Delaware
AT – Duncannon to Delaware Water Gap – The Trek
- AT Days 9-16 Duncannon, PA to Port Clinton, PA
Day 9-11 – Downtime (0 miles)
Day 12 – Duncannon to Peter’s Mountain Shelter (9.3 miles)
Day 13 – Peter’s Mountain Shelter to Rausch Gap Shelter (18.0 miles)
Day 14 – Rausch Gap Shelter to 501 Shelter (17.5 miles)
Day 15 – 501 Shelter to Eagle’s Nest Shelter (14.9 miles)
Day 16 – Eagle’s Nest Shelter to Port Clinton (9.0 miles)
Harper’s Ferry Start – Marker 1026.
Days 9-11 – Down days.
I had planned on one day off, but personal issues pushed it to 3. I could have started late on the last of these days, but as it was raining, 50sF, overnight in the low 40s, and the forecast for the next 5 days was rain off and on well…
Day 12
It stopped raining! Let’s go! The trail starts at the Susquehanna River and goes straight up to the top of the ridge (~1,200 ft in 2 miles). If you find Duncannon on a map with contours, you can see this is the same ridge that hits Duncannon on the west side except that the river cut through it. It also has the same rocks. I lost a sitting pad somewhere in those rocks.
I was so full of energy from the days off that I wanted to go further. Except thunderstorms were forecast for the evening and overnight.
The Shelter was full and on the bottom level, so I headed to the 2nd (Yes, this Shelter had 2 levels). I had my pick of spots and chose poorly. I was on the windward side. The rain didn’t come in on me, but the cold air blew in that window and straight down onto me. I barely kept warm enough.
Yes, that’s the trail!
Day 13
The next morning was cold and rainy. I trudged 18 miles all day in the rain. Got to the Shelter about 5:00 pm. There were already two guys there in their sleeping bags and ready to sleep. I, and two more guys cooked our meals and went to sleep as well about 7:30. The two guys that were already in the sack slept straight through until 5:30 in the morning. Then they made a lot of noise when they got up and took off by 6:00.
Day 14
The day was nicer and the 17.5 miles went faster. Except for the Damned rocks. I can make pretty good time until I hit the rocks. Then it’s down to 1/2 to 1 mph.
The Green Tunnel
Bridge near I-81
The shelter was a dream. I shared it with only two other people. It was completely enclosed with about 18 bunks. A nice table in the middle for cooking, a spigot for water, a garbage can, and a hose for a shower. The shower was COLD, but felt good anyway. I dries my stuff out. Hooray!
My stuff
Cooking Dinner
Day 15
Not so far today, and good weather, which was a godsend.
I made it to the shelter about 15 minutes before it started raining. One other young lady from last night’s shelter arrived about the same time that I did. It poured all night.
Day 16
It finally stopped raining about 9:00am. I pulled a calf muscle and jammed my toe slipping on the rocks. I hate the rocks to begin with. I’m lucky if I can do 1/2 to 1 mph. When they’re wet, they’re really treacherous and I have to go even slower. But obviously I didn’t go slow enough. So I opted to stay in Port Clinton after only 9 miles. There is a pavilion provided by a church. It’s loud, but I can rest my foot and leg.
This used to be the frontier
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So who – or what – is Pretty Eddie?
The namesake of the new corner market in downtown Wilmington is a mustachioed bell pepper.
Everything from smash burgers and Caribbean curry bowls to protein-packed meals and low-alcohol drinks is what the National Restaurant Association predicts will be among the hot culinary trends in 2026.
The association’s What’s Hot Culinary Forecast highlights trends set to shape America’s menus.
The 2026 report shows that diners are craving fusions of past trends and modern flavors.
