiful. With the exception of a jewelry store, candy store and a restaurant that were open, this place was a ghost-town. While I imagine it is completely different during the summer, I think I would still prefer Ocean City, New Jersey.
We didn’t go, but I read “the Avenue” and the Tanger Outlets are popular to check out due to Delaware being tax free on clothes. Plus, if you’re a AAA member, don’t forget to stop by the Tanger Info Booth and get your coupon book!
If you want to make this trip a full weekend adventure, I recommend reading my article about the East Coast of Maryland called Ponies by the Seashore.
We walked along Langdon Street to see a lot of Greek houses before making our way toward Capitol Square. I spotted Michelangelo’s, an artsy, large coffee shop which has two entrances. 
The specialty menu is really unique as it’s made up of drinks created by current and former employees. I tried the “espresso miel” which was a latte of honey and cinnamon that I enjoyed!
I recommend timing your walk close to sunset so you can enjoy the colorful sky and reflections on the water. We were particularly lucky because a little boy called out a rainbow that appeared near the duck family statues.
On the top level, you can also peer out the window and get a good look at the “Broad Street Market” sign or do like us and stand in the middle of the street for a good selfie.
We continued along State Street to the Susquehanna River. This part of the Capital Area Greenbelt is gorgeous and I definitely want to return to bike the full 20 miles! Make sure not to miss the bronze statue of a man sitting on a bench reading his newspaper. It’s a perfect photo op! Put your arms around him, give him a peck, go crazy! Given the two hour parking limit, we arrived back to our car, set the GPS and were on our way to Chocolate Town USA!
We also really enjoyed the Reese’s Cup Xtreme Challenge and the new Hershey’s Drop Tower. One thing that was amazing is that after certain rides, they give you almost 2 ounces of free Hershey candy like Reese’s Crunchers! I tried some delicious treats this way. We stayed at the park until about 10 pm on a night where they closed at 11 pm.
The line took about 30 or so minutes, so be prepared to wait. We jogged back to the car using our phone flashlights as our guide given there are no street lights. Luckily, the area felt safe and we didn’t have any issues getting our car back at the Hershey Story. A touch before midnight we were back on the road and into our beds by 2 a.m. Can’t wait to spending another day this summer at Hersheypark to finish riding the rest of the roller coasters and further exploring the waterpark!
Treat Yourself to Travel 