In a First State State of Mind

Thought it pains me deeply to write the next six words: SUMMER IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE.

With the start of the school year less than a week away, I'm tempted to kick myself for all the things I didn't do this summer.  I wrote a little of this and a little of that instead of completing anything major.  I didn't travel anyplace exotic or distant.  But instead of beating myself up, I'm going to celebrate one thing I actually did: take a lovely day trip to the Delaware shore to do a signing at one of my very favorite indie bookstores, Bethany Beach Books.  

After a long walk on Bethany Beach, Andre and I met some lovely people and I signed some books in the fresh sea air.

With Courtney, from Bethany Beach Books

Afterward we drove to Rehoboth Beach to revisit one of our favorite restaurants in the whole world, The Pig + Fish Restaurant Company.  We even paused for a snapshot with Chipper, our favorite server anyplace, ever.  

Chipper waited on us quite a few years ago the first time we ate at Pig + Fish, and all these years we've remembered how much fun he was, and how he made a memorable meal even more awesome.  It was good to see him again.


The next day, on our way back to Philly, our trip morphed into an official Tour of Delaware River Towns that Start with Mil.  First we wandered around sleepy but adorable Milford, dropped into a few of its art galleries, and shopped in its charming Farmer's Market:

Next we took a jaunt to Milton and strolled through its pretty riverside park, inadvertantly annoying the local geese:

Finally, we swung past funky Dogfish Head Brewery:

A steampunk treehouse purchased at Burning Man

On the Dogfish Head premises, this nifty lunchbox-shaped food truck offers some of the most delicious food we'd had since...well, since Pig + Fish!