Delaware Camping
Delaware camping was very new to us. Neither of us had ever been to the area before. We were there as part of our Long Summer Trip 2019. It is a lovely state, but not exactly what I expected.
Crossing the Chesapeake Bay
To begin Delaware camping, we crossed the enormous Chesapeake Bay. I found the Bay very beautiful and quite interesting. It is an estuary, which means it is a mix of saltwater and fresh water. It is the largest estuary in the United States and the third largest in the world. The surface area is approximately 4,480 square miles. It is quite shallow with an average of only 21 feet, but a six foot person could wade through more than 700,000 acres. However, an area near Annapolis is 174 feet deep. As an estuary, the Bay supports more than three thousand species of plants and animals.
The Bay Bridge opened in 1952 and is 4.3 miles long. There is a toll crossing it eastbound only. We crossed it on a Monday and all the traffic was going the other way where it was very slow and congested. Consequently, it was a was cool experience for us to cross this amazing body of water. When we crossed leaving Delaware, the same was true. It was on a Thursday and there was very heavy traffic going into Delaware. Timing is everything.
Cape Henlopen State Park
Our Delaware camping was entirely at Cape Henlopen State Park , where we spent three nights. We had an electric and water site near the front gate, site 27A , and it was not a bad site. It was quite hot, but we had a little shade, plus the important A/C.
Cape Henlopen has some extraordinary attractions! There is a fort with a unique history. Additionally, there is a beautiful beach, well-stocked store, single-user bathhouse, fishing pier, nice laundry, and fabulous bike trails. I loved this campground!
The Beach
The beach is accessible by walking. Additionally, there are places that can be reached by car or bike. The water was a bit cold for my Deep South blood, but it was very pretty.
There is also a place called The Point, which was isolated and relatively unpopulated. You can see a lighthouse, the Delaware Breakwater East End Light built in 1885, in the distance. There are benches and it is a great place to just sit and enjoy the view.
Lastly, there is a less populated beach by the fishing pier.
Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area
Fort Miles is like no other fort we have seen because of its interesting history dating to before WWII. Funds for the fort were approved in 1934, but construction did not begin until 1941. The gun batteries at the fort were to defend the Atlantic Seaboard against the German Navy. More than 2,500 soldiers were stationed there in a high alert status.
There were a series of observation tours designed to spot approaching enemy ships. We saw two of them in the park and were able to climb to the top of one.
There are still six barracks buildings on the site, plus many types of armaments and the Artillery Park.
The most fascinating piece, however, is Battery 519. It is a 15,000 square-foot fortified underground building. We took a tour that explained how they built the battery and the complicated process used to determine how the gun should be shot. It was a part of our history of which I was totally unaware.
At the end of the tour, they demonstrated an example of 1/10th of the fire power. We both both heard and felt the blast!
The tour was free and I recommend it to anyone interested in history.
Loaner Bikes and Bike Trails
Cape Henlopen has some of the best Bike Trails I have seen at a State Park. There is a 3.5 mile paved trail through the park and to the beach and pier. There is also a much longer loop, but we only did the shorter one.
We stopped to check out the pier. Many were fishing and the beach had a few sunbathers as well.
While the trail is excellent, for me the special thing about this park is the loaner bicycles they provide at the Nature Center. There is a program ran by volunteers which loans a bike for two hours, free of charge. You must return the bike within two hours, but you can borrow it again. We really appreciated this because we do not bring our bikes on a long trip like this and do not have a way to transport them if rented offsite. We had a nice morning on the bikes. Rain threatened, but did not materialize.
The Town of Lewes
The State Park is in the Town of Lewes. It is a quaint little town with a population of around 3,000. The thing about it is that it is so old. It began as a Dutch colony in 1631! It was the first European settlement in Delaware. I really wanted to go inside the Zwaanendael Museum, but it was closed. The unusual building below was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the settlement
The other interesting thing in the town was how the cemeteries closely surrounded the churches. In the South, it is not unusual to see a nearby cemetery, but these churches had the cemetery all the way around the building.
We observed two downtown churches that had the same situation with the cemetery, so it must have been a custom. However, it is not something I have seen in the South.
I could see from looking at the headstones that some were quite old. The sign below states that the cemetery is over 300 years old. Very interesting!
On the subject of cemeteries, we also noticed a very large one as we drove through the area. It looked strange at first to see such a large cemetery in such a small town, but this small town has been around for almost 400 years and that would create a need for far more graves than the typical Southern town.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth is a nearby beach and boardwalk. You can bike or hike to it from Cape Henlopen, but it is much further by car. The City of Rehoboth is also old. It was incorporated in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church as a “permanent camp meeting ground and Christian sea-side resort.
Today, Rehoboth Beach is one of the most popular resorts on the Atlantic coast.
Crab Cakes
I only mention food from on our travels that is extraordinary. Maryland crab cakes were something I had several times on the trip and they were very good, but the ones I had in a place in Delaware was hands-down the best I have ever tasted. They were at The Surfing Crab. Wish I had some right now!
In Conclusion
Delaware camping at Cape Henlopen State Park was one of my favorite stops on our trip. It is the second smallest state, but it is a great place to visit.
