Falling for Virginia

This piece originally appeared in The Washington Post Magazine on September 21, 2014.

Washington Post: Fall Travel in Virginia

9 Things to Know About Delaware

  

Yes, it's the nation's first state. But do you know why Delaware is so dubbed? The answer, and eight other surprising facts about the country's second smallest state, below.

1. Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. It happened on December 7, 1987 in Dover.

www.go-delaware.com

2. Up until last year, Delaware was the only state in the union not to have a National Park Service unit. It still doesn't have a national park, but it now has the NPS First State National Monument (thank you, Joe Biden?) It consists of several historic sites, including the Dover Green, the New Castle Courthouse and parts of the Brandywine Valley.

3. There's no sales tax in Delaware, which makes it a shopping mecca.
The best deals can be found at the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth.



4. The foodie scene in Rehoboth is surprisingly robust. Maybe all of those Washington weekenders have unleashed a demand for fine food that can no longer be tamed. Savor a taste of the best the beach town has to offer by taking a sampling and strolling tour with www.eatingrehoboth.com.

5. Speaking of food, the Second Annual Mid-Atlantic Food and Wine Festival takes place between May 14 and 18 in venues throughout Delaware. The only statewide food and wine festival in the country will feature epicurean experiences presented by 90 chefs and 20 winemakers from six continents. 

 6. Punkin' Chunkin' in Bridgeville. Need we say more?

7. Birdwatchers go loony over Delaware. The small state (clocking in at less than 2,000 square miles) has several prime spots for checking out the flying flocks. The best is Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, a 16,000+ tidal salt marsh located along the Delaware Bay. Spring features migrating songbirds and shorebirds, while summer provides a peek at tall wading birds who hang in the marshland with deer, red fox and beaver. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge is another top spot for migratory birds.

8. As the northernmost slave state (albeit in the Union), Delaware played an integral role in the Underground Railroad, which led southern African-Americans to freedom. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway connects key historic landscapes, homes, and places of cultural significance throughout Delaware to tell the story of the struggle for freedom and the individuals who helped make that dream a reality. 

9. More history is showcased in northern Delaware at the famous DuPont mansions.  The Hagley Museum and Library is the site of the gunpowder works founded by E.I. du Pont in 1802. The example of early American industrial history includes restored mills, a workers community, and the ancestral home of the du Pont family. Winterthur, the home of Henry Francis DuPont, is now a premier museum of American decorative art. Meantime, a stroll through Nemours, the home of Alfred I. DuPont, will leave you feeling as if you are wandering through a French chateau. 

www.nemoursmansion.org

For more information on the First State, go to www.visitdelaware.com.

Valentine's Day Travel: Sweetheart Deals

As Valentine's Day approaches, hotels and inns are deluging me with press releases featuring all sorts of sweetheart deals. Here is a selection of some that had me doing double-takes.

The Library Hotel, New York City

Trying to get your significant other to be more romantic while whispering sweet nothings in your ear? If so, check out the Poet in Residence program at New York's Library Hotel.   During February, Love Poems for Two: A Couples Massage for the Mind and Soul, is being offered by one Karen Clark, poet. The private 90-minute workshop is designed to help couples express their deep thoughts to each other literally literary-ly. The tab for the workshop is $125 per couple, who must be checked in at the Library Hotel or its sister properties.  

Now then, how about a Valentine's Day deal for four? Yep, Love is in the Air at Pennsylvania's Omni Bedford Springs Resort for a couple of couples traveling in concert. The package for four includes champagne, chocolate, a hot air balloon ride, couples massages, and a suite. Hmmmmm. The package starts at $2,500 per night for the foursome. Note that the suites in question sport two bedrooms, so the deal is tamer than it appears upon first glance.

Omni Bedford Springs Resort

The same property is also promoting a Lonely Hearts package for singles. Come with a platonic buddy and enjoy accommodation, chocolate and champagne, and spa treatments. The package rate starts at $229 per person per night.

The Inn at 202 Dover in Easton, Maryland is celebrating Valentine's Day, Presidents Weekend, and Black History Month all in one fell swoop. The luxury inn is offering special Valentine's Day dinners at its Peacock Restaurant and African-American history tours of the historic Hill neighborhood in Easton.

For more ideas, bargain hunters should head to Groupon for a list of curated deals for romantics. You'll find specials on weekend and week-long vacations in the U.S. and in the Caribbean, Central America, and even London and Paris. Just be aware that some of the deals have blackout dates on Valentine's Day weekend. 

For more sweetheart tips, watch my appearance on WJLA-TV news in Washington, DC on February 6.

Falling for Maryland: Part III

Who knew that the Western Shore of Maryland had all this?  For information about what else is on deck here, check out www.choosecalvert.com. 

Chesapeake Beach

The sandy cliffs at Calvert Cliffs State Park

Psychedelic sea life at the Calvert Marine Museum

Drum Lighthouse at the
Calvert Marine Museum

Out for a ride on the
Patuxent River

Ahoy, Matey!

Happy Valentine's Day and Presidents Day Weekend! Here are some travel ideas that I shared on NewsChannel 8's Let's Talk Live this week.




For information on the travel destinations described, please see my February 11 post. The websites for the two gifts are www.shavetech.com and www.luggageamerica.com.

Outrunning the Presidents Race

This time, I am talking about the real one, and not the one recently won by Teddy Roosevelt at Nationals Park. If you live anywhere in the United States, it is difficult to get away from the race between Obama and Romney, especially with less than a month to go before election day. But imagine the plight of those who live in and around Washington, DC. Politics is always ubiquitous, and if it's possible, even more so during the month before a presidential election. To boot, Virginia is in play, which means that even in deep blue DC, we are being pelted with ads from the right, from the left, and from those central players involved in the game thanks to Citizens United.

So, what's a Washingtonian to do? My advice is to get away and avoid TV. Fortunately, in these Mid-Atlantic parts, October is the perfect time to do just that. After all, it's fall foliage season and Virginia Wine Month, all in one stellar month.

During the past decade, Virginia has become purple in more ways than one. In addition to swinging Obama in 2008 (despite having a state leader Rachel Maddow dubs as "Governor Ultrasound"), the state has mauved to the center of the East Coast wine movement. With more than 200 wineries, the Old Dominion is #5 on the state list of wine production, a statistic that would make one Thomas Jefferson very proud. Throughout October, Virginia wineries and vineyards celebrate the grape every weekend with tastings, harvest festivals, live music, and art shows. Check out www.virginiawine.org for a full calendar of events from around the state.

Next up--leaf peeping. October is the month for fall color in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. The best color starts mid-month in the mountainous regions of this stately trifecta. For a status report on  Virginia's non-partisan colors, call (800) 424-LOVE. For West Virginia updates, call (800) CALL-WVA.  Maryland's number is (800) 532-8371.  Finally, if you want to venture even farther, the U.S. Forest Service hotline reports on foliage throughout the country at (800) 354-4595.

Fully sated by nature's bounty, head back to home in November and remember to vote.






Next