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Delaware: Motorcycle Through the First State

Delaware might be a tiny state, and it is, particularly when you're from California. But you're never used to how small it is until you ride your motorcycle through it.

But it's not to say that there's a lot less to see and do there. The First State still seems to have as many miles of beautiful beaches, pristine forests, historic downtowns, and vast stretches of farm land.

We started our journey in Ocean City, MD, just a few miles from the state line along the Barrier Spit. Traffic was heavy when we left on a Friday, just as the weekend traffic was well underway. While most folks know of Ocean City, many others may not know that Delaware has its beach resorts as well. Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, and Rehoboth Beach are about as built-up with hotels, timeshares, and restaurants as any other.

My gut was telling me that seafood was in order for lunch, and along the shore, the State of Delaware is host to many great offerings. But I wasn't interested in something overly commercial and chain, I wanted something more home-grown and more true to Delaware's fishing history.

Meding & Son Seafood was exactly what I was looking for. Originally opened in 1984 as a roadside seafood shack, Meding's grew quickly on the word of its fresh, never frozen, seafood preparation. Today it's boasts a large dining room, a bar, outdoor patio, and fresh seafood display case. When Sash and I got there in the afternoon, it was already packed with regulars.

The restaurant claims the Crab Cakes and Cream of Crab Soup are the best sellers. They cook up about 100 gallons of the soup each week. But I wanted the fish and chips and deep fried oysters. For some reason, I always use those two as a yardstick on seafood restaurants. And it passed quite well. The battered fish is served in thick chunks that melt in your mouth, while the deep fried oysters are selected for large sizes and served up crispy on the outside, and juicy hot on the inside.

Also in Delaware is Dogfish Head Brewing, perhaps one of the most eclectic and well-respected of craft breweries among hop-heads nationwide. Located in the town of Milton, nearly every restaurant and bar in the Delmarva area serves up their famous brews. You can take a tour of their facility, but good luck getting a spot. The brewery is sold out of tours through the Summer.

So instead, just hang out in their tasting room, and then pick out a t-shirt to take home so that you can show your beer-drinking buddies how cool you are. Dogfish Head has a food truck serving up brats, chowder, and hop pickles.

Our route veered off the main highway, on to State Route 71, taking us deeper into the rural areas of Delaware, past the farm fields, colonial style structures, and finally into the town of Middletown. Middletown is home to perhaps the most picturesque downtown, beautifully restored and trimmed with gas lamp style lighting, colonial style homes, and flowering trees. Each year at this time, the town plays host to the Olde Tyme Peach Festival, where they close off Main Street, run a parade, and serve up every dish and dessert made from peaches.

Just a stone's throw up Highway 71 lies the City of Newark, home to the University of Delaware. During the year while school is in session, the city swells in population as one of the biggest partying towns along the Eastern Seaboard. Main Street is loaded up with bars, craft breweries, and coffee shops, and at night is host to a variety of live musical acts.

Iron Hill Brewery, located on Main Street, offers some of the best locally brewed beer, along with great eats. Try also Klondike Kate's right across the street for a more rustic charm.

The Deer Park Tavern is located next door to the University, and is one of the city's most historic attractions. Originally opened in 1747 as the St. Patrick Inn, it was home to many famous colonists seeking to wet their whistle. During the Revolutionary War, soldiers bunkered at the Inn, and even George Washington himself slept there. In 1843, Edgar Allen Poe had visited the Inn and accidentally tripped and fell, then placing a curse on the establishment that its customers would never return for a second visit.