Itinerary for Three Days in Delaware

If one is staying up to three days in the First State, one might wish to take a tour of each of its three counties. Delaware has the distinction of being small enough not to miss too much if time is very limited; a lot of it can be squeezed into a short amount of time. Consider staying somewhere in the middle in order to minimize travel time to the northern and southern parts of the state while visiting, as the trip is only about an hour and a half to either end of the state from its midst.

 

Wilmington might take at least a day to see, as there is more to do in the city itself than one might think. Historical sites abound, and the city has a thriving arts center and cultural district. Wilmington is also just minutes away from the delights of the Brandywine Valley, so an entire day can easily be spent in this city and the surrounding Valley.

Spend a day enjoying the freshwater ponds of the First State. They have their own state parks, which include camping, fishing, hiking, and picnicking for a start. Lums Pond, Killens Pond and Trap Pond State Park offer fun and games on the quiet waters of the ponds, with canoeing, wildlife and boat rentals to augment the trip. Since Delaware is such a compact state, Killens Pond is only about one-and-a-half hour’s drive, either from the southern part or the northern part of the state.

One might also choose to  visit Fort Christina, as this was the site of the first Swedish military outpost in the Delaware Valley. The site became the center of the first Swedish settlement in North America and its trading and commercial center. It fell into disrepair after the English conquest in 1664 and except for a few rocks jutting into the river, which served as a landing site, the last vestiges of the fort have disappeared.

From 1793 to 1812, Lombardy Hall served as the home of Gunning Bedford, Jr., a delegate from Delaware to the Continental Congress and the Annapolis Convention, and a signer of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

 

Dover Downs is another big place to see, especially during the harness racing that takes place from November to April. The sights and sounds of the live racetrack are not a thing to be missed if one can spare the time. While in Dover also check out Dover Air Force base, which houses a military museum that boasts a collection of memorabilia that includes decommissioned aircraft, and spans history from the Civil War up until the First World War. The beaches are just a little ways to the city’s east, and some fine shopping and dining can be had there.

The Blue Coat Inn is the most popular Restaurant in Dover, and here one may have a good selection of seafood, traditional dishes, and other kinds of American Cuisine.