They say diners will be seeking out local sourcing, comfort foods, value menus, smash burgers, allergen-friendly menus, and adding protein to drinks like smoothies and foods such as pancakes
With that in mind, here are some new restaurants and food businesses on the horizon that are expected to open in 2026 and may be embracing these trends as they launch:
Dixie’s Down Home Cooking, 2 N. Main St., Smyrna. A Facebook post said that the restaurant, which will be open at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and with a brunch service on Sunday, is coming in February. It’s the former site of the short-lived Inn at Duck Creek at Smyrna’s famed Four Corners. Comfort food seems likely.
Lefty’s Alley & Eats, the restaurant-bowling alley-arcade in Lewes, will open a second location in Newark in June 2026. The exterior of the 55,000-square-foot building, near the University of Delaware at The Grove, is complete and interior construction is ongoing, a news release said.
The Surf Bagel chain is opening a store in Churchmans Place shopping near Christiana Hospital in spring 2026. This will mark the seventh location for the Delaware-based chain. The Stanton-area store at 1103 Churchmans Road is taking over the site of the former Fuego Peri Peri Grill, which closed this past April after operating for three years.
Karma’s Korner is a cafe and grocery that Katie Kutler, owner of kaffé Karma in Greenville, announced on Instagram that she is creating in Wilmington’s Forty Acres neighborhood. It’s in the former Ciro Forty Acres space. Karma’s Korner will serve coffee, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, baguettes, healthy to-go meals, salads, juices kombucha and more. Stay tuned. Visit Instagram and Katie Kutler’s health and wellness YouTube channel for updates.
Bubba’s 33, a family-style restaurant with smash burgers (!), pizzas, wings and salads, will replace the old TGIFridays on Concord Pike that closed in August after 34 years. Its targeted date is spring 2026. Bubba’s 33 was founded in 2013 by Kent Taylor, the founder of Texas Roadhouse. It has locations in Maryland and New Jersey.
La Pizzeria Metro in the Town of Whitehall near Middletown is coming soon. It’s a spinoff of the Tumolo family’s La Pizzeria Metro off Miller Road. The new restaurant will have state-of-the-art pizza ovens for making wood-fired and New York-style pizza. The family is making pasta and gelato. Artisan sandwiches and salads also will be on the menu, along with beer and wine. Tumolos also operate Cafe Riviera in the Concord Mall.
A sign touting Casa Kahlo Mexican Grill & Bar has been posted outside of the closed Colbie’s Southern Kissed Chicken off Route 7 between Border Cafe and Royal Farms, which opened in September 2021. There’s a Casa Kahlo in the Newark Shopping Center. We reached out to the restaurant for more information and didn’t immediately receive a return call.
The first Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in Delaware is planning to open in mid-January at 645 S. Ridge Road in Middletown, said franchise owner Jason Ingermanson. The 3,013-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru is in front of Kohl’s along Middletown-Warwick Road, next to Chick-fil-A. Freddy’s specializes in steakburgers with patties “pressed thin to create deliciously crispy edges,” according to the company website. Frozen custard is similar to ice cream but it includes egg yolks and is churned slowly so less air is whipped into the mixture, making it denser.
In Middletown, Primo Hoagies is listed as “coming soon” on the company’s website at 1615 Lake Seymour Drive behind Kohl’s off of Middletown-Warwick Road. A spokesperson at the corporate office said an opening date hasn’t been set when reached by phone on Dec. 29. Founded in 1992 in “South Philly,” the hoagie and cheesesteak chain has grown to more than 130 locations, mostly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with two in Delaware in Claymont and Wilmington. The menu also includes chicken cutlet sandwiches and the “Schwartzie” with corned beef, roast beef or turkey with Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing.
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR:
At the Northside shopping center in Middletown in front of Target, five restaurants are planned in three buildings near Middletown-Warwick Road. The sites are expected to be finished and open by April, said Pat Gallagher, executive vice president at Metro Commercial real estate.
