White Clay Creek State Park Newark, DE

After having such a glorious outdoor day last Saturday, I had to do something outside again last Sunday. If I had the energy, I would have gotten back on the water and kayaked again. But a hike was another good option; I just didn't want to go somewhere I had already been. This led me to a brief online search for hikes in the Philadelphia area. A historic marker at one state park intrigued me so it was off to Delaware.

The drive to White Clay Creek State Park took me through the "main drag" of Newark and near the University of Delaware campus. Who knew Newark had such a cute (albeit small) downtown? It was a pleasant surprise, even if most of the businesses were chains. (The architecture often screamed "old town" so that helped alleviate the chain feel.)

The drive into the park had us paying a $6 park entrance fee ($3 for in-state visitors). I guess those low Delaware taxes mean they have to get their money other ways. I'm certainly not accustomed to that from state parks in NJ and PA.  When I am used to, and what I had read online about White Clay Creek State Park, is that many state park trails are not well marked. That was dead-on at this park.

Once in the parking lot, it was not obvious where the trail head started. (The advice from the park ranger at the gate, who didn't even know what color trail blazes we should look for, was to go "down the hill." When you're on the top of a hill, there are several ways "down the hill!") After some initial frustration we started walking. I won't go on much more about how bad our map was. Fortunately, we found someone who offered to lead us in the direction of the historic marker - the main impetus of this particular destination. (I did, for a moment, wonder if he was leading us to a secluded place to kill us. Obviously, that was not the case.)

We found the ARC Corner Stone in the woods. (Ironically, there was a road within eyesight through the trees. That was a bummer.) This stone was placed in 1892 during a U.S. Surveying trip. It

marks the DE-PA state boundary line at the intersection of the east-west southern boundary of Pennsylvania with the 12-mile Circle boundary line centered on Newcastle, DE. (waymarking.com)

This was one of 46 stones to mark the Delaware's northern boundary from PA. Interestingly, 41 of these historical stones survive today.

This 12-mile circle boundary (described in waymarking.com as a 22.57-mile compound circle - huh?) is a little confusing because of the shapes of the states. (Maryland is just a stone's throw away here, too.) The best way to understand it is to view this image.

Notice the arc where DE and PA meet? This arc is what the previously 46 and now 41 approximately 4.5 feet tall monuments mark. The names of the various people on the survey teams are on the monument on the side representing their respective states. From here we feared being lost but we wanted to find our way down to the White Clay Creek. In doing so, we hiked part of the Mason Dixon Trail (MDT).

I had never heard of the MDT before so I was excited to learn more about it when I returned from the hike. Unlike the other trails in White Clay Creek State Park, this one was well marked. It is a 193-mile trail starting in Whiskey Springs (Cumberland County), PA and heads east, meandering through MD and DE until it ends in Chadds Ford, PA. Hiking it seems like a much more attainable goal than the mother of all trails here in the U.S. - the AT or Appalachian Trail.

The piece of the MDT we hiked took us to an old rails-to-trails section that paralleled the creek so we followed it. Again, we were filled with trepidation that we would never find our way back to the car so that meant the hike wasn't completely relaxed. We knew we wouldn't get lost on the trail following the creek, however, and we were joined by bikers and walkers. Several of the walkers were very elderly.

We stopped on a bench by the creek and had our lunch. Shortly we were joined by a couple in their late 80's (he was 88) who were out for a stroll. (God bless them!) We had a pleasant conversation. When they left, we talked about the other lady we had passed on the walk. She seemed to be ancient and was very bent over. But with her cane and her binoculars, she was set to enjoy the day. We greeted each other with a "hello" and smile as we passed. On the way back we saw her again; she was speaking to a park ranger.

We found our way back to our car with surprising, relative ease and therefore didn't have to start a camp fire, head back to a road, cannibalize the other, or do any of the other emergency actions we (half) joked about taking. As we left the park we drove a different way than we had come and drove by the park nature center. Lo and behold, there was a plaque there and guess whose picture was on it? The "bent over" elderly lady! Turns out she is a local celebrity that the plaque encouraged us to "stop and say thank you."

Dorothy Miller is an avid birdwatcher who took action when the area around the White Clay Creek was threatened. Because of her considerable efforts and leadership, the creek was not dammed and the area was preserved. I could tell just by the way she was talking to the park ranger that Ms. Miller is a real firecracker! It was serendipitous to run ever-so-briefly into a woman who made such a difference in her community. I love the spirit she represents.

You can see some of the spirit Ms. Miller's eyes and smile as seen in this picture that I found on the Delaware Audubon website. Notice she has her birding binoculars around her neck? And, with all due respect, this picture is probably 10 - 15 years old. She's more stooped over now but she still has a fast smile today!

A desire to get outside and an interest in seeing a historical marker helped me to encounter a woman who is a historical Delaware figure in her own right. During this day I also learned of a hiking trail that is practically in my own backyard. My moments of serendipity were plenty this weekend.  For that, I am very grateful.