Day 55 The Ultimate USA Road Trip Washington DC Cape May
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RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 26-02-2023
Route Summary I have further supplemented the Road Trip with even more special points that you can visit in the USA. Today we drive from Washington DC through Delaware to Cape May New Jersey. This drive is full of historical sites and is over 330 kilometers.
We drive on beautiful country roads through 3 states and we drive through a number of Historic Districts in Maryland. There are a number of beautiful stops planned along the route and you can combine it with a few days in beautiful Cape May. I rate this route with 4 stars.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
10h 52m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
334.97 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review A number of beautiful stops are planned along the route, the first (optional) stop is one for lovers of amusement parks, Looney Tunes and Bat Man. Just outside Washington DC is the large amusement park Six Flags America. This amusement park has 7 themed zones and 1 water park with nearly 30 rides and shows: Olde Boston, Looney Tunes Movie Town, Southwest Territory, Nantucket, Gotham City, Skull Island, Coyote Creek and Hurricane Harbor (water park). If you want to visit this park, it is advisable to drive the route in two days, because you can enjoy a whole day at Six Flags America.
We drive through the “Patuxent River Watershed Park” to Annapolis, this city is the capital of the state of Maryland. In Maryland, thirteen neighborhoods have been designated as a Historic District, which means that the architecture of the buildings is protected. The “Colonial Annapolis Historic District” is one such historic district that was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1965 and expanded geographically in 1984. There are several museums that you can visit, such as “Banneker-Douglass Museum” or “Afro-American Life and History Museum” and “US Naval Academy Museum”. This district has many beautiful historic buildings and it is definitely worth taking a walk here.
We cross the Chesapeake Bay to Kent Island where we drive through the Stevensville Historic District, also known as Historic Stevensville. It contains about 100 historic structures and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is mainly located along East Main Street, part of Love Point Road and a former part of Cockey Lane.
We continue to the lunch stop in Elkton, passing beautiful buildings along the way and an opportunity for enthusiasts to stop briefly for a photo, such as at the "Queenstown Colonial Courthouse". A large part of this courthouse is still original, such as the horizontal oak wall cladding and part of the weatherboard on the end facades. The floor, originally a typical earthen floor, was later updated to wood. The frame structure dates to 1708 and the brick portion was added between 1820 and 1840. The city purchased the property in 1977 and restoration of the Colonial Courthouse was completed in the late 1970s.
Another beautiful building is the “Centerville Armory” in Centerville, which opened in 1926 and was home to the Maryland Army National Guard's Company K, 115th Infantry. For many years, the building was used as a training facility for the National Guard and hosted various community events. Today it is the Wye River Upper School, helping students with ADD, ADHD, Asperger's and dyslexia, providing students with resources and specialized education to help them prepare for college, a career and life.
Along this route we pass several rivers and if it is safe you can stop to take a picture of the area and sometimes very beautiful bridges. After lunch in Elkton we leave Maryland and drive into Delaware where we visit the New Castle Historical Society, founded by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, was recognized for its historical significance in 1967, when the historic district of the colonial era was designated a national monument. There are many notable sites and highly recommended are Battery Park, New Castle Pier, the Old New Castle Courthouse, the Delaware Historical Society's Read House and Gardens, and the three museums operated by the New Castle Historical Society.
Cross the Delaware River via the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The two bridges are dedicated to servicemen from both New Jersey and Delaware who died in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. A war memorial is located on the Delaware side of the bridge, visible from the northbound lanes. We do not have to pay a toll that is only for traffic traveling from New Jersey to Delaware.
Along the route there is an option to visit the Cape May County Park & Zoo. This zoo offers free access year-round to a collection of more than 550 animals from 250 different species on 34 hectares. The zoo is open every day weather permitting, they are only closed for Christmas. Opening hours are 10am to 3:30pm in winter and 10am to 4:30pm in summer.
The route's terminus is the Cape May Historic District, a 1.5 km2 area with more than 600 late Victorian style buildings, including the Eclectic, Stick and Shingle styles, as well as the later Bungalow style, of which many with “Gingerbread” decorations along the roofs and porches. The city claims to be America's first seaside resort, and according to National Park Service architectural historian Carolyn Pitts, Cape May has one of the largest collections of late 19th-century half-timbered houses in the US. This is a wonderful area to stay for a few days and enjoy the beautiful beaches. Visit the 1859 “Cape May Lighthouse” and climb the 199-step original, cast-iron spiral staircase to the top of and enjoy stunning views of Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, hike the surrounding nature trails of Cape May Point State Park and Cape May Point Borough or enjoy one of the many guided tours that introduce you to Cape May's past. There are several good hotels and resorts to spend the night along the coast of Cape May.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Maryland
About this region
Maryland (US: MERR-ə-lənd) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. Baltimore is the largest city in the state and the capital is Annapolis. Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State. It is named after the English Queen Henrietta Maria, known in England as Queen Mary, who was the wife of King Charles I.Before its coastline was explored by Europeans in the 16th century, Maryland was inhabited by several groups of Native Americans – mostly by the Algonquin, and to a lesser degree by the Iroquois and Siouian. As one of the original Thirteen Colonies of England, Maryland was founded by George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, a Catholic convert who sought to provide a religious haven for Catholics persecuted in England. In 1632, Charles I of England granted Lord Baltimore a colonial charter, naming the colony after his wife, Queen Mary (Henrietta Maria of France). Unlike the Pilgrims and Puritans, who rejected Catholicism in their settlements, Lord Baltimore envisioned a colony where people of different religious sects would coexist under the principle of toleration. Accordingly, in 1649 the Maryland General Assembly passed an Act Concerning Religion, which enshrined this principle by penalizing anyone who "reproached" a fellow Marylander based on religious affiliation. Nevertheless, religious strife was common in the early years, and Catholics remained a minority, albeit in greater numbers than in any other English colony.
