Ultimate Delaware Road Trip Itinerary: Explore New Castle, Kent & Sussex Counties
Darley Newman learns how to use the binoculars provided by Ranger Josh Smith to observe the migratory birds at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
Discover Delaware’s role in the founding of our nation through this “Travels with Darley: Revolutionary Road Trip” travel itinerary. Follow Darley Newman’s footsteps and trace where she and her production team filmed over the course of five days across the state, from Wilmington to the coast. Visit Delaware’s only Revolutionary War battlesite at Cooch’s Bridge and pay tribute to hallowed ground. Enjoy walking through time in New Castle and visiting New Castle Court House Museum. Learn about how troops marched through Newark and see where to dine in a historic tavern and inn. Explore the du Pont legacy and patents signed by George Washington at Hagley Museum & Library. Taste mead at a women-owned Wilmington outpost and more!
Arrival Day
Arrive to Wilmington and get started on your Delaware Revolutionary Road Trip with a great meal.
Wilmington Dinner Recommendations:
The Quoin Hotel Restaurant (also has a rooftop bar and a cocktail lounge/speakeasy!)
Accommodations:
Sheraton Suites Downtown Wilmington
Address: 422 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19801
Day 1: New Castle County
Darley Newman showcases the assortment of mouthwatering breakfast pastries served at Bar Reverie; a great place to start your day right.
Breakfast: Bar Reverie
Address: 1407 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19801
Parking: Parking lot right out front.
Wilmington: The Grand Opera House
Address: 818 N. Market Street
Parking: Lot Mid-Town Park / Street Parking
Greg Barna captures the interview on the history of The Grand Opera House told by Skip Pennella, Executive Director, to Darley Newman.
The Grand Opera House has been in operation for more than 100 years but before it became The Grand, the location was used by all sides of the revolution as a hospital. It closed in 1802. During winter quarters in Wilmington 1782 and 1783, the Wilmington Academy served as barracks for the enlisted men in Lauzun’s Legion. The officers were lodged with private citizens.
Darley Newman with Liquid Alchemy owner, Terri Sorantino, and the meadery’s mascot, Stella.
Wilmington: Liquid Alchemy Beverages
Address: 28 Brookside Drive, Wilmington, DE 19804
Parking: Lot onsite attached to side of meadery
Woman owned meadery (first in Delaware) / Hard Cider and John Adams, George Washington & Ben Franklin
Newark: Hale Byrnes House
Address: 606 Stanton-Christiana Rd., Newark, DE 19713
Parking: Onsite pull right up in front or on side of the house.
Darley Newman with reenactors Kim Burdick and Joshua Loper inside the Hales Byrnes House.
The site of a Council of War on September 6, 1777, five days before the Battle of the Brandywine. (1750) Built in 1750, and is a two-story, five bay brick dwelling. The house was built by Samuel Hale, who sold it to Daniel Byrnes in 1754. The house gained historic stature after the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, the only Revolutionary War battle in Delaware. “George Washington visited here” is an oft-repeated claim in American cultural tourism—and one that is often exaggerated. Many times, the “Father of Our Country” merely slept at a property or had a meal there. Often, his visits took place before the events of the American Revolution or between the Revolutionary War and his two terms as president. In the case of the Hale-Byrnes House, however, Washington’s visit had historical significance. In August 1777, Gen. William Howe and 15,000 British and Hessian troops sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and landed at the Head of Elk (now Elkton, Md.). Their goal was to advance on Philadelphia from the southwest and capture the provisional American capital and seat of the Second Continental Congress. Expecting the British to move directly to Wilmington and then Philadelphia via the King’s Highway (now Old Baltimore Pike), Washington established entrenchments at locations where the highway crossed White Clay Creek and later, Red Clay Creek. He also sent a unit of light infantry under Gen. William Maxwell to harass and delay the British at Cooch’s Bridge, a key chokepoint along the highway where it crossed the Christina Creek south of Newark, Del.
Dinner: Deer Park Tavern
Address: 108 W Main Street, Newark, DE 19711
Parking: Limited Parking by Restaurant / Street Parking on Main Street
Darley Newman enjoys a lighter moment with her host, Jeremy Hughes, at Deer Park Tavern.
The Tavern has been a Landmark in Newark since 1851. Originally, the St. Patrick's Inn had stood in its place since 1747. Among the many travelers that used the Inn as a resting place were Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. With their team of surveyors, the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland was established and became famous as a line of demarcation between free and slave states. During the American Revolution, soldiers stayed at the St. Patrick's Inn, and it is stated that George Washington spent a night.
