Delmarva

The common thinking is that Delmarva is a mash up of the three states that share this peninsula, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. I believe Delmarva is actually an indigenous word that means “really flat, boring land”. Using the common definition, I spent virtually all day in Va, with just the last couple miles in Mar. Personally, I think they should change the name of this area to Mobchicketery. That’s a mash up of mobile homes, chicken and cemetery, since that is virtually all you see here. If you ever wondered what happens to a manufactured home after it’s manufactured, the answer is it ends up here, especially if it’s a single-wide. They tend to cluster as well. If you’re ever wondering where to avoid in the event of hurricane or tornado, this would be a good spot.

In addition to there being more mobile homes than people around here, there are also countless chicken farms ( Do you farm chickens?) These farms are usually composed of a half dozen or so buildings that look to be about 100’ wide and 1000’ long. I didn’t see many chickens, but I smelled them. Tyson must be doing well. Finally, I must have passed two dozen cemeteries today along the back roads I was riding. Most were adjacent to churches, but not all of them. There was even one town, appropriately named Modest Town (no kidding) that had competing cemeteries across the street from one another. This part of the world is very sparsely populated, and if I had to guess, has way more dead people than live ones.

The peninsula is also a nice combination of towns with old English names, like Cape Charles, Exmore and Northampton, along with many indigenous names like Accomac, Chincoteague and Assowoman (I had to work that in!). But overlaying it all, literally, is the 100% American filth and garbage. The main highway was fine, but the back roads were just excuses to litter. I even saw a kid throw a cup out his window as they were driving away from a convenience store. Shameful and depressing.

“Sweetheart, can you run down to the store and pick me up a dozen Roman Candles and a honey-baked ham?”

I guess they wanted to put it someplace where more people could see it.

It’s a real place

I wanted to steal that sign

Made it out of the Confederacy