{"id":11832,"date":"2023-11-11T14:53:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-11T19:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/?p=11832"},"modified":"2023-12-07T11:15:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T16:15:14","slug":"delaware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/?p=11832","title":{"rendered":"Delaware"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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DELAWARE<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Delaware<\/h1>

Around Deleware<\/h5>

Delaware is often part of our favorite north-south coastal route that explores the barrier islands of the Atlantic coast. While it is the second smallest state in the US, it has some interesting spots for enjoying the outdoors beyond just “the beach.”<\/p>

Overview:<\/strong> Delaware “tourism” is primarily focused on summer beach destinations along the Atlantic coast and the resort towns of Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island. And while the state does not really have any “off road” destinations or even simple dirt roads, it does have some interesting paved routes to explore different regions. You can check out the various “Scenic Byways” on this official site<\/a>. Beyond these “byways” there are also some really great places to go exploring on public lands, particularly along the Atlantic coast and in the more rural southern part of the state.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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TOPOGRAPHY:<\/strong> Delaware is 96 miles long and ranges from 9 miles to 35 miles across, with a land area of just 1,982 square miles. Delaware, together with the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland and two counties of Virginia, form the Delmarva Peninsula, which stretches down the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Delaware is on a level plain, with the lowest mean elevation of any state in the nation. Its highest elevation, located at Ebright Azimuth, is less than 450 feet above sea level. The northernmost part of the state is part of the Piedmont Plateau with hills and rolling surfaces. The Atlantic Seaboard fall line approximately follows the Robert Kirkwood Highway between Newark and Wilmington; south of this road is the Atlantic Coastal Plain with flat, sandy, and, in some parts, swampy ground. A ridge about 75 to 80 feet high extends along the western boundary of the state and separates the watersheds that feed Delaware River and Bay to the east and the Chesapeake Bay to the west.<\/p>

HISTORY:<\/strong> Before Delaware was settled by European colonists, this land was home to the Eastern Algonquian tribes known as the Unami Lenape, or Delaware, who lived mostly along the coast, and the Nanticoke who occupied much of the southern Delmarva Peninsula. These indigenous peoples had a settled hunting and agricultural society. In 1631 Dutch traders established the first colonial presence at at Zwaanendael, near present-day Lewes. The Lenape soon became middlemen in an increasingly frantic fur trade before being pushed off their lands on the Delaware River by the mid-18th century. Colonial Delaware was a largely agricultural region, producing tobacco with plantation-style cultivation based on slave labor, similar to the system in southern states. By the early 1800’s industrialization began to transform parts of the states into a manufacturing center, and by 1810 two-thirds of Delaware’s slaves had been freed. Delaware’s history as a “border” state between north and south, has led it to exhibit characteristics of both regions. Generally, the rural Southern regions of Delaware below the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal embody a Southern culture, while densely-populated Northern Delaware above the canal is more urban and has more in common with the Northeast. Native American communities that maintain a strong presence in Delaware are the Lenape<\/a>, which is today headquartered in Cheswold, and a band of the Nanticoke<\/a> tribe that resides in Sussex County.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Delaware Bay<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Delaware Bay area we are most interested in is the lower section which features a wilder, less developed landscape defined by wetlands and a few small towns. Lewes, one of the first towns to be established in the state, has a quaint historic district and is the Delaware terminal for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry that links it to New Jersey and one of our favorite coastal north-south routes. The maritime heritage of Lewes gives it a unique character, with a blend of architectural styles that spans almost four centuries.<\/p>

From Lewes we have two different “slow road” options to explore further south. One will follow the Atlantic Coast along the sandy beaches of a series of barrier islands, the other goes into the interior where the remains of the Great Cypress Swamp beckon.<\/p>

But right along the Bay near Lewes there are a few great locations to discover and experience both the wetlands marshes of the bay and the sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast. And there’s some interesting military history, too.<\/p>

The short, 12.5 mile “Historic Lewes Byway<\/a>,” links these locations and captures the 378-year history of the “First Town in the First State of the United States of America”.\u00a0 Located at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, with a good harbor and lighthouses, Lewes was the perfect spot for a major shipping channel, for rescuing passengers and crews of foundering ships, and for defending the Delaware Bay and adjacent communities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE<\/h5>

Delaware Bay, between the states of Delaware and New Jersey, is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River. The bay’s freshwater mixes with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean over an area of\u00a0 approximately 782 square miles. It’s shores are largely composed of salt marshes and mudflats, with only small communities inhabiting the lower bay. <\/p>

The bay is one of the most important navigational channels in the United States; it is the second busiest waterway after the Mississippi River. Its lower course forms part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The need for direct navigation around the two capes into the ocean is circumvented by the Cape May Canal and the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal at the north and south capes respectively. The upper bay is connected directly to the north end of Chesapeake Bay by the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.<\/p>

The protected salt marsh wetlands bordering the bay, serve as a breeding ground for many aquatic species, including oysters and horseshoe crabs (Delaware Bay hosts the largest population of horseshoe crabs in the world). <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\nThe landscapes of the Delaware Bay area are in a constant state of transition due to rising sea levels. Over the past 100 years the sea level has risen 13 inches. The protected habitats of the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge are increasingly threatened.

\nOver the past 85 years, about\n500 feet of beach front at Prime Hook have been lost. Experts predict global sea levels will continue to rise anywhere from one to three meters over the next century. Moreover, increasing frequency and intensity of storm events is causing additional flooding and erosion. \n

\n\nThe Refuge has worked with researchers to determine the best course of action to protect the wildlife habitats at Prime Hook. Rebuilding the dune line, while critically important, is not enough. Rather, a careful and detailed marsh restoration\nplan, which rebuilds a resilient mix of salt, brackish, and some freshwater marsh, is a sustainable option to help Prime Hook adapt to the realities of sea-level rise and climate change.<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Lewes Ferry
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HIGHLIGHTS: Vehicle
Ferry to Cape May NJ,
scenic views<\/span>
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Prime Hook NWR
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HIGHLIGHTS: Wildlife
viewing, Hiking<\/span>, Paddling
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Cape Henlopen State Park
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HIGHLIGHTS: Beaches,
Dunes, Historic
lighthouse, Hiking<\/span>
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Fort Miles Historic Area
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HIGHLIGHTS: Historic
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history<\/span>
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