Delaware

Delaware’s Delightful Town Offers Old-School Charm, Nearby Beaches, And One-Of-A-Kind Shops – Islands

Published

1 month ago

November 9, 2025

Delaware’s Delightful Town Offers Old-School Charm, Nearby Beaches, And One-Of-A-Kind Shops – Islands

With stunning beaches, tax-free shopping, and a rich history, Delaware gets increasingly busy every summer, with tourists flocking to its popular beach resorts to cool off. Because these resorts get crowded or booked out in advance, many travelers have begun taking advantage of Delaware’s nearby small towns, using them as a base of operations. One such town deep in Sussex County offers unique shops, exciting local festivals, and easy access to the coast. That town is Bridgeville, sporting almost 300 years of history and a strong community spirit.

The community that would later become Bridgeville was first established in 1730 with the construction of Bridge Branch, a bridge over a part of the Nanticoke River. Centuries and multiple expansions later, the modern town of Bridgeville still retains its old-world charm and historical character, leveraging its history to create new community events. It’s also becoming known for its eclectic shops specializing in antique wares and cozy eateries with delicious, farm-fresh food. While Bridgeville’s hotel scene may be scarce, there are plenty of places to stay in nearby towns like Seaford (approximately eight miles away) or Georgetown, an underrated town with great food and history that is just 15 miles away.

Its remote location makes it peaceful and quiet, but it means you’ll need a car to get around. While there are smaller regional airports nearby, like the Salisbury Regional Airport (31 miles away) or Wilmington Airport (72 miles away), the most convenient option is the Baltimore/Washington International Airport, 80 miles from Bridgeville. From there, it’s a little over an hour drive to get to Bridgeville, as there isn’t any other public transport. But having a car at your disposal makes it much easier to take advantage of Bridgeville’s proximity to Delaware’s beach towns and nearby attractions.

Use Bridgeville as a base to explore Delaware’s famous beaches

Karen Leisey/Shutterstock

While Bridgeville has enough attractions to keep you occupied, one of its strengths is its proximity to many of Delaware’s famous beaches. The state’s coast has some of the most stunning and high-quality water in the entire country, consistently ranking in the top spots for swimming water quality. In a 2013 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), two of Delaware’s beaches were among just 13 beaches to get a perfect score for their excellent water quality. Both of these beaches are around 35 miles from Bridgeville.

The first is Rehoboth Beach, home to one of America’s best boardwalks. There’s delicious food with ocean views at cozy eateries along the boardwalk, quirky shops, and even Dolles Candyland, a classic sweet shop famous for its saltwater taffy and candied popcorn. The beach itself has clear, clean waters — perfect for swimming and splashing around in. If you’re there over the weekend and in the mood for a party, you can even catch a mini concert at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, which regularly hosts up-and-coming local talent.

Just below Rehoboth Beach is Dewey Beach, the second 5-star rated beach in Delaware. Known for its more laidback party vibe compared to Jersey Shore, Dewey Beach absolutely turns up after dark. While daytime in the small town is great for splashing around in the water or parasailing, nighttime is where it’s at in Dewey Beach. The small town turns into a bustling nightlife hub, with drinks flowing freely at the bars along the beach and people gyrating to exciting live music on the sands. Rehoboth Beach may be the better family-friendly destination, but if you’re looking for a party, Dewey Beach is your place.

Sift through quirky antique items at Bridgeville’s underrated shops

You’d think a tiny town in the middle of the countryside wouldn’t exactly be what one might call “a shopping hub.” And while Bridgeville may not be a designer fashion destination like Paris or Tokyo, it definitely holds its own in the home decor category, with unique antique stores and charming boutiques.

The largest antique spot in Bridgeville isn’t just a store, but a 20,000-square-foot mall on Sussex Highway. With over 70 vendors offering everything from paintings to decor to dinner sets, Antique Alley is the go-to destination in Delaware for antique items. While it might be difficult to lug back one of their solid wooden grandfather clocks, you can take your pick of smaller items like jewelry, cute cat paintings, china sets, or miniatures, many of which are no longer in production and may only be available in this little town. Jane Houtman, the owner of Antique Alley and its sister shop Downtown Alley, told Delmarva Life she’s used to people finding unique antique items that remind them of their childhood or summers spent with grandma (via Jane Houtman on YouTube). If antiques aren’t your thing, you can instead head over to Downtown Alley, a more up-to-date boutique with modern items that’ll fit right in at home. Both stores have swiftly changing inventories, as many of the items they sell are one-of-a-kind.

