Welcome to our fourth annual Worth Trying Issue. Though we feature Worth Trying suggestions monthly, each January we devote much of the magazine to personal recommendations from staff, contributors and friends of Out & About. These suggestions on where and what to eat, drink, see and do are scattered throughout these pages, interspersed with our usual assortment of feature stories, news items and other fun stuff.
Enjoy, and have a very happy New Year!
DCCA Art Lounge
This funky new pop-up lounge at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts began in September and melds two of my favorite items: smart cocktails and affordable artwork. The Art Lounge features rotating art exhibitions and trunk shows, as well as plenty of lively conversation and a cash bar in a casual, arty setting. Second Wednesday of every month, 5-7 p.m. What better way to start your evening?
— Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Contributing Writer
Have Trail, Will Travel
Over the past two years Delaware has spent more than $10 million improving the state’s network of hiking and biking trails. From this perspective, it’s money well spent. A crown 
jewel in this collection of pathways is the Gordon’s Pond Trail, a 2.65-mile route connecting Cape Henlopen State Park with Rehoboth Beach. It offers fantastic views of the salt marsh and beach and provides bird watchers with plenty of scenic perches. Even better, courtesy of the Friends of Cape Henlopen Bike Barn, you can use a bike for free to check out this fantastic trail.
— Jerry duPhily, Publisher
Fitbit Flex
Over a year ago, I bought a Fitbit Flex, and I’ve recommended it highly to others. It tracks the number of steps you take, how many calories you’ve burned, when your most active times of the day have been, and your sleep patterns—among other features. You set the number of steps you want to do in a day and it takes it from there. It syncs to your laptop, 
PC or cell phone. You can wear it in the shower! It’s really cool to check your sleep patterns and see how often you wake up in the night. There are a number of different colored bands for $13 each on their website so you don’t have to wear the black one it comes with all the time, unless, of course, you want to. You’ll find that you become very aware of your movement (or lack thereof), and step it up a notch at the end of the day if you’re falling behind. Should I become a spokesperson?
— Bev Zimmerman, O&A Special Projects
Golf (at 40 degrees F. or warmer)
‘Tis the season for cabin fever, and at this time of year my mind and body attempt to hibernate. As a lover of the outdoors, I do my best to get out of the house even as the 
temperature drops. If it’s 40 degrees or higher, I’ll still be forcing in rounds of (regular) golf. If I’m pressed for time, I like to sneak in a round of disc golf. Both allow me to clear my mind, get some fresh air and press the “reset” button.
— Matt Loeb, O&A Creative Director
Events at Ernest & Scott Taproom
I’ve attended many events at Ernest & Scott. Some I helped plan. With this experience from both sides of the velvet ropes, I can list several reasons why this Wilmington bar and restaurant makes for an excellent event location. First, there is plenty of space, most of which can be sectioned off if need be. Second, there’s a large bar area—including a 
significant craft beer selection—which is great for more casual events. Third, the food just keeps getting better. Fourth, the staff is professional, friendly and fun (appropriately). And, last but not least, it’s just a block from both the HyPark Garage as well as the Hotel du Pont, a place where all Delaware residents should spend the night at least once in their lives.
— Jim Miller, O&A Director of Publications
Ticket To Ride Board Game
Whenever my fiancée and I stay at my brother and sister-in-law’s house in Maryland, they always break out the board games. This one is a cross-country train adventure that has players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities 
throughout North America. The longer the route, the more points you earn and the more people you have to play (up to five), thus making it harder to claim routes and earn points. I recommend buying the actual board game, but you can also get the game app on your phone.
— Tyler Mitchell, O&A Graphic Designer
99% Invisible
What will you use to fill the podcast-sized void in your life that “Serial” has left behind? May I suggest “99% Invisible,” the weekly podcast by Roman Mars that is my favorite thing to listen to every week. It’s about “design,” which allows it to cast a very wide net. Required listening: Episode 124: “Longbox” (the true story of the packaging of R.E.M.’s “Out of Time”); Episode 115: “Cow Tunnels” (the search for abandoned cow tunnels beneath New York City); Episode 113: “Monumental Dilemma” (the debate over statues that commemorate history that people no longer want to commemorate); Episode 105: “One Man Is An Island” (a trip to Busta Rhymes Island in Shrewsbury, Mass.), and Episode 103: “U.T.B.A.P.H.” (a tribute to buildings that clearly Used To Be A Pizza Hut).
