Month: November 2016
Location: Dover & Wilmington
There are some
images in life which you may not have seen for decades. But the moment you see them again, a lifetime
of memories hit you like a wave. One
such image from my childhood was of a dog looking inside a gramophone. That for me represented days of sitting on a
rug in my parents place, listening to music.
Who knew that after all these years; I would be reminded of those magical
days in a small building in Dover, Delaware.
 |
| I was headed to Dover |
When I started looking at places to visit in Delaware, most
of the attractions were around the beach.
This wasn’t exactly a month to be visiting the beaches, so I decided to
go to Wilmington instead. Then I was
told that Dover, which is the capital and further South would be a better
choice and so I picked that one. In either
case I was flying into Philadelphia and while Wilmington was a train ride away,
Dover would require a car. So I reserved
a car and booked myself into a hotel that I found online. Then after a few days and a bit of research
on Dover I started second guessing myself and decided to change over to
Wilmington. Unfortunately the hotel said
that I had gone beyond their cancellation deadline and so now I was stuck. With a name like
‘Dover Garden Suites’, I thought that they were being pretentious
for what sounded like a Motel. Boy was I
ever so wrong.
 |
| This was my "Living Room" |
I took an early morning flight to Philadelphia and then
after a frustrating wait at the rental car agency, finally got my car and armed
with my trusted phone, set off for Dover.
Ever since moving to Chicago I haven’t had many opportunities to drive
and so it was great to get to do that again.
It was a beautiful day and the roads were empty, especially as I entered
the great state of Delaware. After
little over an hour I took the exit for my hotel and the map deposited me in a
vacant parking lot. As I approached a
building – which did look like a Motel – I learned that it was in fact a
"Funeral Home". So I called the number for
my hotel and the lady said that I should come around the bend and I would see
an area for a car to pull in. So I did so and this building wasn’t looking any
better. I approached a door and the sign on it said that I should call a number
if I had reservations. So I did and soon
the lady at the other end emerged and asked me to bring my car around to yet
another gate and she would let me in. By
this time I was annoyed and grumpily did as I was told, and went inside what
looked like a courtyard and parked. The lady then walked me to a cottage and
said that it was a key-less entry and that she would program a code of my
choice. I thought that these guys were
full of themselves for thinking that this was the
‘Ritz Carlton’. I had stayed
it that during my visit to
Atlanta and this isn’t that. As soon as she opened the door, I was proven
right. This wasn’t a
"five star
hotel". It was better.
 |
| And this was my Garden |
The entry with its ornate foyer should have warned me what
to expect. I was led into a lavish
living room that looked like it had been decorate from a
‘Pottery Barn’ catalog.
The furniture was artistic, there were things that I would never think of
buying and had an exquisite look. Then
there was a kitchen, which was small, but stocked with better cutlery and
plates than I have at home. There were some modern appliances – including a wine cooler –
and expensive coffee maker. Plus the fridge was stocked, there were snacks and
while that is common for many hotels, this stuff was complimentary. We could have stopped here, but then she took
me to see the bedroom which once again, looked like something that a visiting
“Royalty” would approve. I mean, just the mirror in there probably
cost more than all my things put together. Then there was the bathroom, which
was 2 rooms – yes, you read that right – and this was just one of the two
bathrooms in this unit. By now I was a
bit overwhelmed and then she said that I should check out the patio. Wait what.
There was a door leading to the back with my own patio – and not a small
one. But wait this wasn’t it. A path led from the patio to a back garden
and when I say garden, I mean a big lawn with pebbled walkways where people may
conduct weddings. And it was all mine
for half the price that a hotel room would charge in a bigger city.
 |
| "First State Heritage Park Market Fair" |
After the lady had left, I took pictures and broadcast it
for anyone who would listen. At this
stage I was contemplating just staying in house because nothing in Dover would
beat this. But that wouldn’t be right,
so I gathered my accessories such as chargers and decided to walk the mile into
the main town square. It took me some
time to emerge out of the property and from outside it looked like a ordinary
motel and doubt if passing cars had any idea of the treasures lying within
these gates. The road was looking like a
highway and only when I got closer to my destination that the streets became quieter
and friendlier. Around me were some
Government buildings that were deserted but I could see an assembly in between
some buildings, which housed a park called
‘First
State Heritage Park’ and where an
“18th
Century Market Fair” was being conducted. I had hit the jackpot by visiting Dover this weekend, when they have
this activity.
 |
| The supplies for "Quilling" |
The first thing I noticed was that people were dressed in
the attire from the
“colonial era”. Not only that, but they spoke like people
living in those days and all the stations were doing activities that one would
typically find in a market if you visited it in the late 1700’s. My first stop was at a booth where plenty of
people had gathered and for good reason.
