Delaware
It may be on the small side, but Delaware is a corporate and agricultural powerhouse. In fact, favorable state policies have persuaded more than 183,000 companies to base their headquarters in the “corporate capital of the world.” With no sales tax, Delaware is where you want to hit the stores — especially the outlet malls.
But the great deals aren’t Delaware’s only draws. It is chock-full of beautiful beaches, delicious restaurants and rich history. From the first colonists in 1631 to the Swedes’ establishment of Fort Christina (now Wilmington) in 1638 to adopting the Constitution in 1787, the “First State” is proud of its past. You just have to wander the streets to discover the charm that Delaware has to offer. The small towns (Milton and Georgetown) bring you back to a simpler time, the beaches (Rehoboth, Dewey and Bethany) transport you to paradise, and yet there is still a mass amount of industry in other places (Wilmington and Dover).
People flock from the Washington, D.C., area every summer to relax in the charming Atlantic Coast towns of Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Lewes, Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach. Families, college students and retirees take over the otherwise quiet seaside destinations come June. Bethany and Rehoboth both boast popular boardwalks lined with shops, restaurants and arcades, while Lewes has a history steeped in Dutch culture and whaling (and where the Cape May, New Jersey, ferry docks).
At the tip of Delaware lie New Castle, Newark and Wilmington. Close to the Delaware River, this trio makes up much of Delaware’s industrial area. Established in 1651, New Castle is one of Delaware’s first settlements and the first capital of the state. Newark is home to the University of Delaware and a storied past; as the story goes, Betsy Ross’ flag was first raised in battle at Cooch’s Bridge on September 3, 1777. The largest city in Delaware, Wilmington, is an important industrial port and touts itself as the “chemical capital of the world.”
And then there’s Dover, Delaware’s capital since 1777. Lovely 18th- and 19th-century houses still line State Street.
But the great deals aren’t Delaware’s only draws. It is chock-full of beautiful beaches, delicious restaurants and rich history. From the first colonists in 1631 to the Swedes’ establishment of Fort Christina (now Wilmington) in 1638 to adopting the Constitution in 1787, the “First State” is proud of its past. You just have to wander the streets to discover the charm that Delaware has to offer. The small towns (Milton and Georgetown) bring you back to a simpler time, the beaches (Rehoboth, Dewey and Bethany) transport you to paradise, and yet there is still a mass amount of industry in other places (Wilmington and Dover).
People flock from the Washington, D.C., area every summer to relax in the charming Atlantic Coast towns of Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Lewes, Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach. Families, college students and retirees take over the otherwise quiet seaside destinations come June. Bethany and Rehoboth both boast popular boardwalks lined with shops, restaurants and arcades, while Lewes has a history steeped in Dutch culture and whaling (and where the Cape May, New Jersey, ferry docks).
At the tip of Delaware lie New Castle, Newark and Wilmington. Close to the Delaware River, this trio makes up much of Delaware’s industrial area. Established in 1651, New Castle is one of Delaware’s first settlements and the first capital of the state. Newark is home to the University of Delaware and a storied past; as the story goes, Betsy Ross’ flag was first raised in battle at Cooch’s Bridge on September 3, 1777. The largest city in Delaware, Wilmington, is an important industrial port and touts itself as the “chemical capital of the world.”
And then there’s Dover, Delaware’s capital since 1777. Lovely 18th- and 19th-century houses still line State Street.
