Tag: Delaware

on returning home from delaware

wanderessence1025 February 3, 2020

My trip to Delaware last June was marred by a case of identity theft. The day before leaving home, I had received a phone call from a number “spoofing” my bank’s phone number (which was entered as a contact in my phone). The person on the line identified himself as being with the bank’s fraud department; he told me someone had used my debit card twice in Atlanta, Georgia to the tune of $500 each time. After 45 minutes on the line with this person, who fooled me into believing he was from my bank, I found out through various notifications from the bank that I had in fact been talking to the fraudster! He had, while on the phone with me, stolen nearly $3,500 from my account from various places in Florida.

I had to stop by my bank on the way out of town to alert them to the fraud, but there was nothing I could do until the withdrawals had cleared. Thus the situation hung over my head during my entire trip, and I couldn’t do anything about it until I returned home. I was unable to fully relax and enjoy when I didn’t know the outcome of the fraud.

Luckily, my bank put the stolen money in my account fairly quickly as a temporary deposit. Finally it was resolved, but not until a month or two after I returned home. Apparently many other customers of our bank had been taken by the same scam. It was the “spoofing” of the bank’s phone number that fooled most people.

One of my intentions for my trip to Delaware was to take photos in black and white or sepia. Since I never wrote a post featuring black & white photos, I picked some of my favorite below to convert. The black & white lends a nostalgic air to the places I visited.

Another intention was to make a list of all the things I’d miss from my trip once I returned home.

I’ll miss wandering through the kitschy beach town of Rehoboth, with its salt water taffy, ice cream, and souvenir shops, and its boardwalk along the beach. I’ll also miss eating the best crab cakes around at Woody’s in Dewey Beach.

Dolle’s at Rehoboth

kitschy Rehoboth

Archie’s at Rehoboth

2. I’ll miss riding my bicycle around Cape Henlopen State Park, with its excellent bike trails through marshlands.

bicycle at Cape Henlopen State Park

3. I’ll miss visiting the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover, where I saw an excellent exhibit of African figures from the continent: “Spirit Revealed: New Works by Aaron Paskins.” I loved finding cool art made from paper, especially one piece that looked like a found poem; I’ve been trying to write some of those myself.

Biggs Museum of American Art

paper art at Biggs Museum

poetic paper art at Biggs Museum

flight of birds outside the Biggs Museum

4. I’ll miss visiting New Castle and learning about the three cultures that vied for dominance in the region: the Dutch, the Swedes, and the English.

New Castle

5. Lastly, I’ll miss walking around the beautiful gardens and grounds of Nemours Estate.

Nemours Estate

There were still more places I wanted to visit in Delaware, but time ran out. Since the state is so close by, I hope to get back there and revisit Dover and the First State Heritage Park, The Old State House, and the John Victrola Museum. I’d also love to visit one of the other wildlife refuges, like Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, and ride a bicycle again at Cape Henlopen State Park. I’d also love to explore more of Bethany Beach and the historic town of Lewes. Finally, I’d like to explore more of Wilmington.

I created a number of posts about my trip to Delaware, reflecting on specific themes for some of the days, and using 5 random nouns in some essays.

I visited Delaware from June 4-6, 2019.

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“ON RETURNING HOME” INVITATION: I invite you to write a post on your own blog about returning home from one particular destination or, alternately, from a long journey encompassing many stops. How do you linger over your wanderings and create something from them? How have you changed? Did the place live up to its hype, or was it disappointing? Feel free to address any aspect of your journey and how it influences you upon your return. If you don’t have a blog, I invite you to write in the comments.

For some ideas on this, you can check out the original post about this subject: on returning home.

Include the link in the comments below by Sunday, March 1 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Monday, March 2, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation on the first Monday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time.

poetic journeys: psychic at the beach

wanderessence1025 December 6, 2019

Psychic at the Beach

The “Psychic at the Beach” had guessed her angst,
suggested that she didn’t have to BE her problems.
He assured her that the sun was made of honey
and summer spilled off cars like sparklers.

Unconvinced, she pedaled the orange bicycle amidst
shimmying grasses, fleeing from a business
of flies. She dipped under a bevy of birds
that hovered like fanciful notions overhead.

Sunlight burnished the marsh’s feathery plumes
and her freckled skin, glossed with tea tree oil to taunt
the insects. A black snake slithered across the road,
a dark meander of infinite misgivings.

In front of a Bible Church, a sign warned,
“Behold, I come quickly,” and she feared
for her soul and for that of the tiny fox, frightened and
lost along the path, despite the radiance all around.

my orange bicycle

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Biggs Museum of American Art

baby fox at Bombay Hook

Bear Swamp Pool at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

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“POETRY” Invitation: I invite you to write a poem of any poetic form on your own blog about a particular travel destination. Or you can write about travel in general. Concentrate on any intention you set for your poetry.

One of my poetry intentions for my trip to Delaware was this: Write a poem using assonance and alliteration.

Assonance: Assonance takes place when two or more words, close to one another, repeat the same vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds.
Alliteration: Alliteration is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series. Remember that it is a repetition of sounds, not letters.

You can either set your own poetic intentions, or use one of the prompts I’ve listed on this page: writing prompts: poetry. (This page is a work in process). You can also include photos, of course.

Include the link in the comments below by Thursday, January 2 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Friday, January 3, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, on the first Friday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

delaware: nemours estate

wanderessence1025 December 5, 2019

Nemours Estate is the 300-acre estate of the late industrialist, financier and philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont (1864-1935). He rose to wealth and fame through his work in his family’s Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, at that time E.I. du Pont Nemours Co., formed in 1802 in Wilmington, Delaware. Today, the company is commonly known as DuPont and was formed by the merger of Dow Chemical Company and DuPont on August 31, 2017.

Within 18 months of the merger the company was split into three publicly traded companies with focuses on agriculture, materials science, and specialty products. The merger has been reported to be worth an estimated $130 billion.

