Delaware Debutantes, Mansions & Gardens

Tour the mansions of the DuPonts, the first family of the First State! Plus, see the oldest cities in Delaware and more!

Duration

June 20-24, 2021

Tour Includes

• Round trip flights on Southwest Airlines non-stop to Philadelphia
• Stay 4 nights at the luxurious Hotel du Pont– only unpack once!
• All transfers to and from Philadelphia airport
• Round – trip transportation to all venues with narration
• Tour the historic cities of New Castle and Lewes, learning about Delaware’s role in American history
• Lighthouse cruise in the Delaware Bay
• Explore Hagley, the original homestead of the du Pont family, with a mortar firing demo!
• Tour the opulent Nemours home and garden, with its 23-karat gold leaf statue!
• Visit Winterthur, the 5th largest home ever built in America, and explore the amazing collection of art
• Special Guided tour of the Delaware Art Museum
• Enjoy a sightseeing tour of the University of Delaware, plus enjoy ice cream at UDairy!
• 7 meals (4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner), many of which are in historic buildings
• All other Activities as indicated
• Baggage Handling
• Professional Tour Directors Dea Hoover and Declan Rutan

Itinerary

• DATE – The First State Awaits!

Meet Dea and Declan at the St Louis Airport as we fly non-stop to the Philadelphia Airport, located south of thecity and less than a half-hour away from Delaware! Our first stop is Historic New Castle, one of two cities that claim the title of “Oldest City in Delaware.” New Castle is unique as it was conquered by various European forces such as the Dutch and English, but each time they let the civilians remain in the settlement, only forcing the soldiers out. As a result, it is the oldest continuous settlement in Delaware. After lunch on own at a choice of small restaurants, we enjoy a walking tour of the historic district, visiting the Colonial Courthouse and the George Read House, the latter of which has enjoyed spectacular views of the river since 1804, when the family bought both the lot on which the home is built as well as the lot across the street, to prevent anyone from blocking their view.

We then head to Wilmington, most famously known as the place most people send their credit card payments! Delaware has the most thorough corporate case law in the country, which, combined with favorable tax laws, makes it a popular state for companies to incorporate. Plus, no sales tax for us consumers! It is like everything has a 6-8% discount, especially with prices reflecting the price of living on the heavily populated east coast. It is also home to the headquarters of DuPont, the chemical company that is responsible for many of the chemical breakthroughs of the 20th century, including Teflon and Nylon. Our home for all four nights is the Hotel DuPont, located in this historic headquarters in downtown Wilmington. With luxurious décor and amazing rooms, you will see why it is the place to stay, whether for business or for fun!

• DATE – South to the Cape and the Capital

We depart the hotel and head south, towards the cape of Delaware and the second city to claim the title of “Oldest City in Delaware.” Lewes (pronounced ‘Louis’) was settled earlier than New Castle, but had some periods of bad luck, such as fire and raids from both land and sea. These attacks continued even after the Revolutionary War – one building still has a cannonball embedded in the outer wall! We will explore the city by land and sea, first enjoying a walking tour of the historic district led by an incredible
interpreter who loves his job. We follow that by a boat cruise after lunch at your choice of restaurants. Our cruise will head out to where the bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, as we visit a lighthouse that has guided shipping traffic into the mouth of the Delaware River on its way to Philadelphia. Then it’s time to head to Dover, the capital of Delaware. After a tour of the Statehouse where representatives were the first to ratify the US Constitution in 1787, we step outside and into the past as a historic costumed interpreter regales us with the stories of the days of independence. After our trip through time, we journey northbound again, stopping at Cantwell’s Bridge Hotel and Tavern. Built by prominent businessman William Polk in 1822, it has been lovingly restored to its former glory in 2012. Cantwell's Tavern features local items prepared in a relaxing setting. Enjoy plated meal service in a historic colonial setting. We return to the hotel this evening. (B, D)

• DATE – Hagley - The du Pont Family’s Explosive Start

The du Pont family story begins at Hagley, where the family home and manufacturing facilities were originally located. With access to running water to power the mills, the family was able to create a number of products, including gunpowder! Fortunately for the Continental Army, the du Pont family was sympathetic to their cause, and provided much of the gunpowder used by Washington’s troops. In addition to touring the grounds, we will have a special (and explosive) treat – a gunpowder testing and mortar firing demonstration! We will have time to explore the home and grounds, where you can watch a water turbine bring an eight-ton iron roll mill to life. We will enjoy delightful lunch at the property. This afternoon, we head to Newark (Pronounced NEW-ark), Delaware, home to Declan’s Alma Mater, the University of Delaware. Thanks in part to generations of generous donations by the du Pont family and corporation, UD is a leading institution in the sciences; when Declan was taking classes in Chemistry and Biology, they used to say that UD stood for University of DuPont! Enjoy a sightseeing tour of the campus, where classical architecture meets high-tech designs. We will also visit UDairy, an ice cream shop that opened in 2011. Produced by UD agriculture students, this premium ice cream has taken the campus by storm. They also sell other products such as wool blankets and even honey from animals raised by agriculture students! This evening, we will provide a shuttle for those who wish to spend more time on Main Street in Newark, home to numerous restaurants, including a tavern where Edgar Allen Poe once stayed. (B, L and Ice Cream!)

