4a. Delaware Redux

Highpoint Clarification Revisit – And Damian’s First
Ebright Azimuth, 447.5 Feet

June 27, 2009

There were three big reasons for us to revisit the second lowliest highpoint in these United States: It would be Damian’s first (excluding his in-utero visit to Florida’s highpoint), There is now an official benchmark denoting the hightpoint (as well as a little park-like setting), and it’s five minutes from my parent’s house. (Another smaller reason was to get a picture of Hoang at the highpoint, since we didn’t make it official last time.)

After a morning spent blueberry picking at my brother’s house up in Pennsylvania, we all three agreed to hit the highpoint on our way back to my parents’ house. I joked to Hoang on the way there that the area is “all new now” and the state has put a few bucks into traffic calming and making it official and all that good stuff. Oh – and that the lady who lives across the street is sort of a highpointing celebrity.

As we approached one of the most ridiculously easy highpoints in the country, we immediately noticed the traffic calming efforts. Nice work, Delaware.

We parked in the neighborhood off of Ebright Road and began gathering Damian for his big highpointing debut. Just then, a woman approached and asked us if we were highpointers. Hoang answered, “We are!” Man, I love the fact that my wife now finds this normal back and forth conversation.

The woman turned out to be none other than Doreen Kupchick: Highpoint Ambassador Extraordinaire! We couldn’t have been more lucky. Damian enjoyed petting her frisky little dog while she regaled us with the rather wacky story of the Delaware highpoint.

Back when we visited seven years ago, the sign was on the eastern side of Ebright Road and was “in the vicinity” of the true highpoint. In the interim, an old benchmark was unearthed across the road – exciting everyone around the globe in highpointing circles.

A new sidewalk was poured with a cut-out for the benchmark. A nice bench to relax on top of Delaware was added. A flower garden. And the sign was moved across the street as well. Wow, talk about an improvement. Damian doesn’t know how good he’s got it.


Hoang is actually stepping on the official highpoint benchmark

Afterwards, Doreen presented me her guestbook to sign (it has way more names than you’d think – from way more faraway places than you’d dare to think) and gave me some articles on Ebright Azimuth and other highpointing items. It was great to talk with Doreen for 20 minutes or so as she is incredibly nice and informative. PLEASE read this article about her.

Heck, I thanked her by giving her a couple quarts of blueberries fresh from the garden. Thanks, Doreen!

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