Sitting at the southern lip of Delaware Bay, Lewes is a sportfishing center that traces its roots back to 1631, when it was settled by the Dutch West India Company as a whaling port. Though this colony lasted only two years, Lewes calls itself the “First Town in the First State,” commemorating its history in the false-gabled brick Zwannendael Museum at the center of town (closed Mon.; free). Lewes also harbors huge sand dunes, a fine stretch of beach, and a campground with showers in 3,000-acre Cape Henlopen State Park, east of town at the mouth of Delaware Bay. Expect relative peace and quiet here, since most visitors, arriving off the Cape May ferry, simply rush through Lewes to the beach resorts farther south. Three meals a day, the best food is at the Blue Plate Diner (302/644-8400), near the ferry terminal at 329 Savannah Road.
