Baedeker: 2009 Summer Vacation

Rehoboth Beach and Cape Henlopen State Park, DE, and Annapolis, MD

Part II – Cape Henlopen State Park

A multipart series chronically sites of my 2009 summer vacation

Before my bike ride south along Route 1, I kicked off the morning with a bike trip in to Cape Henlopen State Park. The south entrance of park is a short bike ride from Rehoboth. Cape Henlopen is located at the tip of Delaware where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Delaware Bay.

The south end of the park is called Gordon’s Pond and includes a bike path and a beach. The path leads to an observation platform and from there; there is a hiking path to the north side of the park. (The bulk of the park lies north of Gordon’s Pond.) Between the ocean and the pond are two World War II observation towers. From the website:

"With the onset of World War II, the U.S. Army established a military base at Cape Henlopen in 1941. Bunkers and gun emplacements were camouflaged among the dunes, and concrete observation towers were built along the coast to spot enemy ships. In 1964, the Department of Defense declared 543 acres of the Cape lands as surplus property. The State of Delaware accepted the property and established Cape Henlopen State Park."

Again, the entire Delaware Shore has a number of these concrete silos. On the north part of Cape Henlopen State Park there is a restored silo that one can tour.

So, all of the below photos are of the Gordon’s Pond area of Cape Henlopen State Park around 8:00 in the morning.
To view all my Rehoboth and Cape Henlopen State Park photos on flickr, click here.

Next: Part III – Annapolis, MD