• Wednesday, June 10th – Nemours - An American Versailles

When Alfred I. duPont married his second wife Alicia in 1907, he showered her with gifts, including a spectacular new house and garden that he named Nemours, after the French town where his family had lived. He hired Carrere and Hastings, a prestigious New York architectural firm best known for their work on the NYC Public Library, to design the mansion in the late-18thcentury French style that Alicia adored, while incorporating the latest modern technology and even some of Alfred’s own inventions. The home contains an amazing collection of artwork, from 16th-century religious works, paintings by the European masters, and even early works by Americans Frederic Remington and Sidney Lawrence. Of particular interest is a rare Louis XVI musical clock, circa 1785, by David Roentgen and Peter Kinzing, which plays four tunes on a dulcimer and pipe organ. Another clock at the mansion was created for Marie Antoinette, which she never received. The mansion also has a chair from the 1937 coronation of King George VI at Westminster Abbey and a chair from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The house is only outshined by the incredible gardens. At 300 acres, the estate has the most developed and largest jardin à la française (French formal garden)-style landscape in North America. The design is patterned after the gardens of Versailles, extending on one-third of a mile from the mansion facade, paralleling the main avenue leading to the house. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with plantings, fountains, pools, a carillon tower, statuary, and a pavilion surrounded by naturalized woodlands. The centerpiece is the magnificent Achievement, designed by French sculptor Henri Crenier, which looms over the maze garden on an elevated marble “vase” pedestal. Gilded with 23-karat gold leaf, Achievement is ringed by western arborvitae and pygmy crimson barberry planted in a fleur-de-lis design. Carrara marble fountain-statues of Triton face each other across the pool. The Sunken Gardens, which were built between 1928 and 1932, feature Italian travertine walls and steps, while the statuary is Carrara marble. The main statuary group at the top and the side statues in the fountains are by French sculptor Charles Sarrabezolles (1888–1971). The bronzes in the pool and the wall fountains along the side are the work of Claude Grange
(1890–1971). The grotto areas in the side fountain at the Colonnade end of the gardens have a mosaic background, and are reminiscent of many Italian grottoes. We then head to lunch and a private tour of the Delaware Art Museum. You will be amazed by the treasures you find here and we will have a special lecture and their procurement process and the focus of the pieces in the museum. And the gift shop is a must stop! We then return to our hotel, with the evening free for you to enjoy. (B, L)

• DATE– Winterthur - A Large Collection of American Art, in the 5th Largest American Home

Founded by Henry Francis du Pont, Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) features some of the most rare and important examples of American decorative arts, including an original painting of George Washington as well as George and Martha’s China set. (The ones on display at Washington’s home in Mount Vernon are reproductions). The original structure was built in the European country house style. As his collection grew to nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America between 1640 and 1860, H. F. du Pont kept adding onto the home, eventually increasing the number of rooms to 175, and spanning 96,582 sq ft, making it the 5th largest home built in the United States of America. He opened his home to the public as a museum in 1951, moving with his wife to a small cottage of 21,345 sq ft. The Winterthur Library includes more than 87,000 volumes and approximately 500,000 manuscripts and images, mostly related to American history, decorative arts, and architecture. In addition to the museums, Winterthur boasts 60-acres of naturalistic garden, which is ranked among the country’s best. He selected the choicest plants from around the world to enhance the natural setting, arranging them in lyrical color combinations and carefully orchestrating a succession of bloom from late January to November. duPont translated his love of the land into a unified work of art that embodies a romantic vision of nature's beauty. In addition to the gardens, H. F. du Pont built himself a golf course, now part of the country club, and mounted speakers on the cooling house so that he could play golf while listening to the opera on Saturday afternoons. After an amazing lunch on your own at the Winterthur café, it is time for us to head back to Saint Louis, with fond memories and to tell all your friends about the “Small Wonder” of Delaware! (B)

Please Note

• We encourage all travelers to purchase travel protection with initial deposit. Include Travel Protection payment with deposit if purchasing. Please remember that certain benefits are
  time sensitive. Plans help provide coverage for unexpected circumstances and help protect your trip and your investment.

• Once this tour fills, a wait list will be formed. Please send a check or call with a credit card along with your legal name, address, phone number, and all roommates’ names if you are sharing a room and any dietary or walking restrictions. Additionally, this will be a 4 Sneaker tour. If you have any questions about your ability to enjoy the tour, please refer to our blue pamphlet with the sneaker rankings. Remember, that is the highest level of activity. You may choose to sit out any events that may incur too much walking.