ESCAPE KEYS

Wilmington, Del.

GETTING THERE: Wilmington, Del., is about 110 miles north of Washington straight up I-95. To reach Greenbank Mill, take I-95 to Route 141 north (Exit 5B) and follow that a few miles to Route 2 west (Kirkwood Highway). Turn right on Route 41 north (Newport Gap Pike). At the bottom of the hill, just past the railroad tracks, turn right onto Greenbank Road. Hagley Museum is on Highway 141, seven miles north of I-95. After crossing Highway 100, look for the Hagley entrance on the left.

EARLY AMERICAN INDUSTRY: Greenbank Mill (500 Greenbank Rd., 302-999-9001, http://www.greenbankmill.org/ ) is open Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from early March through mid-December. Cost: adults, $7; children ages 3 to 12, $4. The Hagley Museum and Library (298 E. Buck Rd., 302-658-2400, http://www.hagley.org/ ) is open most of the year from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day. From Jan. 1 to mid-March, the schedule is truncated. The last every-half-hour bus for a tour of the du Pont residence leaves at 3:30 p.m. Cost: adults, $11; children ages 6 to 14, $4.

WHERE TO EAT: For breakfast, the Crossroads Restaurant (4579 Kirkwood Hwy., 302-998-9368) has excellent homemade bacon-and-egg sandwiches and really good coffee. For lunch, the Belin House Restaurant (302-425-5540), on the grounds of the Hagley Museum, offers good and reasonably priced food, such as the $6.25 vegetarian wrap. Or check out the historic Deer Park Tavern in nearby Newark (pronounced "new ark"; 108 W. Main St., 302-369-9414). This is a fave college hangout, but the food is good and the waitfolks delightful. For dinner, the Japanese restaurant Okura in nearby Hockessin (703 Ace Memorial Dr., 302-239-8486) is worth the short drive. The teriyakis (about $15) are delicious; so is the $4 edamame. For dessert, get some ice cream at one of the many Bruster's shops in the area.

WHERE TO STAY: The visit focused on the 18th century; the hotel was pure 21st: The Courtyard by Marriott, off I-95 near Christiana Mall (48 Geoffrey Dr., Newark, 888-236-2427, http://marriott.com/ ) is centrally located; doubles from $99. The mills were convenient, as were Cooch's Bridge and other historic treats.

INFO: Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau , 800-489-6664, http://www.thebrandywine.com/ .