locals are very happy to see new faces." Read more.

Punkin Chunkin
Millsboro

Do you like smashing pumpkins? We're talking about the annual Punkin Chunkin contest, a Delaware gourd-crushing extravaganza. "People spend the whole year building contraptions" designed to "shoot pumpkins through the air." You'll see supersized slingshots, creative catapults, and colossal cannons, all designed to toss old Halloween pumpkins over into the next state (or at least as far as possible). Held every year the weekend after Halloween, it's "good clean fun" complete with "lots of food, tailgating, vendors, and laughs for the whole family." Read more.

Rockwood Ice Cream Festival
Wilmington

This annual festival takes place in July at the Rockwood Museum, a "serene, happy environment." The old-fashioned ice cream festival is complete with music, Victorian crafts, an antique show, a hot air balloon, and a Civil War encampment. All activities are "family oriented" and it's a "fun time for children and adults of all ages." As for the ice cream, which is locally made, there are "hundreds of flavors that can be sampled." It's a "fun" chance to "mingle with others" and learn some history in the process. Read more.

Hagley Museum and Library
Wilmington

Trace the history of American enterprise at this "interactive museum" set upon 235 acres along the scenic Brandywine River. The site is the former home to the Du Pont powder mills, and there are "exhibits, working models, and live demonstrations" depicting life during the Industrial Revolution. A tour leads visitors through the 1800 estate and to see the outdoor water wheel and steam engine. There's also a formal French garden with working miniature models. Be sure to just walk the grounds, which are "especially spectacular" during fall. The accompanying library centers on business and technology. Read more.

Byler's Amish Country Store
Dover

From pellet stoves to pre-packaged spices, this variety store promises a "country shopping experience." The store's Amish and Mennonite influences mean that you might see "buggies parked in the front." Indoors, you can find "beautiful, handmade quilts, paintings, wood carvings, and crafts," plus there are "local" and "homemade" grocery items, including "jellies, candies, pies, soaps, and cheese." And just in case you're looking for even more, "they also have a huge assortment of outdoor lawn furniture and children's toys handmade by local Amish craftsman." The store is located outside Dover's city limits. Read more.

Thrasher's French Fries
Rehoboth Beach

Here's a reason to break your no-carb diet: These fries are "without a doubt the best French fries you will find anywhere." Thrasher's has been selling fries along the Boardwalk to beachgoers since 1929, and today it is considered a Rehoboth Beach institution. If you're hanging out on the beach, the smell of its fries will beckon you off your beach towel to share a bucket with your friends. Deemed "too good for ketchup," the only condiments offered alongside the fries are salt and vinegar. Even in these days of diet consciousness, you'll be "amazed at how many French fries they sell in a day."

4W5 Cafe
Wilmington

This Wilmington hangout is a "cool, funky, and totally original cafe." Whether you want to "enjoy a great, inexpensive breakfast" or listen to some of the "weekly blues and bluegrass jam sessions and open-mic nights," when you're here, you'll "feel welcome and right at home." The cafe has a partnership with The Listening Post, a nonprofit, volunteer-run concert series. At night, performers range from well-known acts to local upstarts, and much of the music is completely "original." Don't miss out on the weekend brunch for "sweet-potato pancakes." Read more.

Sydney's Blues & Jazz Restaurant
Rehoboth Beach

?Music for the spirit, food for the soul" is the motto of this restaurant/bar "tucked away" on a Rehoboth side street. Since it's removed from the Boardwalk throngs, few beachgoers straggle in. Sydney's pairs "delicious" gourmet food with live jazz and blues music. Sydney herself will almost always greet you personally, which will make you feel "right at home." Candlelight adds a "romantic" twist to a menu including several appetizers and salads, and signature main dishes "from land and sea." Try the baked brie and roasted garlic appetizer, followed by the "award-winning" crab cakes. Read more.

St. Georges Country Store & Gourmet Shoppe
North St. Georges

Put a little kick into your drive to any of the Delaware beaches with a stop at this country store. Standing at the store's helm, Captain Joe is a Cajun virtuoso who knows his spice. As a "world-class Cajun cook and French-trained baker," he creates "bargain" dishes that "taste like the Ritz." Among the entrees available for eat-in or takeout, you can get ahi tuna with horseradish crust and jambalaya. The sandwiches are also "excellent." To counter the spice, the desserts and baked goods are also tempting, from croissants and brioche to pecan pie and carrot cake.

Old New Castle
New Castle

Delaware's colonial capital dates back to 1651, when it was founded by Peter Stuyvesant. Due to its strategic location for trade and for its government business (New Castle enjoyed a brief stint as state capital), the town prospered, and many of the "grand, old homes" are still standing. Today, the area is "a great, historical, old waterfront town much like a small-scale Williamsburg." There are plenty of antique shops to browse, and there are many cozy bed and breakfasts along cobblestone streets. One of the town's former residents, George Read, was one of Delaware's signers of the Declaration of Independence. Read more.

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Milton

You just might think all the world's gone to the birds at this Delaware wildlife refuge and beach--and that's a good thing. This coastal wetlands area was established in 1963 to serve as the habitat for migratory waterfowl birds. Because it's located in a key position along the Atlantic flyway, thousands of winged creatures swing by. The park is also home to horseshoe crabs, endangered Delmarva fox squirrel, and deer. The setting is "beautiful," particularly "because it is not overpopulated." If you come to enjoy the canoe and hiking trails, you'll find that "the