I live in Central Virginia, which has me a few hundred miles from Delaware...but Route 95 seems to have been created with just my sort of needs in mind, and this route made for a relatively swift and trouble-free journey.

Fort Delaware is on Pea Patch Island (which constitutes Fort Delaware State Park) in the middle of the historic Delaware River. The only way to get there is by boat, and the only boat that's allowed to dock there is the official Tri-Fort Ferry, which connects Fort Delaware with Fort DuPont on the Delaware side of the river, and Fort Mott in New Jersey.

It is important to note that the ferry's schedule differs depending on the season: It operates Tuesday through Sunday through the summer, but only on the weekends for the rest of the year. I didn't bother to research this the first time I headed to Delaware City in May, and was thus stuck on the Delaware side of the river, squinting at the faraway fort.

This gave me an opportunity to wander around Delaware City a bit, however. Delaware City in the off-season has the forlorn vibe of any other community that supports itself from seasonal visitors...but   they   do   have   a   few   historically

interesting things going on in the area surrounding the Tri-Fort Ferry disembarkation point, including the one remaining lock of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which connected the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay from 1829 to 1927.

Once I managed to make it back to Delaware City when the ferry was running, I found Fort Delaware to be an extremely well-maintained and -run state park. Plenty of reenactors and knowledgable guides were on hand to answer questions, and the fort is in exquisite condition.

Between my two visits, I was able to carefully scrutinize the park's main fort, plus the two Endicott-era supporting fortifications that were built on both sides of the Delaware, all of which are worth a stop.

Might I gently persuade you to click on these thumbnails to see the full-sizers and read more about my exhausting yet exhilirating visit to Fort Delaware and environs?