There are a lot of secrets to life in Delaware that we keep to ourselves, because we’ve grown up here, or we’ve moved here, and we’d love to keep our small state to ourselves. However, in the interest of being a friendly state, we do feel like we’ve got to reveal a Delaware tradition or two, to those who are new to the state. Here are some of the best decisions you can make in Delaware. Unbeknownst to most of the UD Freshman, there are plenty of things in Delaware that don’t lead to regrets – and making these 12 decisions will leave you feeling accomplished and happy.
- Eat a bucket of Thrasher’s fries.
Flickr / Bigbirdz No Delaware Summer is complete without a big bucket of Thrasher’s fries - with vinegar, of course. If you’ve never had Thrashers, you might be concerned when you find out that the smallest bucket you can buy is a pound. After your first bite, you’ll understand why - and once that pound of fries is totally gone, you might even seriously consider ordering more.
- Pretend you’re a DuPont when you go out of state.
Flickr / Peter Miller This is close to becoming a Delaware tradition, I think. Everybody asks, so why not have some when you’re out of state? “Sure, yeah, my great-grandfather was A.I. DuPont. One of the rooms at Nemours has my photo on the wall.” Trust me - people don’t know how to respond, and they’ll fall for it every time.
- Go to the beach… next month.
Flickr / Lee Cannon Yes, that’s a photo of Dewey Beach. Do you notice anything different about it, from the last time you were there? It’s empty. The best decision you can make in Delaware is to go to the beaches in September. It’s local summer - there are still plenty of businesses open, the weather is still warm, the ocean and the bay is still warm, and the crowds are almost completely gone. September is the best month to experience the Delaware beaches.
- Buy fresh Delaware seafood for dinner tonight.
Facebook / Lewes Fishhouse If you’re stuck for a dinner idea, get in the car and head to your closest local Seafood market. You can pick up fresh fish or other seafood, and you’ll feel like a gourmet chef when you sit down for dinner tonight. Delawareans are lucky that we have so many options available for fresh seafood - there are several seafood markets in Delaware that freeze and ship their catch around the country, because it’s really that good. You can even find a list of local seafood markets from the State of Delaware.
- Hit up Happy Hour at Trolley Square.
Facebook / Timothy Wildey Wilmington’s hotspot for Happy Hour includes some of the coolest new restaurants, time-tested favorites, and even a hidden speakeasy. Join the commuter crowd and Wilmington locals for a trendy small plate and a microbrewed pale ale and sip your workday stress away.
- Chunk Some Punkins.
Facebook / World Championship Punkin Chunkin Actually, don’t make the decision to chunk the punks. That takes years of planning, hard work, welding, physics, and enough beer to kill a small elephant. Make the decision to watch the dedicated Punkin Chunkin pros that put all of that effort into entertaining you. World Championship Punkin Chunkin is back in Bridgeville this year after a brief hiatus - will you be there to watch the pumpkins fly and participate in a Delaware tradition?
- Eat a ton at the State Fair - after you ride the rides.
Flickr / Lee Cannon Pizza, fries, cotton candy, funnel cake, and fried Oreos are all on the menu at the State Fair in Harrington every year. Fill up - eat all of the fair food you can find and top it off with a giant lemonade. You might regret it later, but you’ll make the same decision next year, so how much do you actually regret it? Just be sure to wait until you’re done riding the Sea Dragon and all of the twirling rides.
- Climb to the top of an observation tower at Cape Henlopen.
Flickr / Susan Smith Anyone can climb a lighthouse, but only Delawareans can climb the World War II Observation Tower. So - do it. Climb to the top, take a bunch of pictures, and then brag about it to all of your out-of-state friends, when they show you their lighthouse photos.
- Get your Christmas shopping done early!
Wikimedia Commons Without fail, every year thousands of New Jerseans, Pennsylvanians (the horror!) and Marylanders decide they want to do their Christmas shopping in tax free Delaware, and our malls and shops become almost too packed to walk through. If you live in Delaware and can have your tax-free shopping trips at any time, get your holiday shopping done early, and avoid the out of staters that show up in droves to take advantage of our state’s tax free shopping.
- Go to Wawa - as often as possible.
Facebook / Wawa There’s a reason that Wawa is consistently voted the best convenience store in America, and Delaware is one of the lucky few states that gets to enjoy this mecca of hoagies, coffee and more. Take advantage of it. Nobody’s ever regretted a late night Wawa run, or being a few minutes late for work because you had to stop for some hash browns.
- Don’t try to explain scrapple.
Food Network We love scrapple in Delaware. Hey, we love scrapple anywhere. But once you start to explain it to someone who’s unfamiliar, it sort of loses its appeal. I’ve heard it explained as “everything but the oink” and that pretty much says it all. I don’t really want to think about what my scrapple is made from, I just want it on my plate at breakfast time.