They were sampling hot chocolate and the unique thing about it was that
they were using only the ingredients which would have been available back then
– meaning no refined sugar. Despite the
lack of that, it was delicious, as was a bottle of
“Apple Cider” that I purchased and gulped down. There were stations making tools, weaving and
even some selling historic artifacts. I saw that one of the booths had a lot of
kids hanging around it and when I went there, I saw that it was in fact an
“arts and crafts” project called
“Quilling”. So, in those days, colored paper – like
today’s stock paper – would be cut in thin strips and then
“twirled” around a feather
“quill”. After that the colorful concentric circles
could be stuck to a blank canvas to make art.
It was a very novel way of doing things and I even saw some samples.
 |
| The 'Governor's Cafe' |
There was an inn which was serving food and also a
“Medicine Man” who was giving an
impassionate speech to a captive audience.
I stopped to visit a
“Souvenir
Shop” that was being run by an elderly gentleman. I browsed through their selection and in one
of the rooms a lady was selling some artifacts, being dressed like the folks
who were outside in the park. I bought a
few things and chatted with the gentleman running the store and he gave me some
pointers on the map, as well as some additional brochures to read. I was going to a place called
‘Governor’s Café’ for lunch and it was
called so because it was located right across the
‘Governor’s Mansion’. I
followed the map to the café and it was located inside a beautiful house with a
nice patio where people were enjoying their food on this nice warm day. The inside was even better, with the various
rooms of the house being converted into dining spaces, while still maintaining
the décor appropriate to a place like this.
 |
| This place had a lot of history |
The staff was friendly and after my meal I was about to head
out, when I saw something in one of brochures that I had picked up. It said that I was supposed to ask the
shopkeeper about the
“Chocolate Murders”
that had taken place in a place nearby.
That certainly aroused my curiosity and I decided to go back to the
place and ask about this. The gentleman
who had given me directions was there and I asked him to tell me the story. He did so as pothers gathered around us –
along with an elderly lady who seemed to be waiting for him to finish so as to
say hello. So the story goes that a lady
named Cordelia Botkin, in 1898 sent her ex-lover’s wife a box of poisoned
chocolates, thus killing her and her sister.
The case became famous because it covered 2 jurisdictions, California –
from where the poisoned box was shipped – and Delaware – where the actual
deaths took place. It was a creepy story
and I was sure that the gentleman enjoys telling it.
 |
| No, this wasn't a museum for dogs |
Now Dover has all of 2 or 3 museums and without knowing
anything about it, I was headed to one of them –
‘Johnson Victrola Museum’. I
walked over there and the building didn’t look like much from the outside. Upon entering I was met by a gentleman who
was probably in charge and he told me this was a museum dedicated to Eldridge
Johnson, one of the more famous people from this State. He is also the founder of the
‘Victor Talking Machine Company’. I hadn’t heard of it, but I saw something in
the museum - their logo of a dog staring inside a gramophone. I knew it by another name, a name that I
hadn’t thought of in many many years,
“His
Master’s Voice” or
“HMV”.
While I confess to being “tone
deaf” when it comes to musical instruments, music has always been a part of
my life. Some of my earliest memories
are of listening to music on “HMV”
tapes but it wasn’t something that I had thought about for years. So imagine my surprise when I saw the
reference to that everywhere in this 2 floor museum, with several models of
dogs of various sizes and the accompanying gramophone. In fact, the 2nd floor had several
of those and even had corners which looked like a dog shelter. It was a good museum with lot of stories and
history around the man and this company.
 |
| The 'Biggs Museum of Art' |
I walked back through the park – the
“Medicine Man” was still going strong – and procceded to
‘Biggs Museum of American Art’. The main lobby of the museum as well as its
“Gift shop” had been taken over by local
artisans who were displaying their handcrafted items for sale. There were lot of people walking about this area and almost no one was in the galleries. I saw a booth with some beer samples and it was Delaware’s own
‘Dogfish Head Brewery’ who were
displaying a couple of their beers. I
liked this place already and after tasting the samples, walked about in the
museum; which is quite good. When I
left, it was still early and there really wasn’t much to do in the afternoon. Fortunately I had a good backup which was
enjoying my
“palace” and so I came
back and sat on a comfortable chair in the living room, while enjoying the
snacks and coffee that was on offer. Not
a bad way to spend an afternoon.
