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The Group Travel Leader Going on Faith Select Traveler

Meet on the Water in the Mid-Atlantic

Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware, sits at the confluence of Brandywine Creek and the Christina River, which flow into the Delaware River.

Visitors will find a walkable riverfront and plenty of nearby attractions along the Christina River in downtown. The Chase Center on the Riverfront is the city’s largest conference center, with 90,000 square feet of function space and the attached 180-room Westin Wilmington hotel. Both front the 1.3-mile Christina Riverwalk trail, which leads to several
riverfront restaurants and a brewpub.

About half a mile south of the center is the DuPont Environmental Education Center — DEEC to locals — on the Wilmington Riverfront in the 212-acre Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge. The center features a 10-acre ornamental garden, a trail through the freshwater tidal marsh and a four-story environmental center. A top-floor meeting room with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views can accommodate about 75 guests for receptions, said Jessica Bittmann, director of sales for the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In downtown, several attractions front the river. Constitution Yards is a seasonal beer garden at Justison Landing along the Christina Riverwalk with 30,000 square feet of outdoor space for bocce ball, cornhole or whiffle ball; in the winter, “the beer garden turns into an ice skating rink,” Bittmann said.

The Riverboat Queen is a replica riverboat that just resumed cruises in May. It offers brunch and dinner cruises on the Christina River, and private charters for up to 80 passengers. The Hagley Museum and Library sits on 235 acres on the banks of Brandywine Creek, the original site of the DuPont gunpowder works. Today, the historic soda house, the library and the visitor center, which features exhibits and a riverfront patio, can accommodate seated meals for 20 or receptions for up to 200 people.

www.visitwilmingtonde.com

Asbury Park, New Jersey

The small New Jersey shore city of Asbury Park is Bruce Springsteen’s hometown — his 1973 debut album is titled “Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.” — and The Boss has been known to surprise locals with impromptu concerts.

Asbury Park is enjoying an ongoing Renaissance as fixtures in the beach town are renovated and revitalized. The hip 110-room Asbury Hotel opened last summer in the historic converted Salvation Army building. The front desk does double duty as The Counter, a grab-and-go kitchen where guests can purchase coffee and food, and the lounge is a recreation room with pool, pinball and pingpong, along with board games and a communal table.

For events, Baronet is a 4,300-square-foot rooftop space on the sixth floor where guests can watch movies on the turf lawn and take in views of the Atlantic. Asbury Hall and Terrace has 4,800 square feet of flexible indoor-outdoor space that can be split into two or three smaller areas.

The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel is a Beaux Art building that has been a fixture on the beachfront for over a century. The recently updated hotel boasts 30,000 square feet of renovated function space, including five ballrooms, which can accommodate up to 500 guests for events.

A trifecta of historic venues are some of the most popular in the city: Convention Hall, the Paramount Theatre and the Grand Arcade connecting the two. In addition to Springsteen, Convention Hall has hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elton John and the Rolling Stones. The ornate brick exhibition center on the boardwalk was built between 1928 and 1930 and can seat up to 3,600 people. The 1,600-seat Paramount Theatre opened in 1927, and the Grand Arcade, between the two, can also serve as an event venue.

www.apboardwalk.com