From the top of New Castle to the bottom of Sussex, our entire state has been transformed into a winter wonderland over the past few days. And with temperatures forecasted to stay just above freezing on the warmest days in the next week, we know the snow won’t disappear any time soon.
But what if you’re not loving it? Perhaps after an hour or two of shoveling, or day or two of missing the exercise you get from pickleball, or the downtrodden way you feel waking to darkness at 7 a.m. and seeing it descend again just a few hours later.
Seeing it all differently, and finding ways to embrace certain seasonal elements, might make the next few weeks easier. Here are some ideas:
Accept that you’re going to have to spend a lot more time inside, so make a point to do it with the people you enjoy.
If you’ve lived in your Delaware home for a while you’ve probably made good friends, and if you’ve just recently moved to one of the many amenity-rich communities you’ve likely become friendly with neighbors at the club house or through neighborhood activities. Either way, you’ll enjoy your time inside a lot more if you can plan a few cocktail or dinner parties or movie nights with people who are a simple pleasure to be around. So go through your neighborhood list and send some invitations. Make it a potluck or check out the most intriguing recipes in that cookbook you received as a Christmas or Hanukah or Kwanza gift and see what you can do with them. Light some candles or start a fire and relax with some good conversation.
Make your indoor time alone or alongside your spouse more meaningful.
Jancee Dunn, who writes a weekly newsletter on wellness for the New York Times, recently interviewed Kari Leibowitz, the author of How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark or Difficult Days. Dr. Leibowitz spoke at length about the comforting power of cozy activities, like taking time for a book you’ve been wanting to read, or creating a special playlist (via YouTube or Spotify or some other online portal to the vast offerings available) of music to celebrate certain moods.
Think also about doing more of what you love indoors, like cooking, playing board or online games, writing or creating visual art, or devoting some serious time to classic or recent films you’ve been wanting to experience. If you’re retired or semi-retired, embrace the opportunity to spend more time simply enjoying these experiences because, as the doctor says “when you write off wintertime, you’re writing off a quarter of your life.”
Adapt your favorite warm-weather activities for the cold
Frequent exercise is a well-understood factor for a long and healthy life. It’s also easy to incorporate into your days if you live in Delaware. Our state is filled with public parks where you can spend time with nature year-round https://www.destateparks.com/. So if you love walking or biking, bundle up in winter wear and enjoy the cardio buzz you’ll get from outdoor exercise. I know snow is rare, but on weeks like this you can also relish the pathways that have been created through our forests and parklands on cross-country skis. If you live in Sussex County you can do all of this in our amazing Cape Henlopen State Park, which offers miles of trails offering vistas of the ocean, the Lewes-Rehoboth canal, scenic marshlands and Gordon’s Pond. All around you’ll see beautiful sights and proof that wild things love nature year-round.
Once the roads are clear, take a tour of our amazing museums
Delaware is filled with museums that spotlight our compelling history, arts, nature and importance to our nation’s national security. Most are open year-round and many have free or low-cost exhibits and experiences for engaging day trips or weekends away. Whether you live up near Wilmington or down near the beaches, you won’t have to travel far to enjoy these special places. Here are some favorites:
Around Wilmington:
- The Delaware Art Museum https://delart.org/
- Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library https://www.winterthur.org/
- Delaware History Museum https://www.visitdelaware.com/listing/delaware-history-museum/4185/
- Delaware Children’s Museum https://delawarechildrensmuseum.org/
- Delaware Museum of Nature & Science https://delmns.org/
- Hagley Museum & Library https://www.hagley.org/
- Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame https://desports.org/
Around Dover:
- Air Mobility Command Museum https://amcmuseum.org/
- Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village https://www.agriculturalmuseum.org/
- John Dickinson Plantation https://history.delaware.gov/john-dickinson-plantation/
- The Old State House https://history.delaware.gov/old-state-house/
- Biggs Museum of American Art https://www.thebiggsmuseum.org/
Around Sussex and the beaches:
- DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum https://www.discoversea.com/
- Hiram Burton House and the Lewes Historical Society https://www.historiclewes.org/
- Milford Museum https://www.milforddemuseum.org/
- Milton Historical Society https://www.historicmilton.org/
- Rehoboth Beach Historical Society Museum https://www.rehobothbeachmuseum.org/
- Zwaanendael Museum https://history.delaware.gov/zwaanendael-museum/
SPECIAL NOTE: These are just a few of the museums. For a full list, visit https://www.visitdelaware.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/museums/?bounds=false&view=grid&sort=qualityScore