Wed 9/13 – Sun 9/17/17 - Bluegrass, Rallies and more Rallies, Our Trip South

Departed PA Dutch Country Campground, an Encore Thousand Trails park to make our way to the Pennsylvania State Good Sam Rally. It was a long commute … about 6 miles. Charlie and I had a debate … hook up and tow the jeep or not … no, not really! He said he would drive the jeep and I would drive the RV. I reminded him about the narrow bridge, because of bridge work and he agreed that maybe he should drive … no need for a new paint job! LOL

We came out of the campground onto Route 72 N and we took that road all the way to our turn onto Rocharty Road. I love this area, where we can see and marvel at the simple life of these neighbors! Arriving at the Lebanon Expo Center and Fairgrounds a quick 10 minutes after we left! Gotta love those long moves!

Since the move was so quick, we might as well talk about the Pennsylvania Good Sam Rally. After we never got notification that the Delaware State Good Sam Rally was cancelled, we were nervous about this one. But, we reached out to the State Director and verified that they were a go!

It was definitely the smallest state rally we have been to, with less than 40 rigs. They aligned their event with the largest RV show in the Northeast, the Hershey RV Show. But the alignment, did not help with the attendance at the Rally. We did have friends, that have been following us or we have been following them … since last spring at this Rally. 

Hello Joe & Debbie Trice!

We also had two visits from members of our Good Sam Chapter and residents at Majestic Oaks, Bill & Debbie Schaffer! They visited one day and then hit the RV show. Then they came back on Saturday for more fun at the Rally! We enjoyed simple breakfasts every morning at the Rally.

Everyone from Pennsylvania and surrounding states that attended the Rally were very nice and accommodating. We did learn a few new card games … we played a Horse Race Card Game and a Chicken Round-up Card game. I will have to look up the rules … I think both were played with dice as well! We played Euchre and they wanted to teach us 500, but too much to learn! Bill knew how to play 500, so he played and he won! Great job Bill!

There was one table for the Flea Market and one vendor, but the Chapter Raffles were plentiful! Most of them were a 50/50. 

Friday was the opening ceremonies. We marched in the parade to represent Carefree Sams, but spoke about the Florida Rallies! There were two Pennsylvania Chapters that marched, two out of state chapters and one state, Maryland.

There was one chapter raffle for a quilt, a member of the R&R Sams from Maryland won it. 

Anyone that has attended a Florida, Georgia, or Tennessee Rally knows that there should be so much more!  At the closing ceremonies it was discussed how to increase their chapter numbers and their rally attendance numbers

We had two pot luck meals and both we awesome, with an overabundance of food! They had adult crafts on Friday and Saturday, both sessions were well attended. I am not a crafty person, bit Debbie attended Saturday’s craft session and she was able to do Friday’s craft on Saturday! We did get to see someone launch a balloon from the parking lot at the Expo Center.

Saturday night, we enjoyed the 2^nd Look Band, under the outdoor pavilion. 

They were good and played a variety of country and old time rock-n-roll! There was some dancing involved!

Sunday morning came quickly and there was a musical worship service, before the closing ceremonies. The closing ceremonies is when they gave out the door prizes.

If we were in the area at the time of another Pennsylvania Good Sam Rally, we would attend!

Mon 9/11 to Wed 9/13/17 - Bluegrass, Rallies and more Rallies, Our Trip South

We stayed at the PA Dutch Country Campground, it is an Encore Thousand Trails park, for 3 nights. During our stay we played tourist at a few area attractions around and in Hershey, Cornwall and Lebanon. Oh, it is some beautiful country ... but fall is fast approaching!

We went to downtown Hershey Pennsylvania. It is popularly called "Chocolatetown, USA" it is also referred to as "The Sweetest Place on Earth." The community is home to The Hershey Company, which makes the well-known Hershey Bar and Hershey's Kisses. Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company owns and operates Hersheypark, Hersheypark Stadium, and other attractions such as ZooAmerica and Hershey Gardens, and is a major employer of the community and surrounding area. I heard that you can smell the chocolate in the air and yes you can ... but my bubble was burst when someone told me it was a scent in the light poles that gives off the scent!

