Nemours Estate - Wilmington, DE

Our afternoon at Nemours Estate - Wilmington, DE.

This five-story, 105 room, 47,000 sq ft home was completed in 1910 as a gift from Alfred du Pont to his second wife, Alicia. The house is done in the Louis XVI style of French architecture. The grounds feature the largest French formal gardens in the US. The design is patterned after the “Gardens of Versailles”.

Alfred du Pont was the son of famed chemist and inventor, E. I. du Pont, whose gunpowder business was the catalyst for the family’s fortune. As an inventor, E. I. du Pont gave us Lycra, Teflon, Kevlar, Freon, Lucite and Nylon. He was a pretty sharp cookie. 😉

If you are ever in the Wilmington area, take time to visit Nemours Estate. It rivals most anything that the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, or Morgans could boast.

Lewes & Cape Henlopen, Delaware

More photos from our second day exploring Lewes (pronounced Lewis) and Cape Henlopen State Park on the Delaware coast.

Lewes is such a great historic town and we couldn’t resist going back for a second day. We then spent our afternoon exploring other areas along the coastline, including Fenwick Island, where we got a few pics of another great lighthouse. Then, we decided to head back up to Cape Henlopen where we stumbled upon Fort Miles.

The role that Fort Miles and the Delaware coastline played in WWII is truly impressive. Germany’s navy sent a fleet of submarines to attack to the US east coast during WWII. Fort Miles captured two of those subs and helped thwart a homeland security disaster in the early 1940s.

While the museum at Fort Miles is currently closed, you can still explore the grounds, which we did. 😁

Delaware is on the map!

Woo hoo! Delaware is on the map! We have been talking about getting to this little state for a few years now, and we have finally made it!

We have several days planned in Delaware and hope to find out more about the “First State”. Our first day was spent checking out the historic town of Lewes (the first town, in the first state) and visiting Cape Henlopen State Park!

We are camped in Delaware Beach State Park (North), just a stones throw from the Indian River Inlet and Bridge.