Accommodations:
Sheraton Suites Downtown Wilmington
Address: 422 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19801
Day 2: New Castle County
Breakfast: Spark’d Bakery
New Location coming soon inside the HOTEL DU PONT
Historic New Castle: New Castle Courthouse Museum
Address: 211 Delaware St., New Castle, DE 19720
Parking: Street Parking in the city / Lot out front
Darley Newman interviews Juliette Wurm of the New Castle Courthouse Museum, one of the oldest surviving courthouses in the United States and a registered National Historic Landmark.
The New Castle Court House, located in the heart of the historic City of New Castle, Delaware, is one of the oldest surviving courthouses in the United States and a registered National Historic Landmark and is also part of Delaware's First State National Historic Park. The original 1732 court is built over the remains of the 1660s courthouse, with additions and modifications throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. All jurisdictions of Delaware's courts, including the federal courts, have met in this building. The New Castle Court House was also Delaware's first capital building and meeting place for the colonial and first state Assembly. On June 15, 1776, the legislature passed a resolution to separate from both Pennsylvania and Great Britain, creating the State of Delaware. The Court House cupola was designated in 1732 as the center of the 12-mile circular boundary, which created Delaware's unique curved northern border. Significant events took place at the New Castle Court House involving slavery and the Underground Railroad, including the trials of abolitionists Thomas Garrett and John Hunn.
Immanuel Episcopal Church and Graveyard / Amstel House
Address: 211 Delaware St., New Castle, DE 19720
Parking: Street Parking in the city / Lot out front
Darley Newman with historian, Mike Connolly at the Amstel House.
The American Revolution was a difficult time for the Anglican Church in the colonies. As the official state church of England, it struggled to find a role once the United States and England were no longer considered one nation. The church continued to exist and became self-governing as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America otherwise known as the Episcopal Church after the Revolution.
Amstel House: Amstel House and Separation Day film/mention. Van Dyke family - "Revolutionary Center." Naval battle. Read grave. Washington said to have stayed there... / Washington party
Van Dyke Family “Revolutionary Center,” Naval Battle. Read Grave. 375th Anniversary of HNC in 2026. 250th Separation Day.
Lunch: The Mercury Cafe and Tea House
Address: 206 Delaware St., New Castle, DE 19720
William Penn said to have stayed there.
Darley Newman with her guide Jim Jones walk along Main Street in Newark, Delaware in front of a University of Delaware campus facility.
Main Street – Newark, DE
Address: Main Street Newark, Delaware 19702
Parking: Park in the lot behind the Klondike Kate’s Restaurant
The University of Delaware is reported to have 4 students who signed the Declaration of Independence. Fightin’ Blue Hens is also the name of the 1st regiment.
Dinner Options (within walking distance of hotel on Market Street)
Day 3: New Castle County/Dover
Breakfast at the Hotel
Darley Newman learns about the Mason jar miracle from Chris Cascio, Assistant Curator at the Hagley Museum.
Wilmington: Hagley Museum and Library
Address: 200 Hagley Creek Rd., Wilmington, DE 19807
Parking: Park in the lot right out front of the Visitors Center
Nation of Inventors celebrates the American spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey from the early years of the patent system, in the 1790s, through the “golden age” of American invention, in the late 1800s. The exhibit features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s unique collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life.
Newark: Cooch’s Monument and Cooch House
Address: 961 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, DE 19702
Parking: The turnoff site comes up quickly. There is no set lot, but feel free to park on the front lawn.
Battle of Cooch’s Bridge – the only battle of the Revolutionary period in the First State. Thomas Cooch House (WRRR), Cooch’s Bridge Monument the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site includes the Cooch Homestead and Cooch-Dayett Mill complex. The site is currently transitioning from private ownership to public site, undergoing necessary preservation and renovation.
Darley Newman with her guide Vertie Lee, outside Cooch House. In 1746, miller Thomas Cooch bought the property.
The location of Delaware’s only Revolutionary War era land battle, the site’s history covers centuries. Stories include agricultural use, industry, the experiences of Black families both free and enslaved, and the Cooch family who lived on the property for 7 generations. Cooch Family kids playing with cannonball years after the battle – one kid dropped a cannonball on his food – jokingly became known as “actual last casualty of the war”
*Rumored to be the first place that the stars and stripes flew in battle.
Newark: White Clay Creek State Park
Address: 1475 Creek Road (off of Hopkins), Newark, DE 19711.
Parking: Nature Center Location (address above). Meet us at the Pavilion for lunch.