Hershey's Chocolate World was built as a replacement of the Hershey chocolate plant tour, which had reached its capacity and was no longer able to handle the large numbers of visitors per year. The facility opened on June 30, 1973, and took inspiration from World's Fair pavilions. Through its first year of operations, Chocolate World had over 1.4 million visitors. By June of 1986, the visitor's center welcomed its 20 millionth visitor. The building features brownstone quarried out of Hummelstown, a neighboring town. 

Inside, we enjoyed reading about the history of Hershey. The walkway to get to the Chocolate Tour was long, and we could have zipped right through it. But we took our time reading everything chocolate! Well, not everything ... since Hershey does make Twizzlers! 

On the Hershey’s Chocolate Tour and followed cocoa beans on a delicious journey in an immersive chocolate making adventure. We could see, feel, hear and smell the transformation of cocoa beans to Hershey’s famous chocolate on this fun tour. We rode in a cart, like in an amusement ride and followed the cocoa bean through the process!

We walked through the largest candy store offering an abundance of Hershey’s favorites including a sweet array of seasonal treats, classic varieties and Hershey’s Chocolate World exclusives. The two things I wanted, we could not find … salt & pepper shakers and a sticker for the camper! It was much more commercialized than I had hoped for, but it was not crowed the day we went and I am glad we did it!

On our way to and back from Hershey, we passed through the Milton Hershey School, you know me … I had to learn more! The Milton Hershey School is a private philanthropic boarding school. Originally named the Hershey Industrial School, the institution was founded and funded by chocolate industrialist Milton Snavely Hershey and his wife, Catherine Sweeney Hershey. The school was originally established for impoverished male orphans, while today it serves students of various backgrounds. The school currently serves more than 2,000 students, it is the largest residential education program in the US.

The Milton Hershey School Trust, which funds the school, owns controlling interest in The Hershey Company and owns the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. With over twelve billion dollars in assets, the Milton Hershey School is one of the wealthiest schools in the world. Hershey spends about $110,000 a year per student, according to its nonprofit IRS tax filing, more than the nation's most expensive and elite prep schools. On November 15, 1909, Hershey signed over the 486-acre farm where he had been born, complete with livestock, to start the school. In 1910, Nelson (age 6), and his brother Irvin (age 4) were the first to arrive. Their father, who had worked as a polisher in a Mount Joy foundry, had died after a long illness, and their mother couldn’t support six children by taking in laundry. Their brother William, 2, was too young to be admitted for two more years. Another pair of brothers, sons of an Evangelical church’s pastor, arrived a few days later. The first class consisted of 10 students, and by 1914, there were 40 boys enrolled in the school.

While Hershey consulted with experts on managing the school, he used three guiding principles to ensure the students had a good education, a sense of stability and security: every graduate should have a vocation, every student should learn love of God and man, and every student should benefit from wholesome responsibility. The vocational education program started with a woodworking shop, where the boys made their own beds and chests. Starting in March 1929, the boys got the responsibility of doing daily chores in the dairy barns. 

After Kitty’s death in 1915, Hershey gave his entire personal fortune - thousands of acres of land, and controlling interest in the company, worth US$60 million - to the school. He continued to be involved in the school’s operations until his death in 1945. The organizational papers were modified in 1933, allowing the school to accept older students, and again in 1951 to change the name of the school from the “Hershey Industrial School” to the “Milton Hershey School.” In 1968, the school was racially integrated, although it wasn’t until 1970 that the organizational papers allowed that, and another modification in 1976 allowed female students, who started arriving in 1977. In 1989, the school stopped requiring students to milk cows twice daily, reflecting a changed focus from vocational to college preparatory education, but students were still required to perform chores.

We also visited Cornwall Furnace in Lebanon, Charlie said it was too hot to go see a furnace! The Cornwall Iron Furnace is an amazing example of the furnaces that scattered the Pennsylvania countryside in the 18th and 19th centuries. Around them developed villages, artisans’ shops, stores, schools, churches, and the home of the wealthy ironmaster. All of the raw materials necessary for the smelting process — iron ore, limestone and wood for charcoal, were found in this self-contained iron plantation. Cornwall Iron Furnace, the only surviving intact charcoal cold blast furnace in the Western Hemisphere, attests to the once great iron industry that flourished in south central Pennsylvania.