Honeygrow and Paris Baguette are coming to the building south of Popeyes. Honeygrow started in Philadelphia, with a focus on healthy, simple foods with stir-fry bowls, salads and fruit desserts. The company has 60 restaurants in nine states, with three in Delaware, according to a July 7 report by Restaurant Business website. Paris Baguette is an international bakery and café with more than 4,000 locations, but just over 200 in the U.S., according to the Chain Store Age website. The chain doesn’t have any other Delaware locations, according to the company’s website. Paris Baguette sells whole cakes along with pastries, breads, doughnuts, sandwiches, wraps and hot and cold beverages.
Next door, First Watch and Qdoba will be opening in the Northside shopping center in the building near Doc Levinson Drive and Dash-In. First Watch is a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant with more than 600 restaurants in 32 states including six in Delaware. Qdoba is a Mexican restaurant with 861 sites including four in Delaware.
In a third new Northside building in Middletown, Tropical Smoothie Café is the first business planned in a strip of stores with more than 16,000 square feet next to PetSmart and Sprouts near Middletown-Warwick Road. The restaurant serves smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls with fruits, nuts, granola and yogurt at more than 1,500 restaurants including seven in Delaware.
Wing Stop and Smoothie King are coming to the new Levels Crossing shopping center in Middletown on Middletown-Warwick Road at Levels Crossing Road, across from Royal Farms. Those businesses should be opening in the spring, said Andy Fox, partner at DSM Commercial, a real estate and construction management company. Wing Stop serves chicken wings, tenders and sandwiches in a variety of flavors with sides like fries and cajun fried corn. The company has 2,353 restaurants with seven in Delaware as of Oct. 6. As the name implies, Smoothie King specializes in smoothies made with fruits and vegetables, iced coffees, bowls with fruits, granola and toppings and toast with fruits, avocado or hard-boiled eggs. The company has more than 1,300 restaurants with two in Delaware.
In Camden, south of Dover, the Oishii Sushi Hibachi & Bar is planning to open any day now, according to its Facebook page as of Dec. 29. The restaurant’s address is 386 Walmart Drive #1 near Dollar Tree in the Camden Town Center with Walmart off of Route 13 South. The staff plans to offer “a warm, modern dining experience,” featuring “New York City-level sushi craftsmanship,” “fresh ingredients” and “beautiful plating.”
In September, a final site plan for a Cook Out restaurant was approved for 22928 Sussex Highway in Seaford. The Cook Out menu features burgers, barbecue, hot dogs and milkshakes in 40 flavors. It originated in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989 and now has over 300 stores in six states. The only other Delmarva location is in Salisbury, Maryland. When Cook Out will open is unknown; the company did not return requests for more information.
Signage for Cape Deli has been up at the former Kaisy’s Delights location on Savannah Road in Lewes for some time. A helped-wanted advertisement said the restaurant was expected to open in December. The ad called the restaurant a “full service ‘East Coast-style’ deli and bakery.’
Pizza Machine, owned by the Dewey Beer Co. team, is opening a second location in the Safeway shopping center, off Coastal Highway in Rehoboth Beach. The space was formerly home to Hammy’s.
The menu will be similar to the Harbeson location, but the pizza will be “classic style” rather than wood-fired, Dewey Beer Co. spokesman Harrison Albert said. The restaurant also will offer a specialty beer menu that includes Dewey Beer and other craft breweries, according to Albert. It was also expected to open by the end of the 2025.
Eden restaurant, which has had a home on Rehoboth Beach’s Baltimore Avenue for more than two decades, is moving and will reopen in the space of Red, White & Basil at 20200 Coastal Highway in Rehoboth, over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. The last night of service at Eden’s current location will be New Year’s Eve 2025.
JAM Bistro, a longtime Rehoboth favorite which was open for 14 years on Baltimore Avenue, is coming to the former Coho’s Market space at 305 Rehoboth Ave.
Patricia Talorico writes about food, restaurants and Delaware history. You can find her on Instagram, X and Facebook. Email ptalorico@delawareonline.com. Sign up for her Delaware Eats newsletter. Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Facebook. Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.
US military seizes Venezuela’s Maduro in ‘large scale’ operation
The United States seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in an overnight military operation.