DuPont is depicted in the movie released in November of this year: Dark Waters. The movie, according to NPR, follows the real-life legal battle by Robert Bilott (played by Mark Ruffalo) “against DuPont over the release of a toxic chemical into Parkersburg, West Virginia’s water supply, affecting 70,000 townspeople and hundreds of livestock.”

After an acrimonious departure from the family business and a brief decline in his personal fortunes, Alfred I. du Pont embarked on his own business: land investment and banking in Florida.

Nemours Estate

Alfred built the mansion on 3,000 acres in Wilmington for his second wife, Alicia, who he married in 1907. Designed in the 18th-century French style, he named it Nemours after the French town that his great-great-grandfather represented in the French Estates General. The original mansion included the latest technology and many of Alfred’s own inventions; today it has 77 rooms.

Library

Dining room

decorative screen in the dining room

Conservatory

card game

bird cage in the Conservatory

Drawing Room

Morning Room

Reception Hall

staircase

Mrs. duPont’s Sitting Room

view of gardens from the Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

correspondence

Venetian Room

Green Room (for governess)

carpet in Green Room

Green Room

Mr. duPont’s bathroom

Gold Room (for guests)

guest bathroom

Brocade Room (for guests)

North Front Bedroom (Guest Family Suite)

stuffed owl in North Front Bedroom

North Back Bedroom

The grounds boast the largest formal French gardens in North America. I strolled around the 200 acres of scenic woodlands, meadows and lawns on a warm and sultry June day.

sculpture on the grounds

The Long Walk

Nemours Estate

gardens at Nemours Estate

Nemours Estate

gate at Nemours Estate

At the far end of the Long Walk, lined with Japanese cryptomeria, pink flowering horse chestnuts and pin oaks, I found a large reflecting pool. The pool holds 800,000 gallons of water and takes three days to fill.

The Long Walk at Nemours Estate

Nemours Estate & The Long Walk

Around the pool are Art Nouveau-style classical mythological statues representing the Four Seasons. They are by French-born American sculptor Henri Crenier (1873-1948).

mythological statues

fountain in the pool

Nemours Mansion

Nemours Mansion

Nemours Mansion

Nemours Mansion

Nemours Mansion

Nemours Mansion

pavilion

Looking back up at Nemours Mansion

By the time I left Nemours Estate, it was after 2:00 and had started sprinkling. I was famished, so I stopped at Hollywood Grill where I had an apple, walnut, romaine, tomato, cucumber, and blue cheese salad topped with shrimp.

Shrimp Salad at Hollywood Grill

After my late lunch, I began my drive back home, welcomed by Maryland at 3:30, driving past Rising Sun and Cecil College, over the Susquehanna River, past Gunpowder Falls and through the Baltimore Tunnel, while Bob Dylan serenaded me with “Ballad of a Thin Man.” I didn’t cross back into Virginia until 5:40, exhausted from a full day of wandering through New Castle, Swede’s Church and Nemours Estate.

*Steps: 9,804, 4.15 miles*

*Thursday, June 6, 2019*

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“PHOTOGRAPHY” INVITATION: I invite you to create a photography intention and then create a blog post for a place you have visited. Alternately, you can post a thematic post about a place, photos of whatever you discovered that set your heart afire. You can also do a thematic post of something you have found throughout all your travels: churches, doors, people reading, people hiking, mountains, patterns, all black & white, whatever!

In my case, my intention was to look for thematic possibilities during my trip to Delaware. As Nemours Estate is so beautiful both inside and out, I thought I’d focus on the grounds and interior.

You probably have your own ideas about this, but in case you’d like some ideas, you can visit my page: photography inspiration.

I challenge you to post as photos and to write less than 1,500 words about any travel-related photography intention you set for yourself. Include the link in the comments below by Wednesday, December 11 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Thursday, December 12, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, every first, second, and third (& 5th, if there is one) Thursday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the ~ wander.essence ~ community

I invite you all to settle in and read a few posts from our wandering community. I promise, you’ll be inspired!

Jude, of life at the edge, takes us on a colorful stroll along the harbor quay in Cornwall.
- cornwall in colours
Jo, of Restless Jo, posted some atmospheric photos of trees rising out of a mist and raindrops on berries.
- Six Word Saturday: I like a bit of contrast!

Thanks to all of you who shared posts on the “photography” invitation.

delaware: new castle & old swedes church

wanderessence1025 November 26, 2019

New Castle, Delaware arose from the conflict between three great powers – Netherlands, Sweden, and England. For 30 years, from 1651 to 1681, these nations vied for control of the Delaware Valley and the profitable trade in natural resources — beaver pelts, timber and tobacco — with the region’s American Indian inhabitants, the Lenni Lenape. It was a kind of cultural imperialism, a struggle to create and maintain unequal relationships between civilizations, favoring the more powerful civilization.

items of trade in the Delaware Valley

In 1638, the Swedes seized upon the lack of a Dutch presence in the Delaware Valley (most Dutch posts were further north) by constructing Fort Christina at present-day Wilmington, Delaware.

The three main characters in these ongoing campaigns were Peter Stuyvesant (Dutch), Captain Sven Skute (Swedish), and Sir Robert Carr (English).

Peter Stuyvesant (Dutch)

Captain Sven Skute (Swedish)

Sir Robert Carr (English)

The Dutch responded to this Swedish encroachment in 1651 by dispatching Peter Stuyvesant, the director-general of New Netherland, and his military force to build a new fortification, the timber and earthen Fort Casimir (1651-1654). A short five-mile distance downriver in today’s New Castle, it served as a military stronghold, courthouse and jail. Here, the Dutch sought to control shipping to the Swedish settlements upriver.

diorama of Fort Casimir > Fort Trinity > Fort Amstel

Fort Casimir was taken by the Swedes on Trinity Sunday, 1654, when the Swedish warship, The Eagle, fired four canon shots at Fort Casimir. Poorly manned and outgunned, the Dutch surrendered the fort to a landing party of 20 Swedish musketeers under the command of Captain Sven Skute. The victorious Swedes changed the name of the stronghold to Fort Trinity.