In the 1730s, Peter Grubb, a stone mason, began mining nearby. In 1742, he established the furnace. He named the area Cornwall in honor of the area in England from where his father had emigrated. Although the British Parliament attempted in 1750 to restrict production of iron in the colonies, the output continued to rise. The American colonies, with Pennsylvania being the top producer, smelted one-seventh of the world’s iron. When Peter died in 1754, the property passed to his sons, Curtis and Peter. By 1798, Robert Coleman had gained control of the furnace operation. Robert was very successful and became one of Pennsylvania’s first millionaires. This furnace remained in operation until 1883, when newer furnace operations fueled by anthracite coal made it obsolete. The furnace was abandoned, leaving the building virtually untouched until it was given in 1932 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Margaret Coleman Freeman Buckingham, Robert’s great grand-daughter.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Cornwall’s iron plantation contained industrial, residential, and agricultural activities. Small villages were created for furnace workers and miners. These stone and brick structures were simple in style but sturdy in construction. Many other structures built during this time period use a Gothic Revival architectural style. The ore mine, which continued to operate until 1973, is located just south of the furnace property. Bethlehem Steel acquired ownership of the mine between 1917 and 1922. Both strip mining and underground mining were used to extract ore from the ground. The open pit mine began to flood in 1972, and today the open pit is filled with water.

Speaking of Robert Coleman, the Cornwall-Lebanon Railroad was built with $1.2 million in the 1880s by this rich socialite. The railroad was used to carry passengers from Mt. Gretna, an extremely popular resort community of the time. Later the railroad was used to transport the Pennsylvania National Guard from their camp near Mt. Gretna. As time went on the railroad service stopped, which resulted in the rail being purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This group continued use of the rail up until the powerful Hurricane Agnes devastated Lebanon County. The hurricane destroyed sections of the track in 1972. But, until the purchase of the track in 1999 the rail was certain sections were unused. Other sections were purchased by private individuals or used on the original property in which the right of way was leased. The Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails, Inc., led by John Wengert Jr., purchased the rail line and began construction of the Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails. 

Too bad we did not bring the bikes this summer! The Lebanon Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) is a National Recreation Trail. The rail trail goes from the southwestern border of Lebanon County and goes through Colebrook, Mt. Gretna, Cornwall, and the city of Lebanon. At the southern border of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania the LVRT connects with the Conewago Trail and continues for another 5.5 miles. The trail is partly built on the old Cornwall–Lebanon Railroad. The trail runs 14.5 miles, and there are many phases in development that would extend the trail to northern Lebanon County and Jonestown. The trail features a packed stone path and paved path at many parts that traverses "Pennsylvania Dutch Country" and other scenic routes. Trail users see untouched woodlands of state game lands, forests, and views of area fields and farms. The trail is maintained by dedicated group of volunteers, and allows for running, walking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. We drove under one of the old rail road tunnels on Burd Coleman Road. You can see the original brick arch, especially on the south end. It was built around the 1860's and is still open to traffic. Overhead the former railroad bed is now the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail.

There was an over-sized root beer barrel at one of the rest areas on the trail. It was closed while we were there, but it looked like it might be a refreshment center. We also enjoyed one meal out at the Quentin Diner. It is a Mom & Pop style diner that was awesome! Charlie had Turkey and gravy, imagine that! I had the Cobb Salad. Both were delicious!

Sun 9/10/17 - Bluegrass, Rallies and more Rallies, Our Trip South

We departed Killens Pond State Park, after 6 relaxing days in Delaware and back tracked north toward Lebanon PA.

In Smyrna Delaware you can visit Belmont Hall, one of the most historic houses in Delaware. In 1684 William Penn granted a 600 acre parcel of land to Henry Pearman who named his property Pearman’s Choice. 

Thomas Collins purchased 91 ½ acres of the original grant in 1771 from John Moore. At that time there was a house on the property that was referred to as “The Manor House near Duck Creek”. Collins finished building the Georgian house, as it stands today, in 1773 and named it Belmont Hall. Although the brickwork appears to suggest that the entire house was constructed at the same time, family history and architectural evidence indicate that Collins enlarged the dwelling by building the large front of the house. He connected the old and new parts of the house after making extensive improvements to the two older rear wings – a kitchen and a dining room with bedrooms above.

