To Delaware or not to Delaware?

Call it a myth, call it urban legend, call it blatantly false, but rumor has it Delaware is a boring place. In my west coast circle, Delaware has been the butt of jokes for being boring and “random” for quite some time.

The notion started for me when I was kid watching a scene from “Wayne’s World” where Delaware is mocked as essentially being the most uninteresting state in the union. Is this a fair joke? Surely not I thought. So investigate I did. What is there to do and see in Delaware? Is it a bland uninteresting vacation destination? Let’s find out!

Here are the results of my somewhat cursory investigation:

Firstly, I figured there is going to be no greater champion of Delaware, than Delaware. So off to the state website it was. Where at once I’m greeted by a message from the governor, Ann Miller, saying, “There is no place quite like Delaware”. Alright! Let the myth busting begin!

Strictly speaking no place is like another place. So I need more than that. Luckily there is more, much more. I’ll spoil the suspense right now…Delaware ain’t half bad. Wayne just wasn’t right on this one.

Point by point why Delaware should bust the boring myth.

• Delaware is #1. It’s the first state, besides interesting trivia, that’s important because it also means it has deep historical roots. Delaware is a wealth of preserved early American history. Dover is one of the few state capitols (if any others) where cobble stoned streets and colonial homes are functioning infrastructure.
• Tax-free shopping statewide. Nothing boring about bargains.
• Famed east coast scenery with no crowds. Cruise through places like the Brandywine Valley and feel a bit more sophisticated. Delaware’s highways and byways offer the renowned beauty of east coast scenery in as serene a fashion as possible.
• du Pont’s family legacy. Delaware offers a chance to see old world French style chateaus in modern America. From the du Pont family elegant estates to colonial New Castle, much of Delaware can feel like a time warp to a simpler, more peaceful time.
• Captain Kidd and lighthouses. Delaware has both. Put them together and we have the makings of an interesting start to a story.

Delaware also boasts of entertainment in historic theatres and opera houses unmatched by most any other state. For the historical and peaceful at heart, my look into Delaware leads me to a simple conclusion- Delaware should be on your list of places to experience.

Historical and peaceful atmospheres are not everyone’s cup of tea, so maybe the truth is that Delaware isn’t for everyone (like Wayne). Yet for many it’s sure to be a place to remember and the farthest thing from “boring”.

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