Named for the clay that was once mined in the area, White Clay Creek State Park’s natural vistas, woodlands and creek with its many small tributaries span piedmont ridges and stream valleys along Delaware’s northern edge. White Clay Creek, a National Wild and Scenic River, is stocked with fish for anglers. The forest provides a critical habitat for migrating and nesting birds, including the rare cerulean warbler.
Darley Newman and Interpretive Programs Manager, Claire Mickletz pose at the Mason-Dixon Tri-State Marker at White Clay Creek State Park
More than 37 miles of trails welcome hikers, bikers and runners on the most diverse trail system in Delaware. The rich history of the park, woven through natural and cultural resources, is still evident in the ruins and buildings found here, like the 1790s Judge Morris Estate and Chamber’s House Nature Center. As overdevelopment in the northern part of the state became a matter of increasing concern in the late 1960s, the state began to purchase lands adjoining a small recreational park, which in 1975 became known as Walter S. Carpenter State Park. State land acquisitions and donations, from the Du Pont family and others, eventually expanded the park to over 3,600 acres.
The park was renamed White Clay Creek State Park in 1995. The White Clay Creek was named a National Wild and Scenic River by the National Park Service in 2000, which added an additional layer of protection to the area. Today, the park continues to serve as a vital protected area of scenic and recreational open space in northern Delaware. White Clay Creek State Park also features a pavilion, a bandshell and stage, a playground, accessible fishing docks, disc golf course, and more.
Darley Newman and her guide, Debbie Buckson admire the beauty and charm of the Houses of Odessa; examples of 18th and 19th-century architecture at their finest.
Odessa: Historic Houses of Odessa
Address: 201 Main St, Odessa, DE
Parking: Street Parking in front of Houses.
Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port. Today, you can stroll along tree-lined streets and admire examples of 18th and 19th-century architecture. Chief among these are the five properties that make up the Historic Odessa Foundation. Historic Delaware: Tour Period Homes
The Corbit-Sharp House, furnished since the late 18th century, is a historic house museum owned and operated by the Foundation. Other properties managed by the organization include the 1769 Wilson-Warner House, 1700 Collins-Sharp House, 1822 Cantwell's Tavern, and 1853 Odessa Bank.
Houses of Odessa have made the Top of the list for Best Documented Houses in the Country
Dinner: Cantwell’s Tavern
Address: 109 Main St Odessa, DE 19730
Parking: On street parking.
"To my surprise, I soon found myself in the pleasantest spot I ever saw in New Castle County, below Appoquinimink Creek … the land rises into gentle eminences, is very good, and affords situations that appear to be healthy." - John Dickinson, May 13, 1789
Called "Apequinemy" by the Lenni-Lenape Indians, Odessa was first settled by the Dutch in 1662 on the banks of the Appoquinimink Creek~ an Indian trade route on what is the shortest distance over land between the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay. The Dutch settlement quickly fell to the English by 1664, and by the 1730's a fully developed town had evolved. Success was evident when Sir Richard Cantwell built a bridge and toll house at this site, and in 1731 the town of Cantwell's Bridge was born. For the next 124 years Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port.
Accommodations:
Fairfield Inn & Suites Middletown
Address: 411 Merrimac Ave, Middletown, DE 19709
Parking: On-site parking / On-site contact: Nataliia Hliba
Day 4: New Castle County/Dover
Breakfast: Fairfield Inn & Suites Middletown
Designated a Globally Important Bird Area, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge should be on every birding enthusiast’s bucket list.
Dover: Bombay Hook
Address: 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977
Parking: Meet at Visitor Center
15,978-acre National Wildlife Refuge located along the western coast of Delaware Bay in Kent County, Delaware. Visitor facilities include a visitor center, auto tour route, observation towers and nature trails. Bombay Hook was established in 1937 as a link in the chain of refuges extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. It is primarily a refuge and breeding ground for migrating birds and other wildlife. The value and importance of Bombay Hook for migratory bird protection and conservation has increased through the years, primarily due to the management of the refuge and the loss of high-quality habitat along the Atlantic Flyway.
Dover: John Dickinson Plantation
Address: 340 Kitts Hummock Rd, Dover, DE 19901
Parking: Ample, free parking is available.
Darley Newman and Greg Barna capture the history of the burial ground for enslaved people at John Dickinson Plantation cemetery as told by their guide, Gloria Henry.
John Dickinson was a framer and signer of the U.S. Constitution and was known as the “Penman of the Revolution.” He was an American founding father, who wrote of freedom and liberty for all while holding human beings in bondage. The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs manages the plantation today and shares the stories of the tenant farmers, indentured servants, free and enslaved Black men, women, and children who lived, labored, and died on the plantation.