 |
| The historic tavern |
I was going back to downtown Dover, well the place which can
probably be referred to as
"Downtown" and decided to walk there rather than take
my car. As I got to the Government
buildings darkness had set in and the place was looking quite pretty. The roads were deserted and I wasn’t sure if
it was too early for people to come out or too late! I was headed to a place called
‘The Golden Fleece Tavern’ who has 2
claims to fame. The first was that this
was a really old tavern from back in the
“Revolutionary
War” days. The 2
nd thing
this place was known for was its
“Hot
Apple Cider” made with
“Butterscotch
Rum”. I entered the place which
looked like any other
“diver bar” and
was empty as it gets. I ordered the said
drink and was told that they had just started making it and the lady pointed
towards the
“crockpot” in which the
concoction was brewing. She said that it
would take at least an hour and I told her that I wasn’t going to miss out on
it and would be back.
I was going around the corner to a place called ‘Grey Fox Grille & Public House’,
which was inside building that looked like a house. Like ‘Governor
Café’, the interior was very charming, especially the dining rooms. I sat at the bar and had one of the “Martini’s” that they are known
for. It wasn’t a bad way to pass the
time and after an hour or so, I went back to try my luck with the cider. The lady at the bar seemed surprised that I
had come back and I said of course! The
drink wasn’t as hot as I would I have liked, but it was delicious. There were a few people at the bar, though
not as many as you would expect on a Saturday evening. My final stop for the evening was for dinner
at ’33 West Ale House & Grill’
and this was by far the most popular place I had been to this evening. It was full and noisy and wouldn’t have been
out-of-place in a bigger city. I enjoyed
my time here and when it was time to leave, it was just after 8 pm!
 |
| Night falls on Dover |
I called an
‘Uber’
and after the ride was accepted, I got a text message from the driver saying
that he was on his way and included enough
“emoji’s”
to take up 2 lines. Then after a while
he said that he was warming up his car and would be there soon. After being picked up, I learned that he
lived nearby and was sitting at home on the couch when he got my call. He also said that he was watching a
“Hallmark movie” with his wife at the
time and I said that maybe it wasn’t the worse thing then! He dropped me at my hotel and now there was a
dilemma. I had not taken my car and the
only way in was to use the electronic door opener that they had given me for my
car. I had to once again call the number
on the door and the lady had to come and open the door for me. It was a bit creepy to be sitting on the huge
bed in that elaborate bedroom, but I was too tired and drifted off to sleep
soon enough.
 |
| Downtown Wilmington on a Sunday morning |
I got up early next morning since I was headed to
Wilmington, which was on the way to the airport in Philadelphia. I made some coffee and walked about in my
backyard and the garden, still unable to believe that all of this was included
in the price of my accommodation. The
drive from Dover to Wilmington was just under an hour and it was a nice day to
be driving, both in terms of the weather as well as traffic. Plus, I found a show which was playing
‘The Beatles’ helping pass the
time. I arrived in Wilmington and made
my way to a parking lot in downtown. It
was quite windy this morning and as can be expected on a Sunday, the place was
empty.
 |
| One of the many places attributed to the du Pont family |
I was going to start off with brunch, but the restaurant
wasn’t open yet. There was a luxury
hotel nearby called
‘Hotel du Pont’.
and I decided to wait there . Now, this
would be a good time to talk about the name
“du
Pont”. Having studied
“Polymer Science”, this name was familiar
to me and I may have even explored employment prospects in the famous
‘DuPont Industries”. But it never occurred to me that they were
from Wilmington, Delaware and being this city’s most famous residents, the
entire place had their mark on everything – from hotels, to parks, to museums. The hotel itself was grand and there was some
sort of
“Meetup” or
“study group” that had assembled. I asked if there was a coffee shop in there
and indeed there was one, so I got some coffee and waited for my brunch place -
'Chelsea Tavern' - to open.
 |
| The "du Pont House" |
At brunch I planned the rest of my day and the first stop
was going to be
‘Hagley Museum and
Library’, which was where the first du Pont family home was located, along
with their factory shops. I took my car
and drove there, arriving just in time for a tour. This was a huge estate spread out over
several acres and with a creek running through it. To get to the location of the residence would
take a bus ride and I caught the bus with minutes to spare. Upon exiting, we were introduced to the du
Pont family history and then took a walk to the nearby mansion, which was once
their residence and is now a tourist attraction. It was lovely walking through the gardens on
this beautiful fall day and the house was remarkable, without being flashy.
