Things to Do in Pike Creek Valley

Set within a welcoming, stately Victorian house, Hop On Over Bead Shop bustles with walls of technicolor prisms and hand-selected beads, ready to be woven into sparkling, personalized jewelry. A host of skill-inducing classes introduces crafters to myriad techniques such as lampwork beading, wire bending and Russian spiral stitch. Kids explore their artistic side in private parties for six or more children as they choose brightly colored baubles to craft their own project. Knowledgeable in all things sparkly, the storeowner displays natural, cut beads, as well as Swarovski crystals for special occasions or for hording as currency after wizard invasions.

Up to 23 rounds burst through a barricade as a haze of bullets chases its retreating target. Though it sounds like a scene from an action movie, Shooter's Choice hosts such sequences every Thursday night at its charity tournaments. The evenings have raised large donations for Delaware Hospice and the Kent County SPCA. By day, the indoor, electronically controlled range challenges marksmen with two different five-position ranges with targets anywhere from 50 to 75 feet away.

For visitors craving more training before pulling the trigger, Shooter's Choice's NRA-certified instructors teach one-on-one lessons or group courses geared toward such topics as firearm safety and home protection. In addition to its stock of novelty Zombie Max ammo and shotguns that shoot BB guns, the pro shop's staff pairs patrons with a range of firearms, cleaning supplies, magazines, and range bags.

From a total of 12 shops on both sides of the Atlantic, Potomac Bead Company supplies the artistically inclined with everything they need to craft DIY accessories, ranging from the elegantly simple to the intricate and ornate. Beads, wiring, ribbons, and other materials are peddled wholesale, while regular jewelry-making classes educate first-timers, preventing them from accidentally crafting a magical Lasso of Truth instead of a necklace. Though the teachers recommend starting at the most basic level and working up, customers may attend any class, taking advantage of literally endless possibilities for personalized bangles, chokers, and earrings.

Although Sightseer Whale & Dolphin Trips continues an almost 70-year tradition of chartering sightseers out to sea in search of wildlife, oceanography isn’t its only passion. The company also holds in high regard the patriotism and courageousness displayed by our nation's armed forces, honoring all active members of the military and their immediate families with complimentary tours through aqueous avenues. Each two- to three-hour voyage brings up to 187 guests in close quarters with the Atlantic Ocean's splash-happy mammals while a knowledgeable biologist narrates the tour. The company's cruise boat manned by seasoned captains boasts both shaded and sunny areas, and summertime travelers can count on a refreshing ocean breeze to keep them cool.

Bright lights emblazon the adjoining boardwalk of The Palace of Sweets, beckoning passersby inside for fun-filled challenges and the sugary outflow of towering candy dispensers. Devised by world-renowned maze designer Adrian Fisher, the fun center’s one-of-a-kind maze envelops guests into its candy-decor depths with a disorienting array of mirrors and surprise reunions with your long-lost twin. After regaining bearings, guests can test their agility in the center’s laser challenge, which sends lasers zooming through the room as they try to make their way to the other side unscathed. Known for sporting the largest selection of self-serve candy on the boardwalk, The Palace of Sweets serves as a well-stocked host for birthday parties or a press conference announcing the end of dieting.

Though she worked as a graphic designer for more than 35 years, Tara M. Smith never considered herself an artist until she opened The Uncorked Artist, a casual salon where artists and locals of all experience levels come together to paint, drink, and unwind. The welcoming studio is stocked with all the painting essentials: smocks, brushes, canvases, paints, and bowls of fruit trying to launch their modeling careers. Though the studio does schedule open painting time, its staff of artists also leads painting classes, camps, and parties for adults and kids.