Bridgeville also has a number of specialty gift shops and the annual Apple Scrapple Festival held every year in October. The Apple Scrapple Festival honors the town’s agricultural history with special stalls at the T.S. Smith Orchard Point Market or the RAPA Scrapple Plant, which has been making scrapple since 1926. Apart from food, the festival also features vendors selling souvenirs, antiques, gift items, and more.

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Delaware

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Published

28 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Delaware may have seen its first snowfall of the season, but it won’t stick around for long.

Despite below freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, it’s possible that by the weekend there won’t be a trace of snow.

Here’s what to know about this week’s weather and snow melt.

When will the snow melt away?

While Delaware will face freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, the National Weather Service forecast is calling for a warmup starting on Dec. 17. Here’s the forecast:

New Castle County

Cold weather will continue this evening and into Dec. 16 with lows dropping into the teens. The county will hit 32 degrees on Dec. 16 before dropping to 22 that night. Temperatures start climbing into the low 40s with partly sunny skies on Dec. 17. Highs will hit 51 degrees on Dec. 18. If most of the snow hasn’t melted by that point, it should be gone after rain goes through the area during the overnight between Dec. 17 and Dec. 18. Highs will remain above freezing, hitting 44 on Dec. 18.

Kent County

Lows will drop into the teens overnight before climbing above freezing on Dec. 16. On Dec. 17, Kent County will see partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 40s. It will be mostly cloudy on Dec. 18 with highs hitting 55. There’s a 90% chance of rain during the overnight hours into Dec. 19. The 19th is looking mostly cloudy with highs reaching 47.

Sussex County

After lows hit 19 during the overnight tonight, the high for Dec. 16 will be 38 degrees with sunny skies. Any snow in the southern part of the state will vanish Dec. 17 and Dec 18. Both days will feature sunny skies with highs reaching the low 50s on Dec. 17 and almost hitting 60 on Dec. 18.

What is black ice?

Despite the warm up, overnight temperatures are expected to be below freezing. If you are driving at night, you’ll need to watch out for black ice.

According to The Weather Channel, black ice is a thin layer of ice that forms on roads and is difficult to see. It’s generally found on bridges, overpasses and spots on the road shaded by trees or other objects.

If roadways are wet from rain, snow or fog and temperatures drop below 32 degrees, black ice can form on roadways.

If you hit black ice, you should do the following:

Keep your steering wheel straight.
Do not brake
Take your foot off the accelerator to reduce speed

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Delaware

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Published

13 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Potentially icy road conditions have led every public school in Delaware to announce delayed openings for Dec. 15.

Every public school is operating on some sort of delay, most of which are two hours. The Delaware Department of Transportation already sent out a warning about treacherous driving conditions. Whatever has not dried from the Dec. 14 snowstorm will freeze over as temperatures plunge into the 20s and winds kick up over night.

The following school districts have announced delays.

New Castle County

Red Clay- 2 hours
Christina- 2 hours
Brandywine- 2 hours
Colonial- 2 hours
Appoquinimink- 2 hours
New Castle County Vo-Tech- 2 hours

Kent County

Smyrna- 2 hours
Capital- 1 hour
Lake Forest- 2 hours
Polytech- 2 hours

Sussex County

Milford- 2 hours
Woodbridge- 2 hours
Cape Henlopen- 2 hours
Laurel- 2 hours
Seaford- 2 hours
Delmar- 90 minutes
Indian River- 2 hours
Sussex Tech- 2 hours

(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)

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Delaware

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

PHILADELPHIA – Snow stacked up quickly across the Philadelphia region Sunday, with new reports showing nearly 9 inches in some suburbs and several inches on the ground in much of the city.

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

The latest Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, issued at 10:36 a.m. Sunday, shows significantly higher snowfall totals than the early-morning reports. Many communities that were sitting at 1 to 3 inches before sunrise are now in the 5 to 8 inch range, especially north and west of Philadelphia.

5,500+ PECO homes, businesses without power Sunday as winter storm impacts region

In the city, an observation from Center City lists 3.6 inches of snow, while neighborhoods in the Northeast like Fox Chase, Bustleton and Somerton are reporting between 4 and 5 inches. An official reading at Philadelphia International Airport shows 1.3 inches, underscoring the sharp gradient from the airport to the rest of the city.