Collins held almost every office in Kent County, including Sheriff, an Assemblyman in the Delaware General Assembly, and Councilman. From 1772 until the adoption of the Federal Constitution, Belmont Hall was the scene of many patriotic meetings. Collins garrisoned his property and built a stockade around the grounds. The tower on the top of the house were erected at his direction and used as an observation post by sentries. As a member of the Assembly, Collins agreed to raise a brigade of local militia which was maintained primarily at his own expense while the war lasted. The only person to be unanimously elected by the Assembly, Thomas Collins had the honor of serving as the 8th President/Governor of Delaware from 1786 until his death in 1789. When Delaware became the first state to ratify the Federal Constitution on December 7, 1787, Governor Collins was pleased to be able to certify and sign the document.  Collins resided at Belmont Hall until his death on Sunday, March 29, 1789. He was the first sitting governor of Delaware to die in office.

John Cloak purchased the estate in 1827 from his cousin, William Collins, Thomas Collins’ grandson. His daughter, Caroline Elizabeth Cloak Peterson, inherited the estate in 1867, and continued his work. Caroline Elizabeth Cloak married Howard Peterson in 1862. When he died in 1875, three of their four children had already died in early childhood. She married Gideon Speakman in 1876. Caroline and Gideon had one son, Cummins Elliot Stockley Speakman. Caroline began an extensive “modernization” of Belmont Hall to reflect the aesthetic of the Victorian era in the 1870’s. She painted the exterior brown, added porches, a Florida room to the dining room, and remodeled the floor plan. She also created twenty acres of gardens, installing the two boxwood formations at the front and rear of the house. Mrs. Speakman encouraged the people of Smyrna to visit the “Belmont Park and Gardens” for walks, picnics, and ice cream socials on Sunday afternoons. She also organized the Elizabeth Cook Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  It was named after her great grandmother and was the second chapter formed in Delaware. In 1916, Cummins and his wife, Marjorie, purchased Belmont Hall from his mother. After Caroline’s death in 1920 the couple began to restore the house to its Georgian origins. Unfortunately, the house endured a devastating fire in January 1, 1922 that damaged the top two stories.  Cummins and Marjorie set about the task of restoring the house with the help of friends in Wilmington, especially the DuPonts. Restoration included removing many of Caroline’s Victorian modernization. Cummins and Marjorie Speakman worked tirelessly to maintain Belmont Hall.  Even after Cummins’ death, Marjorie carried on their efforts.   

Belmont might have been sold many years earlier if it had not been for the two businesses she started in Wilmington. She treasured Belmont and its history and made sure that all of her grandchildren knew their family history and appreciated the special historic place where they grew up. She was an exceptional woman for her time. After her death in 1978, her son and daughter-in- law, Walter and Virginia Speakman resided in the house until it was sold to the State of Delaware in 1987.

Driving down the road, a 5^th wheel passed us that had lobster or crab traps strapped on the back ladder. I wonder if their trapping was successful?

Odessa, Delaware is home to the Historic Houses of Odessa. Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port. Today, you can stroll along tree-lined streets and admire examples of 18th and 19th century architecture. Chief among these are the five properties that make up the Historic Odessa Foundation. The properties managed by the organization include the Corbit-Sharp house, the 1769 Wilson-Warner House, 1700 Collins-Sharp House, 1822 Cantwell's Tavern, and 1853 Odessa Bank. Local patron H. Rodney Sharp restored several buildings in Odessa in the middle of the last century, helping to preserve the community's unique legacy.

The Collins-Sharp House c.1700, one of Delaware’s oldest structures, is a center for educational programming. The Corbit-Sharp House, furnished for the late 18th century period, is a historic house museum that is owned and operated by the Foundation. In 1845, a runaway slave named Sam was hidden by Mary Corbit behind this tiny door in the attic of the Corbit-Sharp house. When local authorities came looking for Sam, they did not consider checking behind such a small door. Sam was able to continue his journey north to Pennsylvania and freedom.

We crossed back into Pennsylvania from Delaware. There is a historical marker indicating that William Penn founded Pennsylvania as the Quaker Commonwealth in 1681.

We came through town, on the last day of the Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square. It all began when a small group of mushroom enthusiasts decided to have a festival to celebrate their number one cash crop with the hope of raising funds to give as scholarships to local high school students. In 1986 that became a reality as Kennett Square hosted its first Mushroom Festival. It was a one day affair and just one block long. Thirty-two years later the Festival stretches a mile and features culinary events, growing exhibits, children’s entertainment, and 250 vendors with attendance calculated at up to 100,000 guests. The Mushroom Festival's Grant Program has given $805,000 in grants to local non-profits since 2000.