The Swedish occupation of Fort Trinity and Skute’s command were short-lived. The following year, in 1655, the Dutch retook their former fort and settlement. That same year, the Dutch force then moved upriver and took Fort Christina, thus ending Swedish rule in the Delaware Valley.

Stuyvesant, despite his orders, exhibited a benevolent attitude; he treated the Swedish and Finnish settlers well and wouldn’t imprison or exile them if they gave their allegiance to the Dutch government – which many did. Back under Dutch control, the settlement prospered and was renamed Fort Amstel.

Stuyvesant laid out The Strand (riverfront), the first streets and lot arrangements, and The Green (market green), a public square that has since served as a place for public forums, fairs, weekly markets, and other town activities. On this green stood the old jail and gallows. By 1659, New Amstel’s population had increased to 150 individuals and contained 110 structures including a brewery, bake house, forge and brick kiln.

New Castle Visitor Center at the Arsenal

In the end, the English prevailed in the struggle for dominance. In August of 1664, Peter Stuyvesant surrendered, dooming the Dutch settlements in the Delaware Valley. By October, two English warships with a force of 100 soldiers under the command of Sir Robert Carr approached New Amstel.

The English brought about a selection of changes and expanded the town, which they renamed New Castle. During this period, the town’s population increased. Its many historic houses are brick or frame and 2-3 stories; some have been in the same family for 3-4 generations.

New Castle

The Duke of York’s Laws for the Government of the New York Colony were drafted in 1665 by the colonial governor, Richard Nicholls. This legal code aimed to bring a more uniform system of law to the territory, covering nearly every aspect of colonial life. It included things as diverse as the bounty to be paid on wolves, standards for weights and measures, restrictions on American Indians, social and domestic regulations, rules for the militia, and most lasting, the establishment of a court system including trial by jury.

The first recorded criminal jury trial under English law in Delaware took place in New Castle in December 1669. On trial was Marcus Jacobs, called “Long Finn” because he was unusually tall and spoke Finnish. He was charged for rebellion after he made a speech, making numerous false claims, calling for the overthrow of the English. He was arrested, tried and found guilty of rebellion by the jury. For his punishment, he was branded on the face with the letter “R” for rebellion and whipped in public. Ultimately, he was expelled from the colony and sold into slavery.

New Castle Common is part of a tract of one thousand acres set apart by William Penn in 1701 for the inhabitants of the town of New Castle. It was in 1682 that William Penn traveled to the New World landing in New Castle, exerting his Quaker influence on the town.

New Castle Common

William Penn

Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green was established in 1689, and built in 1703.

Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green

Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green

gravestone at Immanuel Episcopal Church

Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green

The military installments would eventually be lost to time. New Castle became a melting pot of people from many nations and ethnic groups, including Africans and American Indians. This multi-cultural influence endures today.

The New Castle Courthouse

The New Castle Courthouse was built in 1732 and served as the meeting place for the state’s colonial assembly from 1732-1777. It is here where the Delaware Assembly voted on June 15, 1776 to separate from England and from Pennsylvania, creating the “State of Delaware.”

New Castle Courthouse

New Castle Courthouse

New Castle Courthouse

The town was home to four signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 – George Read, Thomas McKean, George Ross, and Francis Hopkinson.

The Declaration of Independence

One of the building’s most famous federal proceedings was a series of trials in 1848. Prominent abolitionists and Underground Railroad conductors Thomas Garrett, a close friend and ally of Harriet Tubman, and John Hunn were found guilty of violating the Fugitive Slave Act and were issued hefty fines.

The Courthouse continued to hold regular state and federal proceedings until 1888.

In 1857, New Castle County constructed a new prison complex on this site. The Sheriff’s House provided a roomy residence for the County Sheriff and his family. The prison (to its right) could house as many as 40 inmates. The whipping post and pillory in the New Castle Prison Yard were adjacent; the last whipping was in 1952, but the state didn’t outlaw the practice until 1972.

The county seat moved to Wilmington in 1881, but the Sheriff’s House and County Jail remained in service until 1902. The jail was torn down in 1912. The Sheriff’s House continued to be used, most notably as the home of New Castle Club, and finally, as the city police headquarters until 1997. The National Park Service now manages the Sheriff’s House as part of First State National Historical Park.

Sheriff’s House

The Old Library Museum is a hexagonal, Victorian-style brick building built in 1892 that features historical society collections.

The Old Library

Packet boats from Philadelphia met stagecoaches at Packet Alley bound for Frenchtown, Maryland, the chief line of communication from the North to Baltimore and the South. Andrew Jackson, David Crockett, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Louis Napoleon, Stonewall Jackson, and Indians (led by Osceola and Black Hawk) en route to visit “Great Father” in Washington – all passed this way.

Packet Alley

George Read (1733-1798) was a Member of the Congress of the Revolution, the convention that framed the Constitution of the United States and of the first Senate under it; Judge of Admiralty, President and Chief Justice of Delaware, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His Federal Period house was destroyed by fire in April 1824.

Site of Home of George Read

The townspeople rebuilt the home and the second owner, William Cooper and his family added a formal garden that stretched back to Second Street. In the early 1900s, third owners, Philip and Lydia Laird, laid brick sidewalks throughout the garden and erected brick walls.

It was a pleasure to wander around these gardens on a warm summer day.

Site of Home of George Read

Site of Home of George Read

Old Swedes Church

After leaving New Castle, I made my way to Wilmington, where I stopped at Old Swedes Church, known as “the nation’s oldest church building still used for worship as originally built.” Upon arrival from Sweden in 1697, Paster Eric Björk began his quest to build a stone church to replace the decaying log structure on the south bank of the Christina River that had served the Swedish Lutheran congregation. Helga Trefaldigher Kyrcka (Holy Trinity Church) was consecrated on Trinity Sunday, 1699. Over the years, it has become affectionately known as Old Swedes.