 |
| Gunpowder was made on these grounds |
We also visited the office from which Mr. du Pont ran his
business, which was making Gunpowder. In
fact, on the way to the mansion we had seen buildings which were termed as
“Gunpowder Houses” and there was even
going to be a demonstration for us on the way back. The guide told us that often the family would
hear the sound of gunpowder echoing through the valley and surely that wasn’t
the most ideal thing for their peace and sanity. The tour was about an hour and we boarded the
bus back for the visitor’s center, but there were going to be a couple of stops
on the way. The first one was to see a
demonstration of a 100 year old
“Steam
Engine” which a gentleman showed us; and the second was the demonstration
to see how gunpowder was made. I was
running late and had other places to get to, and so skipped the gunpowder demo,
preferring to stay on the bus back to the the parking lot.
 |
| The 'Delaware Art Museum' |
I got in my car and drove to the next destination –
‘Delaware Art Museum’. Once again, I wanted to make it in time for a
tour and I arrived with a few minutes to spare.
For a long time it looked like I would be the only person on the tour but soon a couple joined and the guide took us through the different galleries
and told us stories behind the artwork, as well as the local connections of the
artists. I have seen several art museums
during my travels and this one was on par with some of the best. I enjoyed my time here and after the hour
long guided tour, walked around by myself for a bit. But I knew I was on a tight schedule and my
next destination was indeed urging me to hurry up.
 |
| The 'Nemours' |
One of my concerns was that my phone was dying and since I
was also using it as a
“GPS” while
driving, it was draining more rapidly than the charge coming in through the car
charger. With very little power to spare
I reached
‘Nemours Mansion & Gardens’;
another estate belonging to the du Pont family.
The first thing I did after buying a ticket was sitting at a bench and
charging my phone for a bit. The tour starts
with a short film regarding the family and this estate and I used that
opportunity to charge it a little more. The
main mansion was a bit away from the visitor’s
center and so I set off for it, only to be turned back at the gates, since
the entry was only via a bus. So I
walked back and sure enough a small shuttle was waiting for the visitors.
 |
| The magnificent gardens |
As the shuttle entered the gates, the first thing I saw was
the magnificent gardens, and I mean truly fantastic. Apparently they had been designed after the
“Gardens of Versailles” and I can only
imagine the costs that Mr. du Pont must have incurred to get these established. I got off the bus and entered the mansion and
it was befitting the gardens. The place
put some of the mansions that I had seen in
Newport to shame and that’s saying
something. As I walked through the
different rooms, the opulence and wealth of the family was there to see and
nothing was more brilliant than the
"Game Room’s" in the basement which, besides
the usual
“Pool Tables”, had a full
sized
“Bowling Alley” – full
sized! It was a house beyond any other
and as I looked at those incredible gardens through the window, I wondered how
it would have been to live in a place like this…even live in that era where
people flaunted their wealth and were in fact expected to do so.
 |
| Yes, that's a "Bowling Alley" inside the house |
The shuttle also dropped people off to see something called
“Chauffeurs Garage”, which is supposed
to house some of the family’s
“Vintage
Automobiles”. But I decided to stay on the bus heading back, though I would have loved to have spent more time
walking through those gardens. But I
wanted to visit one more place before leaving and that was
‘Rockwood Park & Museum’.
I arrived at the park and walked up to the museum, only to learn that it
had closed an hour before the time that was posted online. Now I wished that I had stayed back to enjoy
those gardens, and since there was nothing else to do; headed back to the airport.
 |
| The 'Rockwood Museum', which was closed |
Perhaps it wasn’t bad that I had so much time, since as I approached
the airport in Philadelphia, I started looking for a gas
station to fill up my car prior to returning it. But there was none in sight, even as I drove
through the terminals and back on the highway.
I decided to take the next exit, which took me across a long bridge and
into Philadelphia city, very close to the football stadium. Thank God the
“Eagles” were playing an away game today; else I would have been
caught in the departing traffic. I drove
past the stadium and through some roads and spotted a place, only to be
thwarted by impossible lane change. So I
kept going and found myself back on that bridge going to the airport. Soon I was back where I had started
and the tank was still empty. But now I
knew where to fill up and so I went back the same route and this time made sure that I was in the right lane. I filled up and
after 45 minutes since my first arrival, I was back at the airport and
returned my car.
It had been a
fantastic visit. When I decided to come
to Dover, I had very little expectation from the place. But I had a fun time yesterday, at the market
and also in the evening at all the places that I had visited. Plus what about my residence! By far the best place I have stayed at and it’s
not even close. Coming to Wilmington today had also been a
good idea and I had seen a lot in a short time.
I now know more about the du Pont’s than I did when in school. So concluded my 26
th visit in 26
months and with Washington DC in the books, that means I am halfway through the 50
States. Perhaps a mid-point
retrospective is in order.