Driving along it is evident that mushrooms are their number one cash crop, as there are Mushroom Farms everywhere! Kennett Square is king of fresh, commercially-grown mushrooms. Not only is mushroom farming the leading agricultural pursuit in Chester County, the area is also the largest producer of fresh mushrooms in the United States. Chester County’s 61 mushroom farms account for 47 percent of total US mushroom production. This means over 400 million pounds of mushrooms are produced. 

The industry directly employs almost 10,000 workers, mostly from the area’s large Hispanic community. The landscape surrounding the region is dotted with single-level cinderblock buildings — variously called mushroom “barns,” “houses” and “doubles” — where the mushrooms are grown. The roads themselves are packed with flatbed trucks carrying baled hay for compost, dump trucks carting steaming compost to and from the barns and, of course, panel-bodied trucks racing to deliver just-picked mushrooms to nearby processing facilities. 

And when all that compost is being turned and is particularly ripe, winds carry that particular, rank aroma that says, “phew … you are in mushroom country.” Fresh-mushroom production is both labor-intensive and mechanized. Compost, once made from horse manure, now begins as hay spread on concrete slabs. Nitrogen is added, and the compost is turned for several days until it is a steamy, smelly mass. It is then transported to mushroom houses, spread on growing racks and pasteurized before the delicate, disease-prone spawn are planted and topped with peat moss, limestone and water. 

A few weeks later, tightly clustered mushrooms start to appear. About 10 weeks after a crop is sown, mushrooms are hand harvested over a period of several days. Crews start picking as early as 4 a.m., and the mushrooms are rushed to modern processing centers. Within about 30 minutes of arrival, the mushrooms are cooled to 34 degrees and by that evening they are cleaned, packaged and on their way in refrigerated trucks to markets across the country. Mushroom growing started regionally in the 1890s as an adjunct business for greenhouse owners who sold fresh flowers to Philadelphia. Nearby horse farms and race tracks supplied manure for compost. Mushrooms were an attractive crop to the thousands of Italian families who migrated to the area in the first quarter of the last century, a population used to foraging wild mushrooms, and today many mushroom companies are owned by second-to-fourth-generation Italians.

The Gap Town Clock, built in 1892, is a Lancaster County Historic Preservation Trust Site located in Gap, Pennsylvania. According to the Gap Clock Tower Association. Many traveling from Central PA to the beaches of Delaware have passed this clock along SR 41, just off SR 30. The Gap Clock Tower Association recently added a new flagpole and flag on the clock property thanks to Gap Veterans of Foreign Wars, J.P. Bair II Post No. 7418. John Hilton has tirelessly wound the clock twice a week since 1979. The Gap Clock Tower Association has been in existence since 1953, when the clock had to be moved due to the widening of Route 41. They currently have approximately 120 members who are faithful in supporting the cost of paying for insurance, electricity and ground repairs. In the future, the old Seth Thomas Clock, purchased in 1872, will need extensive cleaning and repairs. With support from the community and continued support from the faithful members, they will be able to preserve the history of our time-telling landmark for future generations.

The historical marker reads: THE GAP CLOCK TOWER. Unique on American Highways, was erected by the people of Gap in 1892. It was restored in 1953. The clock's face, long telling the time to passing multitudes on the Newport Road, Overlooks, at the Gap, William Penn's Entrance into Conestoga, now Lancaster County, in 1701. The Gap Clock Tower Association.

We turned onto Route 322 W and then onto Route 72 South, arriving at PA Dutch Country Campground, an Encore Thousand Trails park. This will be our home for the next three nights, as we play tourist in the Hershey area!

Tue 9/5 to Sun 9/10/17 - Bluegrass, Rallies and more Rallies, Our Trip South

It was an easy trip to get to Delaware from New Jersey, but we took it easy on Tuesday and did a bit of shopping. We had to go back into Camden to find a grocery store and Tractor Supply. We did see some wildlife on our travels today ... at Tractor Supply … but who does not love little chicks!

We also took a tour of the Delaware State Fairgrounds to try and figure out where the rally will be. It is a good sized fairgrounds with a full service Ice Skating Rink and a Casino. The Harrington Raceway and Casino. This venue sports a racetrack, table games, live music, slot machines, restaurants, dancing, and more! 