The heaviest bands have focused on parts of Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties, where multiple towns are now reporting 7 to 8 inches. South Jersey and northern Delaware have also seen a solid plowable snow, with widespread 4 to 7 inch totals in some communities.

These totals are based on reports collected through about 10:30 a.m. Sunday and may continue to rise where snow is still falling.

Snow totals in the Philadelphia area

Philadelphia

Fox Chase: 5.0″
Bustleton: 4.9″
Rockledge (city border): 4.9″
Somerton (1 SW): 4.3″
Center City/Philadelphia (observer): 3.6″
Philadelphia International Airport: 1.3″

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

Southeastern Pennsylvania

Chester County

East Nantmeal Twp: 8.8″
East Nottingham Twp: 8.5″
Malvern: 8.0″
Berwyn: 8.0″
Exton area: 7.9″
Atglen / West Sadsbury Twp: 7.8″
West Caln Twp: 7.5″
West Chester (2.4 SSE): 6.5″

Montgomery County

Blue Bell (2.3 NW): 8.7″
Near Worcester Twp: 8.5″
Skippack area: 8.0″
Harleysville / Salford Twp: 7.5″
Pennsburg area: 7.0″
New Hanover Twp: 7.0″
Pottstown area (including Stowe and NE Pottstown): 6.6″–7.3″
Norristown: 7.2″
Willow Grove / Jenkintown corridor: 6.0″–6.4″

Bucks County

Doylestown (3.4 SW): 8.0″
Hilltown Twp: 7.8″
Tinicum Twp area: 7.5″
Perkasie / Souderton / Trumbauersville: around 7.0″
Fricks: 7.0″
Newtown / Langhorne area: around 6.0″
Levittown: 5.0″
Croydon: 5.2″

Delaware County

Bethel Twp: 6.5″
Springfield: 6.0″
Upper Chichester: 5.5″
Aston: 4.8″
Morton: 4.9″
Lansdowne: 4.0″

Berks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties

East Nantmeal / Alburtis / Earl Twp / Lake Harmony / Lehigh Twp (Carbon): around 7.0″–8.0″
Coopersburg (Lehigh): 8.0″
Center Valley: 7.0″
Macungie (1 NW): 6.5″
Allentown: 5.6″
Bethlehem area: around 6.0″
Pen Argyl: 7.0″

New Jersey

Burlington County

Moorestown: 7.0″
Mount Laurel / Burlington: 5.8″
Medford Lakes: 4.8″
Mount Holly (NWS office): 3.6″

Camden and Gloucester counties

Haddon Township: 5.7″
Pennsauken: 5.7″
Pitman: 5.6″
Washington Twp (Gloucester): 5.5″
Monroe Twp (Gloucester): around 4.0″
Winslow Twp: 3.1″

Atlantic, Salem and Cumberland counties

Hammonton: 4.0″
Woodstown: 4.5″
Salem: 3.8″
Pennsville: 3.5″
Ventnor City: 2.5″
Atlantic City International Airport: 0.6″

Delaware

New Castle County

Bear: 6.8″
Hockessin: 6.0″
Wilmington (north): 5.4″
Newark area: 3.9″–4.6″
Middletown area: 3.8″
New Castle County Airport: 3.3″

Kent County

Smyrna / Clayton / Cheswold area: around 2.0″
Magnolia area: 1.4″

Winter Light Spectacular at Lehigh Valley Zoo canceled Sunday due to snow, cold temperatures

By the numbers:

Highest total so far: 8.8″ in East Nantmeal Township (Chester County)
Other standout totals: 8.7″ in Blue Bell (Montgomery County), 8.5″ in East Nottingham Township (Chester County), 8.0″ in Doylestown area, Coopersburg and parts of Carbon County
City of Philadelphia: generally 3″–5″ away from the airport, with around 3.6″ in Center City and up to 5.0″ in Fox Chase
Many suburbs: now in the 5″–8″ range, especially north and west of the city

What’s next:

Snow continues to impact travel across the region Sunday, with many neighborhood and secondary roads still snow-covered or slushy. Drivers should plan for reduced visibility, slick spots, and extended travel times, especially in areas that picked up more than 5 inches of snow.

The Source: This article is based on observed snowfall totals from the National Weather Service Mount Holly Public Information Statement.

WeatherPhiladelphia

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