It is located in what was the New Sweden Colony before Delaware fell to the English in 1664. The Swedish Government supported the building of the church for the love and community of its people, despite the fact that it was no longer a Swedish Colony. The Church is made from local blue granite and precedes the burial ground that surrounds it; the cemetery holds remains of over 8,000 individuals, a number of whom were significant to the history of Delaware, including the humblest Swedish settler, a Secretary of State of the United States, and military personnel.

Old Swedes Church

Old Swedes Church

Old Swedes Church

Old Swedes Church

The “M.B.” Stone is probably one of the oldest still visible in the churchyard. It is not known who M.B. was or when he or she died. The stone is typical of the simple rough markers of the late 1600s and early 1700s.

The “M.B.” stone

The Stidham Family was a prominent family in the early days of the New Sweden Colony and Old Swedes. Dr. Tymen Stidham arrived on the fourth voyage of the Kalmar Nyckel. The first physician in this area, he strictly enforced sanitary measures, leading to a healthy New Sweden colony.

Rev. Joseph Stidham fought in the Revolutionary War. There are four Stidham Revolutionary War veterans buried at Old Swedes.

The Stidham Family

Old Swedes Church

Reparations to celebrate the 300^th anniversary of the consecration of Old Swedes in 1998 produced some surprising results.

Painters removed dozens of coats of paint from the south doors in preparation for painting. They found carved graffiti dating back almost 300 years. It was decided to leave the graffiti rather than paint over it as had been done in the past. Much of the graffiti dates from the twelve year period the church was closed, 1830-1842. The earliest date found is 1711. In addition to the doors, some initials and dates have been carved into the portico stones.

Graffiti door

Though the English were the apparent victors in the struggles for cultural imperialism in the Delaware Valley, the Swedes still managed to hang on to their community and cultural identity.

After leaving Old Swedes Church, I headed for the expansive and glamorous Nemours Estate, owned and developed by Alfred I. duPont (1864-1935).

*Thursday, June 6, 2019*

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“PROSE” INVITATION: I invite you to write up to a post on your own blog about a recently visited particular destination (not journeys in general). Concentrate on any intention you set for your prose. One of my intentions was to use five random nouns in my travel essay each day: 1) ~~attitude~~, 2) ~~campaign~~, 3) ~~pleasure~~, 4) ~~selection~~, and 5) ~~distance~~. √ I also chose a theme for today: cultural imperialism.

It doesn’t matter whether you write fiction or non-fiction for this invitation. You can either set your own writing intentions, or use one of the prompts I’ve listed on this page: writing prompts: prose. (This page is a work in process.) You can also include photos, of course.

Include the link in the comments below by Monday, December 9 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this invitation on Tuesday, December 10, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the kitschy beach town of rehoboth, delaware

wanderessence1025 November 14, 2019

I arrived in Rehoboth on a perfect June day, not too hot or humid, with temps in the 70s. After parking the car at a meter with a three-hour time limit, I walked up and down the main shopping street, Rehoboth Avenue, stopping into several enticing shops.

Changing the beach one book at a time!

bookshop in Rehoboth

cute shop in Rehoboth

I found a restaurant called Arena’s Deli for a late lunch; there, I enjoyed pink lemonade and fried shrimp tacos topped with coleslaw.

fried shrimp tacos with coleslaw at Arena’s Deli

My hotel, Surf Club Oceanfront in Dewey Beach, called several times to inform me my room was ready. I’ve never had a hotel call me so insistently. I told them I didn’t want to check in yet, as I was strolling the 2-mile length of the Rehoboth Boardwalk, past Dolle’s Salt Water Taffy, T-shirt shops, arcades, candy and ice cream shops, beachwear and seashell shops, and establishments offering beach chairs and flotation devices.

Rehoboth boardwalk

Rehoboth boardwalk

Dolle’s Salt Water Taffy

Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach

houses along the beach

Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth is kitschy for sure, tacky, garish and even sentimental, but a place beach goers in America appreciate in an ironic or knowing way. After all, this is the way beach towns are in coastal towns, full of vibrant color, funky souvenirs and quirky enticements.

beachy t-shirts

cut-outs for sale

kitsch in Rehoboth

Synder’s Candy

Fisher’s Popcorn

Archie’s

Penny Lane Mall

shops along the boardwalk

Shops in Penny Lane

Candy Kitchen

offerings

flourescent stuff

yard ornaments

Mariachi Restaurant

After whiling away the afternoon in Rehoboth, I drove south to Dewey Beach and checked in at my hotel. I drove to Delaware Seashore State Park, where I though I’d find some trails along the beach, but instead I found a big campground full of RVs and tents.

I drove back to Rehoboth and went to a shop called bella luna, where I browsed for a long while. The many cute earrings didn’t quite reflect my spirit, and the necklaces I liked were too expensive, so the only thing I came away with was a scarf with flowers and birds on a field of turquoise cotton. For $26, it wasn’t exactly a steal.

Returning to Dewey Beach, I changed clothes and walked to Woody’s Dewey Beach, known for making the best crab cakes around. I sat at the bar and talked to a woman who was the general manager for a local hotel. She was married some thirty years ago and had two grown kids. Her husband was in a horrible accident and, after coming out of a coma, he didn’t know who she or her kids were. He had been on Oxycontin for years and then became addicted to heroin. He had been still in touch with her and when she hadn’t heard from him in a long time, she went to his house, where she found him dead in the bathtub, where he’d fallen and broken his neck. He’d been dead six days.

She also told funny stories about working as a hotel manager. Her employees were 75, 80 and 77, and they didn’t know how to put toner in the printer or how to make photocopies.

Sometimes people tell the darndest tales about their lives. The things that are possible never fail to amaze me!

I enjoyed a delicious crab cake sandwich minus the bread, tater tots and a Blue Moon.

my room in Dewey Beach

Before returning to my room, I took a walk out on Dewey Beach as the sun was going down.

Dewey Beach

Back in my room, I discovered that there was no comforter on the bed, just a lightweight coverlet. The front desk people had left for the night and there were no blankets in the room. It was too hot to turn off the air conditioning and too cold to have it on. I tossed and turned all night, never able to get comfortable. Luckily, I would check out the next morning.