— Matt Sullivan, Contributing Writer
Blood Bank of Delmarva
Looking for ways to do better or give back in the New Year? Look no further than the Blood Bank of Delmarva. By donating blood you are directly helping someone in the community. Blood is needed every day. You can make a difference in saving someone’s life—donors saved mine! Make appointments online or by calling 737-8405. “Be someone’s hero. Give blood.”
— Kelly Loeb, Catalyst Visuals
Stratosphere Trampoline Park
My family loves going to this Wilmington park when we’re in need of an affordable, indoor activity. Bouncing, flipping and flying around on giant trampolines is terrific fun for kids (and is incredibly effective at wearing them out), but even adults can get in on the fun, especially inside the high-octane dodgeball arena.
— Matt Amis, Contributing Writer
Fair Hill Nature Center
The old hunting grounds of the late William du Pont, Jr., on Maryland Rt. 273 near Fair Hill Race Track, just outside Newark, cover approximately 5,700 acres and offer miles of 
hiking and biking trails. As a lifelong resident of Cecil County, I’m thrilled to have this area in my backyard. Bordering this preserve is Fair Hill Training Facility, the most innovative thoroughbred training facility in Maryland, if not the United States. Bring a lunch and enjoy the woods, streams and wildlife.
— John Murray, Contributing Writer and Proprietor, State Line Liquors
Nicole Royer Guitar String Bracelets
Local artist Nicole Royer keeps you in tune to the latest fashion with her guitar string bracelets. Created from actual used guitar pieces, each one is unique. (I have one made from a bass guitar string that I like to pretend came from Geddy Lee’s.) You can find her around town at art loops and local craft and art fairs, or see all of her creations at nicoleroyer.com.
— Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Contributing Writer
Veep
The HBO series with Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President Selina Meyer is set to return this spring. Don’t miss it. This is a showcase for some of the best comedic writing and acting (Louis-Dreyfus has won an Emmy three years running) of all time. The insecure and 
often inept Selina surrounds herself with a staff that matches her, gaffe for gaffe and laugh for laugh. Her personal life, with a grown and often recalcitrant daughter and an ex-husband whom she is still attracted to, is equally challenging. This year she is running for POTUS (and if you don’t know that acronym, you’re not a fan of the show), so the complications, and laughs, should multiply accordingly.
— Bob Yearick, O&A Contributing Editor
Theater at Cab Calloway
I took my 4-year-old son, Oliver, to see Cab Calloway’s performance of “Peter Pan” a few weeks ago. It was his first play, and my first time at Cab. We had a fantastic time! The theater itself is beautiful, and the cast/crew put on an unforgettable show. If you’re hoping to spark your child’s enthusiasm for theater, I’d highly recommend starting there.
— Marie Poot, Director of Digital Media
David Norbut, Photographer
My husband and I had a tintype portrait done for my anniversary this year and it is now 
one our favorite pieces of artwork. You sit with Dave—very, very still—while he takes your photo the old fashioned way, then you get to hang with him and watch it develop. For more information, go to www.dnorphoto.com.
— Danielle Quigley, Contributing Photographer
How Do You Brew? Home Brewing Shop
After taking up the hobby of home brewing this past year, I 
immediately found this place to be a godsend when I needed any supplies. Located at the Shoppes at Louviers in Newark, it’s a small shop, but it has everything any home brewer may need. It also hosts beginner classes occasionally.
— Tyler Mitchell, O&A Graphic Designer
The Wonder Years
I really only watch TV right before bed, and I prefer something light-hearted. My husband and I started watching old episodes of The Wonders Years on Netflix a couple of weeks 
ago. It’s been a while, but I still remember every episode. It was such a great show, and although it focuses on a different era than when I grew up, it’s a reminder of what an emotional rollercoaster adolescence really was.
— Marie Poot, Director of Digital Media
The Thrillers of Alistair MacLean
Although 
Alistair MacLean’s name no longer carries the weight it did 40 years ago, his stories still pack a punch. Whether aboard a nuclear submarine maneuvering under the Arctic ice packs or infiltrating a Nazi-occupied castle in the Bavarian Alps, MacLean’s protagonists act with brisk exactitude, dodging pitfalls, outsmarting saboteurs, and eventually tackling what seems like the most impossible of tasks. Often, after a number of plot twists, the author seems to lead the reader right off a cliff with a turn you just don’t anticipate.
MacLean classics such as Where Eagles Dare, The Guns of Navarone and Ice Station Zebra are available at Ninth Street Books in Wilmington.
— Jim Miller, O&A Director of Publications
Look for more Worth Trying suggestions throughout this issue!