We enjoyed a late afternoon campfire. We started it with our homemade fire starters and wood we found around other campsites, as we are the only ones in this loop and A loop right next to us! Wednesday was a rainy inside day, we never even got out of our pajamas … sometimes you really need a relaxing day like that!

Thursday, found out that the Delaware Good Sam Rally had been cancelled in mid-August. No wonder we never saw any RVs at the fairgrounds! The only way we found out it was cancelled, was we asked a worker on the grounds! Since we had nowhere to go on Friday night, we extended our stay at Killens Pond until Sunday.

It became, Tourist Thursday and we made a trip to Dover Downs for the $7 Tour. Our tour started with a bus ride with the track historian, George Keller. We learned a bit about George and his obsession with this track! Ever since Richard Petty won Dover’s first race, the “Mason-Dixon 300” on July 6, 1969, George has been a mainstay at the track. He’s never missed a race at the Monster Mile. He also can recreate all of the Speedway’s most memorable moments through the almost 50 years of racing action. The stories he told us as we took our tour, gave us a glimpse into what the early days at the track were like and how they have changed through the years!

I am not a NASCAR fan, but thought the tour would be interesting and at seven bucks a head, it was cheaper than a movie and much more entertaining! The one-mile, high banked oval hosts two NASCAR tripleheader weekends each year, featuring all three national touring series – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – as well as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, one of the sport’s top developmental series.

Our tour began with a stop at the Monster Bridge, also known as the most exciting seats in sports. This mostly glass bridge is over the track, just before turn one. These seats are “purchased” for an allotted time period during the race or given to awesome sponsors like AAA.

The view is spectacular! Charlie even got to unlock this area for us!

He took us to the high end RV camping area, $1,900 for the weekend, but you get a picnic table fire ring and a mail box! We saw the grassy RV parking area, $700 for the weekend! They are on the way to the Smithfield Monster Monument in Victory Plaza. We learned that the Monster was erected in one day. Yes, the Smithfield car is real, it is just missing the engine.

To say we had an up-close view of the track is an understatement … we raced around the track in a mini-bus! George even pulled us into a pit stop and stayed, just as long as the race cars do … we barely stopped, before he took off again! Naturally, we were not going as fast as a NASCAR … but it was pretty intense!

We stopped at Victory Lane, where you can see George at every race! For a die-hard NASCAR fan, that must be an awesome place to be every year!

The garages are the original garages, but still very serviceable … just not real fancy! It was surprising to see considering how much renovation and how modern many of the other parts of the track are.

We ended the tour at the Infield Media Center where hundreds of media partners are, from all over the world, during the race.

On Friday, we had to move over two sites, because our site was taken for the weekend when we extended our reservation. We toured more of the park today, including the water park which is closed for the season. It is amazing that a state park has such an awesome feature for its residents to enjoy!

Killens Pond State Park is located just north of the quaint town of Harrington!  Harrington is a small town that boasts an assortment of different things to do and places to eat! It is known as the "hub" of Delaware because it was! In 1780, Benjamin Clark built a home and tavern on a corner. The tavern became a stop for stagecoaches; farmers came to exchange news and barter their goods. It was a logical place for a railroad stop when the Delaware Railroad put a junction there in 1856, allowing easy access to Philadelphia and Wilmington. The following year, a post office was established and in 1862. In 1869, the City of Harrington was incorporated. Fourteen years later, the Harrington Library was chartered and the first town newspaper “The Harrington Enterprise” was formed. By 1900 there were 4 canning factories in town to process farm products and clothing manufacturers had discovered Harrington. By the mid 1930’s there were a dozen small manufacturers turning out shirts, pants, dresses and underwear for major clothing suppliers around the country. Textile mills in the south and New England shipped pre-cut cloth to Harrington where it was assembled into shirts and pants and then sent by rail to major brand name companies. 