*Tuesday, June 4, 2019*

*13,377 steps, or 5.67 miles*

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In my case, my intention was to look for thematic possibilities during my trip to Delaware. I combined this photography intention with several other intentions. One was to find a theme for each day; my theme for today was “kitsch.” Also, I tried to use five random nouns in my essay: 1) ~~spirit~~; 2) ~~field~~; 3) ~~(the) possible~~; 4) ~~steal~~; 5) ~~limit~~. √

You probably have your own ideas about this, but in case you’d like some ideas, you can visit my page: photography inspiration.

I challenge you to post no more than 20-25 photos (I have more here!) and to write less than 1,500 words about any travel-related photography intention you set for yourself. Include the link in the comments below by Wednesday, November 20 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Thursday, November 21, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, every first, second, and third (& 5th, if there is one) Thursday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

marshlands & american art in delaware

wanderessence1025 November 12, 2019

My second day in Delaware was book-ended by grasses. I explored marshlands on bicycle and by car, in morning and late afternoon, interspersed with a dip under a flock of birds into the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover.

Fortified by a spinach & pepper jack omelette (& biscuits!) on the porch of Sharky’s Grill, I ventured to Cape Henlopen State Park. There, I took possession of an orange bicycle, for no fee; the procedure required I turned over my driver’s license as “collateral” for the bike. The guy manning the bike shed talked my ear off about camera lenses, green flies, and which direction I should ride around the loops. He suggested I spray myself with his tea tree oil, derived from an Australian native plant, Melaleuca alternifolia, as insect repellent. The only stipulation was that the bicycle needed to be returned in two hours.

Cape Henlopen State Park

I felt like Sabine Harwood, the character in one of my favorite novels, The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, except my bicycle was orange. I rode from the Seaside Nature Center past the park office and the campground. I branched off on the Walking Dunes Trail and headed south until I came to Herring Point. Then I headed south on the Gordon’s Pond Trail, where I stopped at the lookout; I felt no shame in turning back at this point.

At the lookout, a woman was talking to two fellow tourists about how she lived in Ridgway, Colorado for the last 11 years. I told her I went through there last year on my Four Corners trip. With conviction, she insisted Rehoboth never did anything for her, Bethany Beach was “exquisite,” Dewey Beach was tacky and Lewes was the oldest city and had a beautiful historic district. She was in Delaware visiting her daughter.

my orange bicycle

along the Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

Gordon’s Pond Trail

From the overlook, I backtracked along Gordon’s Pond, then along the road past the Biden Center to the Fort Miles Historic Area, past an observation tower, and then back to the Seaside Nature Center. I didn’t spot the many birds that supposedly populate the park, such as Royal terns, Black-bellied plovers, Great Egrets, Snow gooses or Greater Yellowlegs.

A strong breeze rustled the sea grasses, carrying a warm and humid front into the area, so my cool yesterday dissipated into the air. Still, I adored bicycling around the tidal marshes and ponds. My ride was a little less than 12 miles.

I was curious to see the “beautiful Lewes historic district,” so I drove through the town. It seemed nice, but I had other destinations in mind. I’d have to return another time. I took Routes 9 and 1 to Dover, crossing the Broadkill River, passing Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Broadkill Beach, and the Rookery Golf Club. I saw a sign for Knollac Farms: Miniature Horses; there was DuPont Nature Center and Barratt’s Chapel & Museum. I drove through gold wheat fields, silver silos, praying mantis-like water sprinklers, and a red barn with a tin roof. I saw signs for Kitts Hummock and Little Creek, and then Dover Air Force Base. I was welcomed to Dover by 1:45.

my Delaware route today – Rehoboth > Dover > Wilmington

I dipped into the Biggs Museum of American Art under a flock of birds. Inside, I found a special exhibit called “Spirit Revealed: New Works by Aaron Paskins.” Paskins (b. 1969) is a Dover sculptor who has been building a local and national reputation for “stylized representations of African figures and animals of the continent using unexpected materials and found objects… The artist freely borrows from pan-African languages, symbols and aesthetics to offer a modern interpretation of a more universal spirit of black empowerment.” I found his works to be bold and moving representations of the African spirit.

Biggs Museum of American Art

Spirit Revealed: New Works by Aaron Paskins

Spirit Revealed: New Works by Aaron Paskins

Spirit Revealed: New Works by Aaron Paskins

The Biggs Museum was founded in 1993 by Sewell C. Biggs (1914-2003), a University of Delaware Graduate and world traveler; he collected art from the Delaware Valley. The Biggs permanent collection includes paintings by Albert Bierstadt and Gilbert Stuart.

photograph at the Biggs

accordion style photo

Rob Tuttle: Impressionism and Modernism (2019)

Fawn (1973) by Willem De Looper

Many paintings capture the essence of Delaware and the surrounding region. I love local museums such as these that highlight a specific region. I am used to visiting museums in Washington that contain world-famous art, so I enjoyed the local focus.

The Granite Rock, Appledore, 1908 by Childe Hassam

Delaware River in Winter, c 1920 by Walter Elmer Schofield

New Hope Locks, n.d. by Edward Redfield

Untitled (still life), n.d. by Marian D. Harris

Allison Kendall, 1925 by Henryette Stadelman Whiteside

Untitled (Vanishing Point), n.d. by Edward Grant

Old Drawyers Church, 1931 by Brandt Hoffman Alexander

View of the Wissahickon, 1876-1905 by Carl Weber

Far View – Old Beach – Rehoboth Beach Delaware, before 1926 by Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach

The Pines, 1957 by Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach

Untitled (flowers in garden), 1957 by Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach

Detail: Untitled (flowers in garden), 1957 by Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach

Some paintings captured places that were further afield.

Bouquet Valley, Adirondacks, 1866 by William Trost Richards

Horseshoe Falls, Niagara, 1866 by James Hamilton

The museum also exhibited American cabinet makers’ furniture as well as a collection of regional silver.

