Expedia likes Dover as state's 'Best Place to Escape'

It's rare when someplace other than Delaware's beaches are included in a "best of" list of places to visit in the state.

It's even rarer when the place that is included is Dover.

In Expedia.com's most recent travel list, Dover was named Delaware's "Best Places to Escape" in 2018.

The simple criteria of highlighting "the perfectly restful things" to do in each state, Dover's history and the laid back places to visit all around the area vaulted the capital city to the top.

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"When burdens begin to feel particularly heavy, it’s time to take a real break," said Expedia.com's Lily Rogers in her Expedia.com blog. "You may need to go, not where everybody knows your name, but somewhere to soak up nature’s wonders and revel in serene solitude."

Wendie Vestfall, president of the Kent County Tourism Corporation, was happy Dover beat out the beaches as a destination in the state without a push from her tourism office.

"Finally," she said. "Usually that honor goes to the beaches or the Wilmington area. It's a real honor and confirms we are on the right track with our Delaware Quaint Villages branding. It was a treat they took notice themselves."

Vestfall said Delaware’s Quaint Villages in Kent County offer adventure, historical and culinary activities. The villages surrounding Dover have similar attractions and a multitude of options to discover for an idyllic getaway, she said.

She said the whole idea around Quaint Villages is for people to spend a day hiking at Killens Pond State Park, tour through Amish country, try their luck at one of the county's casinos or sample wine, beer and spirits at local favorites such as Painted Stave Distilling and Mispillion River Brewing.

The Quaint Villages branding effort was launched in 2016 after visitor spending in Kent County saw a slight decline of less than 1 percent in 2015. The state as a whole saw an increase of 4.1 percent to reach $4.4 billion, a new record high.

Vestfall said in a November 2017 story in The News Journal that her organization not only wants to reverse the trend but also to provide an identity for Kent County and give people a reason to come and stay a little while longer. 

She says Dover landing on Expedia.com's "Best Place to Escape" list is an affirmation of how well the marketing plan is working.

Kent County has seen a $4.5 million windfall in tourism spending since Jan. 1, 2017, and is well on its way to its $12.4 million goal by the end of June 2018.

The tourism director says Kent County is never going to be the beaches, but she wants tourism in Kent County to have a different appeal. 

"Not a lot of people really knew what Kent County had to offer before the marketing campaign was launched," she said. "We're not just the county you go through to get to the beaches."

In Expedia.com's "best of" list, Little Creek Wildlife Area, among others, was listed as a place to escape. Located directly east of Dover, hugging the coast, "you can find quiet moments to bird watch and catch a glimpse of the graceful waterfowl," according to the site.

Silver Lake Park also got a nod from Rogers and the Expedia.com folks, as did Pickering Beach, according to the blog.

"Stop for a spot of tea or a full tea service at Tea for Two, a lovely English tea house set in one of Dover’s historical painted lady houses, where menu options are whimsically named after “Gone with the Wind” characters," Rogers wrote.

Other popular places in and around Dover include The Green, Biggs Museum, Air Mobility Museum, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Woodburn, John Dickinson Plantation, First State Heritage Park, Legislative Hall and the Old State House.

"Quaint Villages is an alternative to our wonderful beaches," Vestfall said. "We want people who come to our county to have an opportunity to slow down and enjoy a quiet getaway; to escape the bumper-to-bumper traffic in a place where you can step away and take a breath."

To learn more about Delaware’s Quaint Villages and to discover more adventures, visit www.visitdelawarevillages.com, and follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.

Places to escape

Here are a few (not all) places in and around Dover tourists have made popular:

• First State Heritage Park: Delaware's first urban "park without boundaries" linking historic and cultural sites in the city that has been the seat of state government since 1777.

• John Dickinson Plantation: Dickinson was one of the founding fathers of the United States, signer of the U.S. Constitution, and "Penman of the Revolution."

• Legislative Hall: The state capitol.

• Delaware Public Archives: One of the oldest public archives programs in the country, created by the General Assembly in 1905.

• Air Mobility Command Museum: More than 30 aircraft ranging from an open cockpit bi-plane to modern four-engine jet transports are housed here.

• Biggs Museum of American Art: Established in 1993, the museum houses one of the finest collections of American fine and decorative arts.

• Old State House: Built in 1791, the Old State House served as Delaware'scapitol during the United States' critical early years as a nation.