Killens Pond was created in the late 1700s when the Murderkill River was dammed to form a mill pond. The mill pond provided power for a grist mill used by local farmers. Speaking of farmers, on the road to the State Park there was a farmer's field. It had a very interesting plant. It looked like short corn with a funny head on top. Turns out it is Sorghum. Sorghum has been around for thousands of years and over this time period it has evolved from a crop with a single purpose to a multi-faceted grain famous for its gluten-free attributes and future in the ethanol world. Sorghum was introduced to America in 1757. Sorghum ranks fifth among the most important cereal crops of the world, after wheat, rice, corn, and barley in both total area planted and production. Sorghum grain is higher in protein and lower in fat content than corn, but does not contain carotene as corn does. In the U.S. there are three main types of sorghum—grain, forage and sweet. Grain sorghum grows to about 5 feet and is used for livestock feed, bio-fuels, pet food and human consumption. Forage sorghum grows 6 to 12 feet tall and produces more dry matter tonnage than grain sorghum. Because of its coarse stem, it’s primarily used for silage. Sweet sorghum is harvested for its juice before the mature plant forms clusters of grain. The stalks are pressed, and the juice is fermented and distilled for the production of biofuels. I would say that we saw grain sorghum. Grain sorghum is grown in over 66 countries, and the US is the largest producer in the world. 

Nearly all ponds in Delaware were formed this way as almost all ponds in Delaware are man-made. There is a trail that follows the outline of the pond. Our campsite loop was near stop 9 on the trail. This overlook shows some of what thrives in this pond. This pond has a good mix of game fish such as large-mouth bass, crappie and white perch. It is also rich in vegetation. Spatterdock, a large plant common to lakes and ponds, is present along most of the shore line of this pond. When blue-green algae blooms occur they may periodically give the pond a green appearance.

At stop 10 on the trail, offers more history. Prior to the 1700s, when the Murderkill River was dammed to create Killens Pond, the river and surrounding hardwood forest was the site of several Native American homes and hunting camps. In the 1960s, the State of Delaware purchased the land and in 1965, Killens Pond became the first state park in Kent County. The park’s 1,400-plus acres offer diverse recreational and educational opportunities.

Between these two stops on the trail is the Nature Center. It houses interactive displays and even a few exhibits of live reptiles and amphibians. I am really glad they were behind glass!

Stop 1 has the history of the pond. Stop 2 is at an overlook for Beaver chews. Beavers chew trees for food, to keep their teeth sharp and to build lodges and dams. Although beavers may be a nuisance to some, their dams help create wetlands. The many beaver chews in this spot show how industrious these mammals are. A beaver can chew through a small tree in as few as fifteen minutes.

Stop 3 is at a stand of Tulip Poplars. Although, it is not actually a poplar tree, but a member of the magnolia family. Its name comes from the tulip shaped flower it produces. Native Americans favored the tulip poplar because its straight trunk was perfect for fashioning canoes. The tulip poplar is one of the largest trees native to the eastern US.

Stop 4 offers a bridge over the Murderkill River. One local story attributes the river’s name to the Dutch word for “mother” (moeder) and “creek” (kil). Legend tells us that the river got its name when an expedition of Dutchmen were murdered by a group of Native  Americans. The Murderkill flows through Killens Pond on to Courseys Pond and eventually into the Delaware Bay. Stop 5 is the location of the first foot bridge. The ground seeps are driven by ground water and generally stay wet year-round giving them the ability to maintain temperatures. Because of this, ground seep often support unique plant communities and provide habitat for insects and amphibians. Stop 6 is the fourth foot bridge over a tributary. Small streams called tributaries, fed from surface water run-off and ground water, often converge to form larger streams and rivers. Here you can see one of several seeps that converge together to create a small stream which flows into Killens Pond and the Murderkill River. Ultimately, this water flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Stop 7 is dedicated to the Native Americans that once roamed this land. Archaeological evidence shows that this area was often occupied by Native Americans for extended periods of time. The upper part of the slope provides a clear view of the Murderkill River and the land surrounding it, making it a good vantage point for a hunting camp. This area was also rich in food, water and other raw materials to support settlements.

Stop 8 is full of American Beech Trees. This particular tree is identified by its smooth, silvery bark. Unfortunately, the smoothness of the bark entices people to leave carvings in it, not realizing that by doing so they are letting bacteria and insects inside the bark. Tree carvings can lead to infection and can ultimately kill the tree. That brings us back around to where out campsite is, camping loop B.

We watched the squirrels eat their dinner on our picnic table at our dinner time.

Over the weekend we continued to watch the path of hurricane Irma, as so many residents and snowbirds from Florida did.