Early American furniture & wallpaper

Sofa, 1840-60 by John Henry Belter

Considered Delaware’s first “fire proof stair,” this metal architectural feature was first installed in the 1950s. The rich brown color was discovered in an analysis of its earliest paint-decorated layers.

Staircase, c 1850 Probably Philadelphia

I was especially enamored of the paper art, one of which looks a bit like a found poem.

paper art

paper art

Biggs Museum of American Art

As I was leaving the Biggs Museum, the docent suggested I should linger and play tourist at First State Heritage Park, the area surrounding the museum, but I didn’t have time as I had to get to Wilmington. She told me there were paintings of World War I in the Welcome Center & Galleries. She also highly recommended the Old State House and the Johnson Victrola Museum. I wished I’d left things more open-ended, but time was running out; I supposed I’d have to return to Dover with Mike another weekend.

Driving north toward Wilmington, I drove through flat farmland, pirouetting sprinkler systems, bait shops, huge green tractors with one-story tall wheels, marshland and grasses, through Leipsic, and finally into Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. At the visitor center, the ranger showed me a cool computerized system for birdwatchers; they could mark on an interactive map where they spotted different types of birds. They could also look up photos of birds commonly found in the refuge and where they had been spotted by birders. It looked like a great resource to use if I were a birdwatcher.

Apparently the refuge had wading birds such as Green Herons, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and American Bitterns. Commonly found shore birds included the Black-necked stilt and Greater Yellowlegs. Waterfowl included the Snow Goose, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Green-winged Teal, and many others.

I took the Auto Tour of the 12-mile Wildlife Drive. I planned to get out for a walk at the Raymond Tower Trail and the Boardwalk Trail, but flies were swarming all over the car and I didn’t dare open the car door. At Raymond Pool, I saw some Great Egrets. At Shearness Pool, a black snake slithered across the road in front of me. I looked out over the tidal salt marsh and the tall grasses at Bear Swamp Pool.

Sparklehorse serenaded me with “Shade and Honey” 🎵 (“May your shade be sweet / And float upon the lakes / Where the sun will be / Made of honey”) 🎶 while I drove past a little baby fox by the side of the road. He seemed lost and afraid.

Past Finis Pool, at Warbler Woods, there wasn’t much to see except a number of people wandering around past the barricades. Apparently birdwatchers search here for wood warblers in spring and colorful passerines in summer. Salamanders are also common: the eastern red-backed and the marbled.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Great Egrets at Bombay Hook

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Bear Swamp Pool at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

baby fox at Bombay Hook

I left Bombay Hook and drove past cornfields and golden wheat fields. A mailbox was decked out with a corncob and cornstalk. White wooden fences embraced a huge farm. In Historic Smyrna was a sprawling cemetery and a water tower that said “Smyrna.” As I passed a shirtless man trudging along the road, the Eels sang “Love of the Loveless:” 🎵 “All around you people walking / Empty hearts and voices talking / Looking for and finding / Nothing.” 🎶

I checked into my hotel, Ramada by Wyndham, near Wilmington, Delaware and ate dinner at the Olive Grill on site because the hotel was in the middle of nowhere and I was too lazy to go searching for a place. I ordered a dirty martini and shrimp in a white wine sauce with a touch of cream and pepperoncinis, a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, warm bread (yum!) and a salad with black olives. Later, I added photos to my Instagram feed, trying to keep it all current as my daughter insists that Instagram is only for “instant,” on-the-spot photos, not photos dug up from archives.

shrimp in a white wine sauce with a touch of cream and pepperoncinis

I slept that night with dreams of Great Egrets wading in the wetlands among dancing grasses.

The next day, I would explore Historic New Castle and Nemours Estate. 🙂

*Wednesday, June 5, 2019*

*5,449 steps, or 2.31 miles*

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“PROSE” INVITATION: I invite you to write up to a post on your own blog about a recently visited particular destination (not journeys in general). Concentrate on any intention you set for your prose. One of my intentions was to use five random nouns in my travel essay each day: 1) ~~voice~~, 2) ~~tourist~~, 3) ~~shame~~, 4) ~~feed~~, and 5) ~~procedure~~. √ I also chose a theme for today: grasses.

Include the link in the comments below by Monday, November 25 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this invitation on Tuesday, November 26, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the ~ wander.essence ~ community

I invite you all to settle in and read a few posts from our wandering community. I promise, you’ll be inspired. 🙂

Tina, of Tina Stewart Brakebill, wrote a post about encountering Columbus Day in Saint Augustine, Florida; she takes us “through the looking glass” of a Spanish-inspired museum with Lewis Carroll’s words.
- Lightner Museum in St. Augustine: Through the Looking Glass and Into a Wonderland?

Thanks to all of you who wrote prosaic posts following intentions you set for yourself.

on journey: delaware

wanderessence1025 September 18, 2019

Before driving to Delaware from my home in Virginia, I had to stop at my bank to clear up a case of identity theft. The day before, I had received a phone call from a number “spoofing” my bank’s phone number (which was entered as a contact in my phone). The person on the line identified himself as being with the bank’s fraud department and sounded very official when he told me someone had used my debit card twice in Atlanta, Georgia to the tune of $500 each time. After 45 minutes on the line with this person, who fooled me into believing he was from my bank and thus successfully extracted private information, I found out through various notifications from the bank that I had in fact been talking to the fraudster! He had, while on the phone with me, stolen nearly $3,500 from my account from various places in Florida. To say I was upset would be an understatement. I was not only furious, but I felt foolish for falling for the scheme.

It would be hard for me to relax in Delaware while this was outstanding, but my banker assured me I would get my money back, and that I had to wait until the charge moved from “pending” to “posted,” before I could take any action to claim fraudulent charges.

That wasn’t a good start to my getaway, but I soldiered on nonetheless. The trip was planned, hotel reservations were made, and the weather forecast was perfect. I had to drive the southern loop of the Capital Beltway because of an accident on the northern loop. I passed from Virginia through the District of Columbia and into Maryland. A sign reminded me to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, as if I needed such a reminder.