Delaware’s congressional delegation condemned the overnight military strikes in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, on Jan. 3.
Following the capture of Venezuela’s president and his wife, President Donald Trump told reporters the U.S. would “run” Venezuela.
Trump didn’t rule out having the military contribute to running the country, but said U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will run the country alongside Venezuelan leaders, USA TODAY reported.
Rubio said the administration did not notify members of Congress about the strike ahead of time.
Trump stated Maduro and his wife will be taken to New York to face charges of drug trafficking in an indictment.
Delaware’s congressional delegation, all Democrats, expressed criticism of the Trump administration’s actions and questioned the legal authority to intervene without congressional approval.
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, called the military action “incoherent” and an “illegal” operation in a statement on Jan. 3, criticizing the Trump administration for not notifying members of Congress until after the strike had concluded.
“The Trump administration owes our country transparency and a clear strategy,” Coons said in the statement. “The administration must promptly brief Congress on its plan to ensure stability in Venezuela and the region, its legal basis for this action, and its plans for any further use of military force. Our Constitution requires the administration to seek congressional approval, in the form of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force, before they take any further action to commit U.S. troops or take military strikes against Venezuela.”
U.S. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester said in a statement on social media that the president carried out the operation without congressional approval because he knew Congress wouldn’t approve it.
“If this continues, nothing stops him from sending American troops around the world to carry out his own reckless foreign policy decisions, which thus far have already negatively impacted our standing on the global stage and continue to erode further the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution,” Blunt Rochester said in the statement.
“The administration must immediately brief Congress on its legal justification for this decision and its plan going forward,” Blunt Rochester added. “Congress must take action on Senator Kaine’s bipartisan war powers resolution to prevent further escalation.”
In a statement on X, U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride said the Trump administration routinely ignores the Constitution and misleads Congress.
“I have fidelity to our Constitution even if I do not have sympathy for Nicolás Maduro,” McBride stated.
McBride criticized the actions. “At a minimum, these individual actions legally and substantively demand Congressional action and public consultation,” she said on X. “But collectively, the military operations we have seen in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and, now, on land in Venezuela, present a significant escalation of unilateral action that betrays a larger goal by this administration. Beyond arguments for or against any individual action, the Trump Administration is clearly seeking to remake the global order in a way that will, ultimately, benefit authoritarians and adversaries.”
“Our values and principles as a nation matter most when we have seemingly altruistic reasons to violate them. I oppose a ‘might makes right in my neighborhood’ foreign policy. It is amoral, illegal, dangerous, and lays the foundation for bad actors like Russia and China,” she added.
Coons added in his statements that the president lacks a clear plan for what comes next for Venezuela.
“This raid risks creating more instability in the region, putting U.S. service members and civilians in the hemisphere at risk, and dividing us further from our regional partners,” he said.
Sophia Voight is a growth and development reporter. Reach her with feedback and story tips at svoight@delawareonline.com.
What to know on how bills are created in Delaware
From substitutes to amendments to everything in between, lawmaking in Delaware can be a bit confusing. Here’s how it works.
The countdown to 2026 begins.
Several new Delaware laws, including health care initiatives and public utility protections, are slated to go into effect in the new year.
Here’s a look at what goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026 – alongside other new changes Delawareans should expect in the year ahead.
Medical aid in dying law soon to take effect
This legislation had been long in the making.
Signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer earlier this spring, the Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law will allow terminally ill patients who have six months or fewer to live access to medication that will “end the individual’s life in a humane and dignified manner,” according to the law’s text.
The legislation also has several guardrails in place.
Qualified patients must be “adult” residents of the First State and have at most six months to live – a prognosis that must be confirmed by an attending doctor or an advanced practice registered nurse and a consulting doctor or nurse.
Practitioners must also present eligible patients with the opportunity to rescind their request for medication before writing a prescription and inform them of other end-of-life options available, including hospice and palliative care.
