October brings cooler weather, beautiful foliage, and a desire to hang onto the camping season. My partner and I have the same conversation every October: “Can we get one more camping trip in this year?” We know this is what’s coming:
Unfortunately, all of our favorite campgrounds are closed for the season. And it’s cold at night. No matter how close I sit to the fire, I’m still cold and it’s a cold walk in the morning to the bathroom. We will hem and haw on putting away the camper, but I think we are done for the season. I’ll keep my spirits up with thoughts of last year’s spring trip to Cape Henlopen State park in Lewes Delaware.
Cape Henlopen State campground is probably one of my favorite places to camp. This pretty little beach is inside the state campground accessible by car or bike. The campground is not waterfront and the sites are small and most are close together. It’s a “family friendly” place though so we have not minded not having our usual privacy. The draw for me is the biking – we can bike all over the park and hit a different beach every day of the week if we want. There are places to explore for the history buff: Fort Miles Historical area was a WWII coastal defense site. For walking or biking, the Gordon Pond trail which runs through the park is beautiful and extends to Rehoboth. The Junction and Breakwater trail and the Georgetown Lewes trail are handy if you want to bike further. They do bike trails well in Delaware although they could use more signage. We didn’t get lost but understanding where the Junction and Breakwater trail runs can be confusing in my opinion. We had an adventurous spirit and no time frame so it all worked out. We discovered the Georgetown Lewes trail runs right by our favorite bakery: Old World Breads bakery and a favorite distillery: Beachtime Distilling. And if we keep going to Milton, the trail runs behind a fabulous meadery: Brimming Horn Meadery. We frequently biked into downtown Lewes. It’s a 20 minute bike ride where you can shop and eat to your heart’s content. There is also some great maritime history to be found as well.
We will spend the upcoming winter hiking the same areas we paddle all summer and fall. On those hikes we will talk about where our camping explores shall take us this coming summer. We will also be planning out what our next camping rig will look like as we look towards retirement. Retirement will be all about exploring the country (no surprise there!). I look forward to sharing with you what we discover as we pursue our dream of hitting the road for months at a time. Until then, enjoy the adventures you create for yourself!
Robin Schneider Larkin 