Dover: The Old State House
Address: 25 The Green, Dover, DE 19901
Parking: Free, but limited, street parking is available in front of, and around, the State House.
Vertie Lee gives Darley Newman a tour of The Old State House in Dover.
Built in 1791, the Old State House served as Delaware’s capitol during the United States’ critical early years as a nation. The Old State House was the first permanent capitol building in Dover, Delaware. Begun in 1787 and completed by May 1791, this Georgian-style structure was originally home to both state and Kent County governments. The first floor of the Old State House features an 18th century-style courtroom while the second floor features the former chambers of the state legislature. The House chamber contains notable portraits by Thomas Sully of Commodores Jacob Jones and Thomas Macdonough, heroes from the First State who served in the War of 1812. The Senate chamber houses an imposing portrait of George Washington painted by Denis A. Volozan. The building is situated on Dover’s historic Green, a public area designated by William Penn in 1683.
Dover: John Bell House and Golden Fleece Tavern
Address: 43 The Green, Dover, DE 19901
Darley Newman with her guide Jane Pilato at the John Bell House.
The John Bell House, built in the mid-1700s, offers a rare look into everyday life in Dover's earliest days, as it witnessed generations of pivotal events: from marching Revolutionaries to determined Freedom Seekers and crusading suffragists. The John Bell House is the oldest wooden-frame structure in Dover. The John Bell House truly exemplifies the idea that the size of a place does not necessarily represent the scale of the story it has to tell.
Across The Green from the John Bell House, is a historical marker for the Golden Fleece, a scene of some of the most important and dramatic events in Delaware history. Built in the 1730s, the Golden Fleece was a center for community and government activities. It was a place of great importance during the American Revolution and the early years of our Nation’s Independence. Also known as Battell’s Tavern, it hosted the meetings of the Committee of Inspection and Observation and was a vital point for the exchange of wartime communications.
Accommodations:
Home2Suites by Hilton Lewes/Rehoboth Beach
17388 Ocean One Plaza, Lewes, DE 19958
Dinner: Fish On
17300 N Village Main Blvd, Lewes, DE 19958
Menu: https://fishonlewes.com/restaurantmenu
Parking: Ample street parking in front of restaurant
Day 5: Sussex County
Breakfast at Honey’s Farm Fresh Gourmet Kitchen
329 Savannah Rd #1438, Lewes, DE 19958
Menu: https://www.facebook.com/honeysfarmfresh/menu/
Parking: Ample street parking in front of and near restaurant
Darley Newman is warmly greeted by Dr. Bonnie Hall when she visited the Nanticoke Indian Museum, the only Native American Museum in the state of Delaware that is also designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Millsboro: Nanticoke Indian Museum
Address: 26673 John J Williams Hwy, Millsboro, DE 19966
Parking: Ample parking at the museum.
While not directly related to the Revolution, it is important to remember that the Indigenous population in the area was here long before the Revolution and is still here today, continuing to be stewards of the land for thousands of years. The Nanticoke Indian Museum is the only Native American Museum in the state of Delaware. The Federal Government has listed the Nanticoke Indian Museum as a National Historic Landmark, one of 13 such sites within the Native American community given such an honorable distinction. Displays at the museum include but are not limited to – thousands of arrowheads, pottery, axe hammers and other objects, all of which are homemade. Visitors are educated and receive insight into the work that goes into creating Native arts and leave with a new understanding of Native American culture in Delaware.
Lewes: Zwaanandael Museum
Address: 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE 19958
Parking: Ample street parking around the museum.
Darley Newman and her guide, Devon Filicicchia view The Merman, the most fascinating exhibit at the Zwaanendael Museum.
The Zwaanendael Museum is a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military, and social history. Modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, the museum commemorates the founding of Delaware’s first European settlement by the Dutch in 1631. The museum displays a door from the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. Built around 1765, the lighthouse was one of the earliest lighthouses constructed in the country and was burned by the British during the Revolutionary War. The lighthouse collapsed into the Atlantic in 1926.
Where to Stay in Delaware: Hotel Information:
New Castle County - Sheraton Suites Downtown Wilmington
Address: 422 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19801
Parking: On site (Underground) Parking Garage
New Castle County - Fairfield Inn & Suites Middletown
Address: 411 Merrimac Ave, Middletown, DE 19709
Parking: On-site parking
Sussex County – Home2Suites Lewes/Rehoboth Beach
Address: 17388 Ocean One Plaza, Lewes, DE 19958
Parking: On-Site Parking
