Day Trip Delaware: Pea Patch Island and Historic Fort Delaware

This installment of Day Trip Delaware begins in the quaint riverfront community of Delaware City, Delaware. Fort Delaware is located on Pea Patch Island. A ferry will take you across the Delaware River to the island. Upon arrival, locate the Park Office along the river next to the docks. The location for your GPS is 45 Clinton St., Delaware City, Delaware 19706.

The Park Office houses the ticket booth, gift shop, and also has schedules for the ferry trips. Purchase your tickets and you are off to the dock to catch the ferry to the island. After a short ferry boat ride, hop off the ferry and begin your journey with a long walk along a wooden boardwalk. At the end waits a truck pulled wagon "reminiscent of a hayride" to the entrance of Fort Delaware.

Rounding the curve upon your approach to the Fort, you can not help being impressed by the sheer magnitude of this massive structure. Constructed of granite and brick, this place is huge! Upon entering the fort, spend some time in the foyer and check out the massive doors and imagine the amount of force required to break those things down!

This grand entrance leads into the main courtyard and the beginning of your exploration. I decided to go left here, but if you are hungry or in need of a drink, turn right and look for the small open-air food court for snacks and drinks. I remember seeing a guy cooking chicken breasts, hamburgers, and hotdogs on a grill the last time we were there.

Visit the Fort Delaware website online at: http://www.destateparks.com/park/fort-delaware/index.asp for special dates and happenings at the Fort. When I visited in July, Civil War reenactors were onsite at the Fort and they were very informative, telling stories of life at the Fort during the time of the Civil War. I especially remember visiting the prison site outside of the Fort and listening to tales of prison life with questions being answered by a very realistic prisoner reenactor.

There are a lot of nooks and crannies in this place. I took my daughter, who was 7 at the time, and she had a great, safe time exploring the Fort. We went everywhere we could. There is a small little gift shop with some really cool souvenirs in the area of the Staff Offices.

Beautiful views of the Delaware River, New Jersey, and Delaware await you from the top of this Mega Fort. Cannons and emplacements conjure images of great battles being waged, as this Fort would protect the ports of Philadelphia and Wilmington as well as Trenton, the former temporary capital of America. Explore the photos I have included and may your trip yield as much fun and interest as it did for my daughter and I.

Eat Out...

Depending on how much time you have left, you must stop and check out the quaint shops on the strip next to the docks. I did not stop in to eat, but I have heard that Crabby Dicks is a great place to eat and hang out. Visit the Delaware City Brewhouse and Grill, this looks like a cool, inexpensive place to stop and quench your thirst and grab a bite to eat. My daughter loved the ice cream shop....of course. The awesome pink bench around the tree outside was just great. Keep your eyes open on my home page. This spring I intend to visit nearby Fort DuPont!!!