DELAWARE

I often enter a new town blind. This may come as a surprise, given that I invariably have a camera glued to one eye. What I mean is, I enter knowing little to nothing about where I am, then make assumptions based on the first thing I see. So, blind and stupid.

Case in point: When I landed in New Castle, Delaware on May 9, 2022, the first night of this journey, I posted this note on Instagram, with the illustrative photos below:

“Landed last night at a Quality Inn & Suites, which turns out to be this ever-so-skeevy motel at — and I do mean at — the Wilmington airport. Dinner at TGI Friday’s, which serves up chicken in 100% plastic cast iron pans. Anyone remember way back when TGIFs was a hot singles-after-work spot?”

All that is both true and inaccurate. In fact, despite its rough-looking door, my room was clean, the mattress fine — I had all I needed.

The next morning, I ventured down to New Castle proper. Whole different story. “Historic New Castle” is a lovely old town on the Delaware River, once upon a time a thriving seaport. Of course, any extant quaint old town on the East coast became so after decimating the Native population and, in this case, the Dutch settlement that preceded it. But that’s all part of the story of America. The photos below represent my first impressions and a second look, for a slightly more complete view of my very, very brief visit to Delaware.

Sunset at the Wilmington Airport, at the end of the row of suites comprising Quality Inn & Suites, New Castle, Delaware.

Left: What I expected (Quality Inn & Suites, Toledo

Above: What I got.

Below: But it was just fine after all.

This couple was walking with a mixed-raced toddler whose shirt said, “I am your son.”