- Keep Your Gossip To Yourself
Flickr / Susan Smith You know, everyone jokes about how people from our small state must know everyone. You’d never realize how true that is, until you’re complaining about your neighbor’s dog to someone sharing a table at a pub at the beach, and you find out that your neighbor and your table mate are cousins. I mean, you shouldn’t gossip about people anyway, but if you are a gossipy person, maybe Delaware isn’t the right state for you.
What else do you think is a great decision to make in Delaware? Have you ever tried to explain scrapple to someone, or have you thrown up (chunkin… chunkin?) at the State Fair? Share your Delaware decision story with us in the comments.
Flickr / Bigbirdz
No Delaware Summer is complete without a big bucket of Thrasher’s fries - with vinegar, of course. If you’ve never had Thrashers, you might be concerned when you find out that the smallest bucket you can buy is a pound. After your first bite, you’ll understand why - and once that pound of fries is totally gone, you might even seriously consider ordering more.
Flickr / Peter Miller
This is close to becoming a Delaware tradition, I think. Everybody asks, so why not have some when you’re out of state? “Sure, yeah, my great-grandfather was A.I. DuPont. One of the rooms at Nemours has my photo on the wall.” Trust me - people don’t know how to respond, and they’ll fall for it every time.
Flickr / Lee Cannon
Yes, that’s a photo of Dewey Beach. Do you notice anything different about it, from the last time you were there? It’s empty. The best decision you can make in Delaware is to go to the beaches in September. It’s local summer - there are still plenty of businesses open, the weather is still warm, the ocean and the bay is still warm, and the crowds are almost completely gone. September is the best month to experience the Delaware beaches.
Facebook / Lewes Fishhouse
If you’re stuck for a dinner idea, get in the car and head to your closest local Seafood market. You can pick up fresh fish or other seafood, and you’ll feel like a gourmet chef when you sit down for dinner tonight. Delawareans are lucky that we have so many options available for fresh seafood - there are several seafood markets in Delaware that freeze and ship their catch around the country, because it’s really that good. You can even find a list of local seafood markets from the State of Delaware.
Facebook / Timothy Wildey
Wilmington’s hotspot for Happy Hour includes some of the coolest new restaurants, time-tested favorites, and even a hidden speakeasy. Join the commuter crowd and Wilmington locals for a trendy small plate and a microbrewed pale ale and sip your workday stress away.
Facebook / World Championship Punkin Chunkin
Actually, don’t make the decision to chunk the punks. That takes years of planning, hard work, welding, physics, and enough beer to kill a small elephant. Make the decision to watch the dedicated Punkin Chunkin pros that put all of that effort into entertaining you. World Championship Punkin Chunkin is back in Bridgeville this year after a brief hiatus - will you be there to watch the pumpkins fly and participate in a Delaware tradition?
Pizza, fries, cotton candy, funnel cake, and fried Oreos are all on the menu at the State Fair in Harrington every year. Fill up - eat all of the fair food you can find and top it off with a giant lemonade. You might regret it later, but you’ll make the same decision next year, so how much do you actually regret it? Just be sure to wait until you’re done riding the Sea Dragon and all of the twirling rides.
Flickr / Susan Smith
Anyone can climb a lighthouse, but only Delawareans can climb the World War II Observation Tower. So - do it. Climb to the top, take a bunch of pictures, and then brag about it to all of your out-of-state friends, when they show you their lighthouse photos.
Wikimedia Commons
Without fail, every year thousands of New Jerseans, Pennsylvanians (the horror!) and Marylanders decide they want to do their Christmas shopping in tax free Delaware, and our malls and shops become almost too packed to walk through. If you live in Delaware and can have your tax-free shopping trips at any time, get your holiday shopping done early, and avoid the out of staters that show up in droves to take advantage of our state’s tax free shopping.
Facebook / Wawa
There’s a reason that Wawa is consistently voted the best convenience store in America, and Delaware is one of the lucky few states that gets to enjoy this mecca of hoagies, coffee and more. Take advantage of it. Nobody’s ever regretted a late night Wawa run, or being a few minutes late for work because you had to stop for some hash browns.
Food Network
We love scrapple in Delaware. Hey, we love scrapple anywhere. But once you start to explain it to someone who’s unfamiliar, it sort of loses its appeal. I’ve heard it explained as “everything but the oink” and that pretty much says it all. I don’t really want to think about what my scrapple is made from, I just want it on my plate at breakfast time.
You know, everyone jokes about how people from our small state must know everyone. You’d never realize how true that is, until you’re complaining about your neighbor’s dog to someone sharing a table at a pub at the beach, and you find out that your neighbor and your table mate are cousins. I mean, you shouldn’t gossip about people anyway, but if you are a gossipy person, maybe Delaware isn’t the right state for you.
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