Of all 49, I think my claim to having been to Delaware is the shakiest of the lot. George and I drove through on our road trip in 1997, and Aimee and I stopped at a rest stop on on of our road trips, probably in 2003, but beyond those cursory moments, I haven’t had much experience with the state. I finally know someone actually from Delaware, so I’m at least learning more about the state, thought not first-hand.

In the photo, which I snapped from the Jeep as we drove down 95, the sign reads “Welcome to Delaware,” followed, on successive lines, by “Small Wonder,” “The First State,” and “Home of Tax-Free Shopping,” each more desperately beckoning the passing tourist to stop.