My father is originally from Milton, Delaware. On the last Saturday of every June, there’s a family reunion of sorts (more like a big family picnic) at one of the state parks. I went once when I was about 9, way back in the ’70s. The next time wasn’t until 2012, when I joined a cousin who knows even fewer people on that side of the family than I do. When I found out that my father was going this year, I figured what the heck. Besides, it would be a great opportunity for Espen and me to enjoy a road trip through Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware for this annual event.
My original plan was for us to go and return the same day, but Espen couldn’t resist the opportunity to explore yet another state capitol. After the cookout, we headed to Dover and checked into our room at the Dover Garden Suites. Talk about a hidden gem among strip malls and highways! The manager, Kelly, meets you outside and escorts you through your private patio and into your suite. Exotic personal touches make you feel more like you’re staying in someone’s pied-à-terre than in a hotel room.
The hotel isn’t far from the Delaware Capitol, so off we went. I can’t say that I’m familiar with Dover despite having visited it with my parents several times over the years, but I honestly don’t remember every having seen the historic area. We had a nice stroll around The Green, as it’s called, before making our way to Taste of India.
Alas, Taste of India was not a hidden gem. In fact, it’s laughable that “taste” is even in the name. Some advice: If you’re going to have unremarkable food, at least have your service game on point. The host was dismissive at best and the food struggled to be even as flavorful as a generic microwavable meal. The waiter was nice enough at least, although it took us three tries to get our check before we finally gave up and went to the register ourselves.
Despite the food being unremarkable, we were still full, so it felt good to walk back. We learned two things during our walk throughout the city:
- Drivers consider stoplights to be more an option, including when there are pedestrians.
- People couldn’t care less about littering.
That last point was especially surprising. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve seen litter. I know it exists. But to see on two separate occasions people actively throwing shit on the ground was shocking. In the first instance, a young lady walking with her friend in front of us proclaimed, “I can’t drink this,” and casually threw her nearly full can of soda on the grass. If she was embarrassed that we noticed, it didn’t show. In the second case, some random dude driving through the historic area decided he’d had enough of whatever he’d been drinking and just threw it out the car window.
WTF?!
Sunday the grand plan was to chill on a beach somewhere for a few hours before heading home, but then Espen suggested the ferry from Lewes. We were going to take it over and then just head right back, but the ticket seller strongly urged us to take the trolley to Cape May and hang out a bit. I’m so glad we listened, because OMG! Cape May is gorgeous! It is everything you want a beach town to be: chill, great independent shops, lovely old homes and bed & breakfasts. And don’t get me started on Congress Hall, a hotel there that dates back to 1816. And all this is situated along a lovely beach. I highly recommend it, and I hope we get to go back for a longer stay.
Below are some photos from our jaunt. Yeah, yeah … there are quite a few from the ferry itself. Seems I was taken with lines a lot during this trip, and it reflected in the photos. Enjoy!
Where the Road Takes You 