A song from the TV show Nashville, “The Moon is High,” serenaded me. It was a romantic and dreamy song, but sadly, I would be alone on this trip as my husband had to work.

As I crossed the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge over the Severn River northwest of Annapolis, Maryland, I admired the beautiful houses lining the green hillsides along the river. I passed Red Hot & Blue BBQ and by 11:00, I was crossing the high, endless, and scary Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

my little road trip: Virginia > D.C. > Maryland > Delaware

I drove through Kent Island, known to be the first English settlement, and stopped at Valero for gas and facilities. Castle Marina and Cox Creek reminded me I had crossed into the coastal lowlands of Maryland. At the Rainbow Plaza was a Psychic Advisor, if I had needed one. At Kent Narrows, I passed the Maryland Waterman’s Monument, and sprawling marinas glistened in the waterways. The temperature on my dash said it was 70ºF, perfect, as I passed businesses selling colorful beach umbrellas and Adirondack chairs. Harrington Raceway and Casino promised: We’re “all in'” for you.

Signs for Deer Corn flashed past, as well as We Got ‘Em Hunting Service. Then it was 60 miles to Rehoboth as I passed through a flat area of wheatfields, barns and silver silos. Light bounced off the cars, like summer on fire. I crossed Tuckahoe Creek and gold tipped wheat fields arced by farm irrigation sprinklers, like giant praying mantises hovering over the land. A fruit stand offered a rainbow of fresh produce. A line of American flags blew in the breeze and I crossed the Choptank River and past the blue “Town of Denton” water tower. I continued driving through Historic Federalsburg, giant silver barns, and cylindrical hay bales.

At noon, I crossed the Delaware state line: Welcome to Delaware: Liberty and Independence. The Heritage Bible Church promised: Behold, I come quickly. Soon, a junkyard followed, then cows, silos and more sprinklers on farmland. Wilderlove, with handmade and vintage goods, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu were on offer. Cute cottages with screened porches lined the streets of Greenwood. U.S. flags were stuck on telephone poles.

Boardwalk Plaza Hotel in Rehoboth

The outer sprawl of Rehoboth was as commercial as any suburb, with Mendoza’s Family Market and the Tressler Mennonite Church. A beautiful and dramatic song called “The Akara” drifted through the car, exotic and old-fashioned all at once. Kemps Liquors enticed with “Ice Cold Beer,” while A Walk Through Time Antiques promised vintage goods. Farmer Girl Exotic Gardens seemed an oasis and an anomaly in the beach town.

When I passed the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, I noted it for a possible visit. A sign offered Acupuncture, Herbs and Cupping. If I were the tattooing kind, I could have stopped at tough luck tattoo and then eaten at Surf Bagel & Deli after. Or I could have had a go at go brit fish and chips if I’d wanted a British slant to my road trip. Atlantic Liquors boasted it was The Greatest Liquor Store in the World!

Rehoboth is a promise of all thing beachy: Fish Ale House and Raw Bar, Pyschic at the Beach, Aqua Sea Shell Shop, Jake’s Seafood House, Big Chill Surf Cantina, Crab House, and Beach Boutique Hotel.

I parked my car in the center of Rehoboth for three hours, and set out to explore.

Rehoboth

*Tuesday, June 4, 2019*

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“ON JOURNEY” INVITATION: I invite you to write a post on your own blog about the journey itself for a recently visited specific destination. You could write about the journey you hope to take in the year ahead. If you don’t have a blog, I invite you to write in the comments.

Include the link in the comments below by Tuesday, October 15 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Wednesday, October 16, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, once on the third Wednesday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the ~ wander.essence ~ community

I invite you all to settle in and read a few posts from our wandering community. I promise, you’ll be inspired. 🙂

Many thanks to all of you who wrote posts about the journey. I’m inspired by all of you! 🙂

I am traveling from September 1 to October 4. If I cannot respond to or add your links due to wi-fi problems or time constraints, please feel free to add your links in both this post and my next scheduled post. If I can’t read them when you post them, I will get to them as soon as I can. Thanks for your understanding! 🙂

anticipation & preparation: delaware

wanderessence1025 December 28, 2018

To prepare for our three-day trip to Delaware, I started by looking through a guidebook, Moon Handbooks: Maryland & Delaware. Focusing on the Delaware section, I found two areas to explore, Upper Delaware and Lower Delaware. I read about the du Pont family, why Wilmington has seen hard times, and about the history in the area.

I found some novels and a memoir set in Delaware, as follows:

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez (& Mexico) ****
Shattered: Reclaiming a Life Torn Apart by Violence by Debra Puglisi Sharp & Marjorie Preston (memoir) – my copy of this book is autographed by the author, who I met at a writer’s conference in Dewey Beach, De. in 2005. ****
The Saint of Lost Things by Christopher Castellani ****
Beloved by Toni Morrison (also Ohio & Kentucky)
West of Rehoboth by Alexs D. Pate

I finished the first three books and I own #4. I don’t know if I’ll have time to read more than the first three as we’re going at the end of December or in early January.

Preparing for Delaware

Living room at Winterthur in Delaware

Itinerary:

Day 1: UPPER DELAWARE

Drive to Nemours Mansion and Gardens (2 h 33 min drive)
Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington (7 minutes)
Old Swede’s Church in Wilmington (12 minutes) (Make appointment on website)
Walk around Wilmington, including the Riverfront
Stay night in New Castle (17 minutes)

DAY 2: UPPER & LOWER DELAWARE

New Castle Court House Museum
New Castle Historic Homes (can only see outside in January)
Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, DE (51 minutes)
LOWER DELAWARE
1. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (21 minutes)
2. Cape Henlopen State Park (1 hour 4 minutes)
3. Stay the night in Rehoboth

DAY 3: LOWER DELAWARE AND RETURN HOME:

Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk (25 minutes)
Delaware Seashore State Park (18 minutes)
Drive home (3 hr 12 minutes)

JOURNAL AND INTENTIONS:

Here are my intentions for this trip:

My intentions for Delaware

To see books set in the U.S.A., please visit books | u.s.a. |

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“ANTICIPATION & PREPARATION” INVITATION: I invite you to write a post on your own blog about anticipation & preparation for a particular destination (not journeys in general). If you don’t have a blog, I invite you to write in the comments. Include the link in the comments below by Thursday, January 24 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Friday, January 25, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, on the 4th Friday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂 If you’d like to read more about the topic, see: journeys: anticipation & preparation.