The law is set to go into effect either when regulations are finalized and published or on Jan. 1, 2026, whichever happens first.
As of Dec. 8, a federal lawsuit filed by a coalition of disability and patient advocacy organizations hopes to block the law. Plaintiffs argue that such a change could “single out” individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable communities and put them at risk for untimely death, instead of necessary care.
As written, the law does not allow individuals to qualify for the life-ending medication due to age or disability.
Paid family medical leave coming online
Paid family and medical leave is also making its way to Delaware next year.
First signed into law back in 2022, the Healthy Delaware Families Act provides First State employees 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave through a designated state trust fund.
This initiative specifically applies to life events, like caring for and bonding with a new child; taking care of a parent, child or partner “with a serious health condition”; or addressing one’s own serious injury or illness.
Employees can begin to submit claim applications starting Jan. 1, 2026. More information can be found on the state Labor Department website.
Delaware seeks public utilities payer relief
Delawareans are also set to see some potential accountability from public utilities.
This and other efforts followed sudden spikes in energy bills across Delaware last winter, a topic that became a chief concern among lawmakers last session.
Backed by Sen. Stephanie Hansen, another law coming into effect adjusts the standards for what costs can be included in “a utility’s rate base” and presented to the Public Service Commission.
This means the commission would have the power to reject certain costs or expenses put on ratepayers, which could lead to less impactful or frequent increases.
Special enrollment period for Medicare
Back in health care, one bill that establishes a “special open enrollment period” for residents currently enrolled in a Medicare supplement policy will also take effect at the top of the calendar.
This gives Delawareans the opportunity to cancel their current policy and purchase another “that provides the same or lesser benefits,” according to the law’s description. That window begins roughly a month before an eligible individual’s birthday and will stay open for no less than a month afterward.
This change would only apply to those enrolled in a supplement policy under Medicare.
As written, anyone switching from one plan to another during this period “cannot be denied coverage,” nor can rates or coverage be determined by one’s medical history.
Offshore wind set to fly
Delawareans will also see an effort related to one of last session’s most controversial bills take effect later this month.
Also backed by Hansen, the bill overturns Sussex County Council’s rejection of a permit needed for US Wind to build a substation critical to plans to erect more than 100 wind turbines off the Delmarva coast.
Several Republicans fought against the bill’s passage. Many argued that bringing this decision to the hands of state government would strip local leaders of autonomy over what happens in their county, while some pushed for the courts to make the final decision.
State GOP members even spent the last night of session holding up necessary support for Delaware’s billion-dollar bond bill, which helps fund several projects, renovations and improvements across the state.
However, after a few hours of deliberation, lawmakers were able to reach a compromise. And the offshore wind legislation will go into effect Jan. 31, 2026.
And it didn’t end there. A state Superior Court judge ruled in early December to pause US Winds’ challenge in light of this new effective date.
“This is the result we wanted,” Hansen said in a statement following the decision, adding this marks “a key step in our efforts to increase Delaware’s energy supply and ensure energy reliability for all ratepayers in our state.”
What other bills will go into effect in 2026?
Another once-Senate bill aiming to expand the criteria for those incarcerated to petition for early release based on serious illness or rehabilitation – also known as the Richard “Mouse” Smith Compassionate Release Act – will go into effect on Jan. 10.
Another law providing First State tenants “new protections” by allowing specific eviction records to be restricted from public view will also come online Jan. 29.
Two additional health-centered bills signed by Meyer earlier this year will take effect this coming July. One creates a breastfeeding and lactation program for individuals in custody of the Delaware Department of Correction, while the other helps provide equipment and telecommunications assistance to Delawareans who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Joining them is a law to bar public and charter schools from selling or serving food containing the synthetic food dye Red No. 40, which is set to be implemented same month.
The wait will also soon be over for those longing to have wine shipped right to their doors, as a bill allowing wine producers to obtain a license and ship wine directly to Delawareans will go into effect in August 2026.
Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
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