Atlantic City NJ to Delaware

Going to stay in a condo outside of AC next week and don%26#39;t want to spend all my time at casino. Never been to Delaware. How far, what to see? Thanks

Atlantic City NJ to Delaware

The best (and certainly most enjoyable) way to get to DE from AC is to drive south on the Garden State Parkway to Cape May %26amp; take the ferry across the DE bay to Lewes, DE.

The drive is maybe 60 miles, so about an hour or so, then the ferry trip takes 70 minutes. You can check the schedule but the ferries leave about once an hour. I think a round trip ticket for foot passengers is about 18.00 %26amp; includes the bus/shuttle (the old fashioned trolley bus is for Lewes; the bigger buses are for Rehoboth/outlets). Figure about $60. RT if you take your car.

Lewes is very quaint with a New England seaside town feel...lots of history (founded 1631) restored victorian homes, great dining %26amp; nitelife both intown %26amp; along the scenic harbor. Shopping district has many antique %26amp; specialty shops.

Rehoboth also has many fine restaurants %26amp; shopping, plus the outlet malls. Cape Henlopen Park for nature lovers has free admission from Nov thru April.

Atlantic City NJ to Delaware

Riverview,

I agree that the ferry ride is really fun, and the DE beaches are worth seeing.

The other way to do it is to cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge and head to your DE destination. It%26#39;ll take about 90 minutes to get to the DE side of the bridge.

There is lots to see in Delaware, even though it%26#39;s small. New Castle (newcastlecity.net/visitors/visitor_index.html) is a colonial-era city with a lovely view of the river and some historic buildings. Jessop%26#39;s Tavern (http://www.jessopstavern.com) is old and looks it but the food and service are very good. For really fine dining there, try Chef%26#39;s Table at David Finney Inn (http://www.chefstablerestaurant.com/). There are some colonial era buildings to tour, as well.

Downtown Wilmington is trying hard but has yet to provide a whole day%26#39;s worth of ';touristy'; activities. Probably the best cultural attraction in the city limits is the Delaware Art Museum (http://www.delart.org/). Home to some works of great illustrators of a century ago, like Schoonover and Pyle. Terrific Chihuly glass installation . . . but if you%26#39;ve been to Borgata in Atlantic City, you%26#39;ve already seen a great -- though different -- example of his work.

When you include the whole Brandywine Valley (which stretches into nearby PA) there are a lot more options. In Delaware, there%26#39;s Winterthur, a DuPont estate with beautiful gardens and an extensive of early American decorative arts (http://www.winterthur.org/). A small but fun museum is the Delaware Museum of Natural History (http://www.delmnh.org/). Hagley Museum (http://www.hagley.lib.de.us/) is fascinating -- a look into the beginnings of an industrial empire and a way of life 200 years ago.

If you like gardens, cross the line into PA and visit Longwood Gardens, yet another DuPont estate (different heir) (http://www.longwoodgardens.org/). The Chrysanthemum Festival just opened this weekend. Lots to see inside the conservatory (allow at least an hour, more if you%26#39;re a gardener, to tour inside) even if the weather%26#39;s bad. If the weather%26#39;s great you can spend at least half a day. Another possibility is Brandywine River Museum (http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/) with a major collection of Andrew Wyeth paintings.

Here%26#39;s more on Brandywine Valley: http://www.thebrandywine.com/. If you%26#39;re a history buff, you might enjoy Brandywine Battlefield, where Washington and his troops lost badly (http://www.ushistory.org/brandywine/).

Have fun, and come back some time when you can spend more time!