(FORTUNE Small Business) – America's incorporation capital will never be on anybody's must-see list. But it offers the business-minded traveler some choice eavesdropping. Sink into a seat in any pub, and you'll pick up the buzz on the latest law-firm shakeup or shareholder suit. (Or maybe the gossip du jour Du Pont.) Need more organized entertainment? Stroll down the Market Street mall to the strikingly renovated Grand Opera House, or visit the riverfront complex, with a museum, shops, and a river walk.

--JULIE ROSE

Stay

--Hotel du Pont: Ornate, luxurious, expensive, and the hub of all social life. Known to locals as "the hotel." It has 306 spacious semisuites, which start at $179. (302-594-3100)

--Brandywine Suites: Small, European-style suites--49 of them--with kitchenettes. If you want true peace and quiet, ask for one without a window. Rooms start at $85. (302-656-9300)

--Wyndham Garden: Just a year old, and no surprises (see one Wyndham, you've seen them all). Six suites, 219 rooms. Rooms start at $160. (302-655-0400)

Eat

--Deep Blue Bar and Grill: Transcends Delaware dowdy with sleek decor and smart cuisine. Try the smoked salmon with mascarpone tortellini for $18. (302-777-2040)

--Brandywine and Green Rooms: The du Pont's two posh restaurants meet the modern definition of hotel food: good. (302-594-3156)

--Govatos Candies: Famous for its chocolates--and great for a quick, tasty, artery-clogging breakfast. Try the eggs-and-pancakes combo, or get your caffeine quotient before that all-morning hearing. (302-652-4082)

THE BEST OF ROAD TRIPS Take a look at our foldout, page 111.