Wilmington, Delaware

I drove through a torential rain storm for about 3 hours towards Wilmington, Delaware. The temperature droped into the 50's! That is the coolest temperatures that I have seen in a couple of months! Between breaking camp, getting gas, filling water, and the dump station, I managed to get soaking wet. So it was the first time I put on long pants and a sweatshirt. I arrived early afternoon & met my friend, Colleen. We spent time chatting, had dinner, and met her friend Walt. I am boondocking out in front of Colleen's house, and the neighborhood is filled with quaint and charming traditional style brick and stucco homes. It was really nice catching up on old news, and plans for our future. We both talked about future retirement, traveling, and the freedom to do the things that we want to do. In the morning I set out to Longwood Gardens. A beautiful multi acre garden purchased and maintained by the Dupont family. It's actually in Pennsylvania. There were many miles that I could have walked today, and I probably did a couple.  I enjoyed the gardens, beautiful flowers, and staged fountain show. There is a huge glass conservatory. It's a series of green houses that showcases all different types of plants including desert plants, orchids, hibiscus, roses and, succulents. I was amazed at the lily ponds, showing every different type of water lily that could be imagined. I did this with a heavy heart, as it's been 6 years since I lost my father. He was a dedicated vegetable and fruit farmer. I thought about him while listening to the singing birds.

I tried to find the First State National Park, but I felt like I was driving around in circles. Miss Google maps sometimes really sets me off on a pathway that makes absolutely no sense. In my case I went through the beautiful Brandywine Valley. A series of hills and sloping countryside next to creeks and rivers. I drove through a covered bridge which was an unexpected surprise.