Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8:30am-4:30pm Fri)
is downtown. Wilmington is accessible by Grey-
hound or Peter Pan Bus Lines, which run to major East Coast cities. Both bus lines serve
French St)
trains connect Wilmington with DC (1½ hours), Baltimore (45 minutes) and
New York (1¾ hours).
Brandywine Valley
After making their fortune, the French-descended Du Ponts turned the Brandywine Val-
ley into a sort of American Loire Valley, and it remains a nesting ground for the wealthy
and ostentatious to this day.
5105 Kennett Pike (Rte 52); adult/child $18/5; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun)
, the 175-room country
estate of industrialist Henry Francis du Pont, housing his collection of antiques and
American arts, one of the world's largest.
Brandywine Creek State Park
( 302-577-3534;
http://www.destateparks.com/park/
brandywine-creek
/; 41 Adams Dam Road, Wilmington; admission $3; 8am-sunset)
is the gem
of the area. This green space would be impressive anywhere, but is doubly so consider-
ing how close it is to prodigious urban development. Nature trails and shallow streams
wend through the park; contact
Wilderness Canoe Trips
( 302-654-2227;
www.wildernesscanoetrips.com
; 2111 Concord Pike; kayak/canoe trip from $46/56, per tube $18)
for information on paddling or tubing down the dark-green Brandywine creek.
New Castle
As cute as a colonial kitten, New Castle is a web of cobblestoned streets and beautifully
preserved 18th-century buildings lying near a riverfront (that said, the surrounding area,
however, is a bit of an urban wasteland). Sights include the
Old Court House
(
302-323-4453; 211 Delaware St, New Castle;
10am-3:30pm Wed-Sat, 1:30-4:30pm Sun)
,
the arsenal on the Green, churches and cemeteries dating back to the 17th century, and
historic houses.
r $90-110; )
is idyllically set in the historic district. The owner will play the piano for
you while you enjoy a full breakfast.
A few doors down,
Jessop's Tavern
( 302-322-6111; 114 Delaware St; mains $12-24;
11:30am-10pm Sun-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat)
serves up Dutch pot roast, Pilgrim's feast
