I used to have to clarify that I was going to the credit card capital of the world when I said I was spending the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware. My friends would look at me quizzically. Wilmington, North Carolina, they understood, but Delaware?

I don’t have to do that anymore, now that our new president hails from Delaware’s largest city.

My main male character, Luke, in INN BY THE LAKE, calls Wilmington home, too. He has moved away from his parents’ inn in Western Maryland to work at a construction firm in their marketing department. It’s a job he likes, even if it keeps him away from home and his beloved Deep Creek Lake. Because I have enjoyed my time in this insurance, banking and corporate center, I decided he’d find it a good place to work.

But visit? Just for fun? Why?

The Riverfront, the museums and wonderful restaurants make it a must-visit for me. Stay at the Hotel DuPont, visit the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Contemporary and the ship, the Kalmar Nyckel. Take a walk/run on the Riverfront and visit the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge.

Fun, huh? Yes, I was a skeptic when I had to visit for an assignment from Frommer’s. I’d only seen Wilmington from the interstate until then. But get closer.

Start at the Riverfront. Take a walk along the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park to learn the history of the Cristina River, the city, and its place in the Underground Railroad. Stop for a bite in the Riverfront Market, or go to one of the restaurants that take advantage of that watery view. I like to visit the Russell W. Peterson Wildlife Refuge at the end of the walkway. It’s 225 acres of marshland that birds and other critters call home.

Then make time to see the historic ship if it’s in town or visit one of the small but interesting museums, including the Delaware Art Museum and the Delaware Contemporary. Like old mansions? Rockwood Museum is a Victorian marvel.

I intend to visit again as soon as this covid mess is gone.