Talley Day Park brings the people of Wilmington together in the fresh air with its slew of features and amenities. Perhaps the most prominent is the Talley Day Bark Park, a beloved dog park (it was one of the first fenced dog parks in the county). Split into two separate areas for larger dogs and smaller dogs, Talley Day Bark Park has water fountains to refill your puppy's bowl, bags for waste removal, and usually plenty of other furry friends to play with. According to one Yelp reviewer, the small dog portion of the park is mostly shaded, making it an ideal spot during the summer.

Elsewhere in Talley Day Park, humans can enjoy other features, including the colorful playground and shady pavilions. The Brandywine Hundred Library is even technically right in the park, so you can go grab a good book and bring it back outside to read in the grass.

Talley Day Park
1300 Foulk Road
Wilmington, DE 19803
(302) 571-4006
www.nccde.org/945/Talley-Day-Park
www.yelp.com/biz/talley-day-bark-park-wilmington

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/halfrain

Brewed Awakenings is a local Newark coffee house that earns high marks for quality and ambiance. The coffee itself is fresh and aromatic, and the skilled baristas do a great job at making all the standard espresso drinks with care and precision.

The shop's atmosphere is half-library, half-living room, with bookshelf-lined walls and a pile of board games. Feel free to pluck a novel off the shelf and spend a few hours reading; you certainly won't be the only person doing so, as Brewed Awakenings is also popular with studying students who hunker down with their books, computers, and notes. If you get hungry while you're there, try a turkey wrap with cheese or hummus, or ask about the soup of the day. If you've got a sweet tooth, you might indulge it with a pastry or cookie from the display case.

Brewed Awakenings
64 East Main Street
Newark, DE 19711
(302) 562-7567
www.facebook.com/pages/Brewed-Awakenings-Newark/294869415397
www.yelp.com/biz/brewed-awakenings-newark-2

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/slightlyeverything

Jake's Wayback Burgers serves big, juicy, hand-shaped burgers to a happy crowd of loyal regulars, and once you try these burgers you just might become a regular yourself. This is a quick, casual burger joint, but it's got little in common with the greasy fast food places you might be used to.

Bite into a one of Jake's signature "cheesy burgers," each piled high with four slices of cheese, two all-beef patties, and served on a grilled, buttered bun. Add a few slices of bacon or some grilled onions, and add a side of chili cheese fries or beer battered onion rings. Wash it all down with one of Jake's hand-dipped milkshakes. Sip on a traditional chocolate shake, or go gourmet with chocolate mint or cafe mocha. In addition to the standard menu, Jake's offers a new, custom-crafted burger and shake every month, so there's always something new and special to order.

Jake’s Wayback Burgers
1100 Ogletown Road
Newark, DE 19711
(302) 737-1118
waybackburgers.com/restaurantlocations/detail/Newark-DE-Ogletown-Rd/56
www.yelp.com/biz/jakes-hamburgers-newark

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/mattring