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DELAWARE Delaware's biggest historic claim to fame may be as America's First State, but its 28 miles of coastline, scenic Brandywine Valley and tax-free shopping are more likely to rate as number-one reasons to visit. Central Delaware includes the capital city of Dover, where you can view a replica of the Liberty Bell on a stroll through the Capital Square and Legislative Mall. Constitution Park is the site of one of Dover's most unusual monuments: a copy of the U.S. Constitution encased in a cube beneath a 12-ft. quill. Other notable Dover attractions include the Air Mobility Command Museum, which exhibits a wide range of military aircraft; the Biggs Museum, which focuses on fine and deco- rative arts; the Schwartz Center for the Arts, which showcas- es live entertainment; the Dover International Speedway, which features NASCAR racing; the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino; and the Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village. WILMINGTON Delaware's largest city is part of a region where one of the nation's most prominent and wealthiest families made an indelible mark. With its landscape dominated by the pictur- esque Brandywine Valley, the region could easily be dubbed Du Pont Country. The Brandywine Valley offers such attractions as the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, once the du Pont family residence; Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square; and the Brandywine River Museum and Chaddsford Winery in Chadds Ford. Nearby Bellevue State Park is the site of another du Pont estate, while Brandywine Creek State Park used to be a du Pont family dairy farm. In Wilmington, key attractions include the Afro-American Historical Society of Delaware, which offers tours of a near- by gallery by appointment, and a replica of the tall ship Kalmar Nykel that brought the first immigrants — including a Caribbean freedman called "Anthoni, the Black Swede" — to the Delaware Valley in 1638. Old Swedes Church, also known as Holy Trinity, is Wilmington's oldest church still in use, while historic sites like Hendrickson House also preserve the city's early Swedish heritage. Wilmington's largest meeting venue, the Chase Center, contains 87,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and two ballrooms that overlook the Christina River. MAINE Sightseeing opportunities and outdoor adventure are abundant in Maine, which boasts 6,000 lakes, 32,000 miles of rivers, 5,000 miles of Atlantic coastline and 17 million acres of forest. Even groups meeting in urban destinations like Portland and Rockport will find a wide range of recreation- al and cultural attractions. Portland visitors might enjoy a cruise on the Casco Bay and a visit to Portland Head Light, Maine's oldest light- house. The Portland Museum of Art , Victoria Mansion, the Tate House Museum, the Portland Observatory and historic Old Port are a few of the other top places to see in Maine's largest city. Situated in Maine's Mid-Coast Region on the Penobscot Bay, Rockport is home of the historic Windjammer fleet. Other local attractions include the Conway Homestead, the Cramer Museum and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. A great incentive trip idea for the shutterbug might be a course at the Maine Photographic Workshop. MARYLAND Best known as the home of the U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland's capital city, Annapolis, also has notable Black her- itage sites like the Thurgood Marshall statue at the Maryland State House and sculptor Ed Dwight's life-size Alex Haley Memorial, located at City Dock. The state's Capital Region near Washington, DC, includes Bethesda, where art lovers can check out some of the 20 art galleries and music lovers can enjoy a special summer concert series. Also in the region is College Park, home to the main campus of University of Maryland and the world's oldest con- tinuously operating airport. College Park is part of Prince George's County, where the premier meeting venue is the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center overlooking the Potomac River. Hagley Museum Terrace Room Photo Credit: Wilmington CVB Lobster bake on beach Photo Credit: Main OFT Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 36