Maryland's early settlements and population centers clustered around rivers and other waterways that empty into the Chesapeake Bay. Its economy was heavily plantation-based and centered mostly on the cultivation of tobacco. Britain's need for cheap labor led to a rapid expansion of indentured servants, penal labor, and African slaves. In 1760, Maryland's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a long-running border dispute with Pennsylvania. Maryland was an active participant in the events leading up to the American Revolution, and by 1776, its delegates signed the Declaration of Independence. Many of its citizens subsequently played key political and military roles in the war. In 1790, the state ceded land for the establishment of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.
Although then a slave state, Maryland remained in the Union during the American Civil War, its strategic location giving it a significant role in the conflict. After the Civil War, Maryland took part in the Industrial Revolution, driven by its seaports, railroad networks, and mass immigration from Europe. Since the 1940s, the state's population has grown rapidly, to approximately six million residents, and it is among the most densely populated U.S. states. As of 2015, Maryland had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its proximity to Washington, D.C. and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, services, higher education, healthcare, and biotechnology. The state's central role in U.S. history is reflected by its hosting of some of the highest numbers of historic landmarks per capita.
Sixteen of Maryland's twenty-three counties, as well as the city of Baltimore, border the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of shoreline. Although one of the smallest states in the U.S., it features a variety of climates and topographical features that have earned it the moniker of America in Miniature. In a similar vein, Maryland's geography, culture, and history combine elements of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Southern regions of the country.
Read more on Wikipedia
Maryland's early settlements and population centers clustered around rivers and other waterways that empty into the Chesapeake Bay. Its economy was heavily plantation-based and centered mostly on the cultivation of tobacco. Britain's need for cheap labor led to a rapid expansion of indentured servants, penal labor, and African slaves. In 1760, Maryland's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a long-running border dispute with Pennsylvania. Maryland was an active participant in the events leading up to the American Revolution, and by 1776, its delegates signed the Declaration of Independence. Many of its citizens subsequently played key political and military roles in the war. In 1790, the state ceded land for the establishment of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.
Although then a slave state, Maryland remained in the Union during the American Civil War, its strategic location giving it a significant role in the conflict. After the Civil War, Maryland took part in the Industrial Revolution, driven by its seaports, railroad networks, and mass immigration from Europe. Since the 1940s, the state's population has grown rapidly, to approximately six million residents, and it is among the most densely populated U.S. states. As of 2015, Maryland had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its proximity to Washington, D.C. and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, services, higher education, healthcare, and biotechnology. The state's central role in U.S. history is reflected by its hosting of some of the highest numbers of historic landmarks per capita.
Sixteen of Maryland's twenty-three counties, as well as the city of Baltimore, border the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of shoreline. Although one of the smallest states in the U.S., it features a variety of climates and topographical features that have earned it the moniker of America in Miniature. In a similar vein, Maryland's geography, culture, and history combine elements of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Southern regions of the country.
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Route Collections in this region Ultimate USA road trip part 06
Michel van Hagen challenged me to follow the Roadtrip of Dr. Randy Olsen as a basis to create the Ultimate USA Road Trip for the MyRoute app RouteXpert Library. I took up that challenge and started in February 2022.
The scientist Dr. Randy Olsen, who became known for using his knowledge of algorithms to find 'Waldo' in the well-known American 'Where's Waldo' book series, has been challenged by Tracy Staedter, from Discovery News, to use the same algorithm to create the perfect Road Trip by creating the US, which will visit almost every state in the US. Alaska and Hawaii are not included in this Road Trip due to their geographical location.
The following three requirements formed the basis of the route: In all 48 countries there must be at least one stop at famous points, monuments, historical sites, national parks, etc. I have added additional interesting points, beautiful tours and routes.
After more than 26 months, the job is finished and, with a lot of support from Nick Carthew, I have created 129 routes that run through the 48 states of the USA and part of Canada. This is the sixth collection that takes you from Kill Devil Hills in ten days through North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island to Salem, Massachusetts.
The scientist Dr. Randy Olsen, who became known for using his knowledge of algorithms to find 'Waldo' in the well-known American 'Where's Waldo' book series, has been challenged by Tracy Staedter, from Discovery News, to use the same algorithm to create the perfect Road Trip by creating the US, which will visit almost every state in the US. Alaska and Hawaii are not included in this Road Trip due to their geographical location.
The following three requirements formed the basis of the route: In all 48 countries there must be at least one stop at famous points, monuments, historical sites, national parks, etc. I have added additional interesting points, beautiful tours and routes.
After more than 26 months, the job is finished and, with a lot of support from Nick Carthew, I have created 129 routes that run through the 48 states of the USA and part of Canada. This is the sixth collection that takes you from Kill Devil Hills in ten days through North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island to Salem, Massachusetts.
View Route Collection