Welcome to Delaware State Park

We left Williamsburg to our next destination, Delaware State Park.  In order to get there, we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  This bridge with underwater tunnels measures 17 miles long. Then we get to the campground which is under the Indian River Inlet Bridge.  It was a beauty!

Touring the Delaware coastline was a delight.  One of our stops was Indian River Life-Saving Station.

The United States Life-Saving Service positioned stations along the coastline to help rescue sailors and cargo from shipwrecks.  The service operated from 1876 until 1915, when the U.S. Coast Guard was formed. Above is the original building that had been restored.

The surfboat that they would use for their rescues, not so good.  The object next to the surfboat is the wreck pole that the surfmen used to simulate the mast of a ship and to practice their rescue techniques. 

Another stop we visited was Cape Henlopen State Park.  Within the park is Fort Miles.  It was built in 1941 to protect the Delaware coastline from German ships during World War II.  We toured an underground bunker that was built into a hill and drops down into the ground.

You really don't realize how big it is until you enter the hallway.

Off the New Jersey and Delaware coast, the United States Navy installed a large mine field that laid in the waters just off the coast.

Another type of mine they also laid was anchored down and sand built up around it.  Years later they found this mine that someone had converted into a barbecue.

Numerous batteries were installed at the fort such as this 12 inch gun inside the bunker.

Frank would appreciate this artilery piece, in the army he was assigned to a 155 self propelled.