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the call to place: delaware

wanderessence1025 December 27, 2018

Sometimes we choose a journey due to constraints of time or money, to a place within driving distance. We might have visited a place earlier in our lives and only had time to skim the surface, so we want to return and delve deeper.

This the case with our call to Delaware. We have several days we can venture out in January and we want a place within a short drive from our home in Virginia. We’ve also visited a couple of places in Delaware over the years, but have only skimmed the surface.

Why Delaware? The second-smallest U.S. state has a decent-sized city in Wilmington, some cute historical and beachfront towns, state parks, and a wildlife refuge.

On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, and has since been known as “The First State.” As I’m still on a quest to fill up my National Park passport, we’ll make a stop at several of the seven sites that make up First State National Historical Park. These are spread throughout the entire state. The park focuses on the story of first settlement through the ratification of the United States Constitution. The sites include: Wilmington: Beaver Valley, Fort Christina, and Old Swedes Church; New Castle: New Castle Court House; Dover: The Green, Dover and John Dickinson Plantation; and Lewes: Ryves Holt House.

As second smallest state in the USA after Rhode Island, Delaware should be easily navigable. There are sites in Upper Delaware, which include Wilmington and New Castle. Lower Delaware includes shore areas such as Lewes, Cape Henlopen State Park, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, the Delaware Seashore State Park, and the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

In June of 1990, when I was only 34, Mike and I, along with our friend Carroll, took part in a sprint triathlon on the grounds of St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware. A sprint triathlon consists of a half-mile swim, 12.4-mile bike and 3.1-mile run. As in most events such as these, athletes are seeded according to their normal speed, and since I’m so slow, I started in the last wave. My friend Carroll was in the wave ahead of me, and Mike was in one of the earliest waves.

The swim portion of the sprint triathlon at St. Andrews School.

After the swim, and at the end of the bike ride, I was at the tail end of the pack. Race course sweepers on motorcycles were following closely behind me, and I got so irritated, I jumped off my bike and yelled at them, “Back off!” By the time I reached the trail through the woods for the final 3.1-mile-run, I was truly at the end of the pack. I wasn’t happy about being last, as I’d already finished last in a 5-mile run in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in 1982, an icy course called the Hangover Handicap on New Year’s Day.

I take off on the bike, not looking very happy!

As I plodded along, I saw Carroll running ahead of me, which motivated me to pick up my pace. As I caught up with her, we ran together for a bit, and then I apologized and told her I was NOT going to finish last, at which time I mustered all the energy I had and pushed ahead. I finished second to last and Carroll last; she actually would have been last even if we had crossed the finish line together because she had started a wave ahead of me. I still laugh about that incident, even though it is quite embarrassing, and very selfish! 🙂

Carroll finishing last!

me with Carroll after the race

One of my favorite films, the 1989 Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke, was filmed almost entirely on the St. Andrew’s School grounds. It is a gorgeous campus, and visiting there took me back to scenes from that fabulous movie.

St. Andrew’s School

the lake at St. Andrew’s School

In 2004, I went to a writer’s conference at Books and Coffee in Dewey Beach, Delaware, which has now vanished, as have so many independent bookstores. At that conference, I met the author Debra Puglisi Sharp, who had recently published her book, Shattered: Reclaiming a Life Torn Apart by Violence, which tells the story of her abduction and her husband’s murder by a man on crack cocaine. She had been living an easy middle class life in her quiet Delaware neighborhood when violence struck and sent her life careening.

I also went to Rehoboth with my best friend Jayne in 2008 for a short visit, although I didn’t explore as I would have liked to.

I dipped again into Delaware in June of 2016 to visit Winterthur, the estate of the du Pont family, one of the richest families in America. According to Forbes:

DuPont started as a gunpowder manufacturer, later expanding into dynamite, paints, plastics, dyes and materials. Its scientists invented nylon, Kevlar and Teflon. It eventually evolved into a chemicals giant.

Winterthur was originally the home of Evelina Gabrielle du Pont and her husband, James Bidermann, eventually passing into the hands of Henry Francis du Pont in 1927 (winterthur museum, garden and library: a delaware country estate).

I won’t visit Winterthur again on this trip, but I hope to visit Nemours Mansion & Gardens, a 77-room Louis XVI-style château built by Alfred I. du Pont. It also boasts the largest formal French gardens in North America, a Chauffeur’s Garage housing a collection of vintage automobiles used on the estate, and nearly 200 acres of scenic woodlands, meadows and lawns.

Last December, I ventured to Cape May, New Jersey (a mid-december escape to cape may) and despite its being freezing cold, I enjoyed walking on the beach and having it all to myself. Travelers can cross the Delaware Bay from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, N.J. by ferry, but I drove directly to Cape May last year.

It’s fun and festive to visit small towns in America when they’re all decked out for the holidays, so I hope they’ll still be festive when we visit.

As none of our adult children will be home for Christmas this year, we hope to celebrate part of the holidays by having a little adventure. 🙂

Winterthur

Winterthur

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“THE CALL TO PLACE” INVITATION: I invite you to write a post on your own blog about what enticed you to choose a particular destination. If you don’t have a blog, I invite you to write in the comments. If your destination is a place you love and keep returning to, feel free to write about that. If you want to see the original post about the subject, you can check it out here: imaginings: the call to place.

Include the link in the comments below by Wednesday, January 23 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

My next “call to place” post is scheduled to post on Thursday, January 24. If you’d like, you can use the hashtag #wanderessence.

This will be an ongoing invitation, on the fourth Thursday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

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