A Good, Slow Life
GEORGETOWN, DEL.
ESTABLISHED: 1791
POP.: 4,643
AREA: 4.1 square miles
COUNTY NICKNAME: Delaware's Dixie
THE VIBE "When you're from Georgetown, you're from Sussex County--it's called Slower Lower Delaware," says Petitgout. "There was a lot of farmland, and everyone knew each other. One high school. No movie theater."
THE HOMESTEAD "I lived on an 80-acre farm: corn, soybeans, pet chickens, couple of pet ducks, couple of dogs," says Petitgout, a 30-year-old tackle. "My mom and dad still live there. My grandparents live on one side of my driveway, my other grandparents live a mile down the road."
SWEET SEASONS "In the spring you'd do the fields, in the fall you'd be harvesting," recalls the Notre Dame alum. "Our driveway was 300 yards. You'd go down to get the bus and see the green corn as it was changing. Behind us was maybe 400 acres of woods."
LOCAL EATERY Georgetown Family Restaurant, formerly Smith's: "It's not fancy--it's comparable to a diner, but it's not a diner," says Petitgout of the patty-melt, cream-of-tomato-soup-serving establishment. "This is for real, real locals, true Sussex County-ians."
DON'T MISS "In early November they have the Punkin' Chunkin' Contest [this Friday through Sunday]," says Petitgout. "People build contraptions to launch pumpkins. There's different classes of machines and catapults. The big dogs are these steam cannons, and they shoot these things close to a mile."
GUYS, DON'T MISS THIS EITHER "The Oyster Eat in February is at the fire hall, Station 77. All the oysters, beer and hard-boiled eggs you can eat," says the 6'6", 308-pound Petitgout, who has been given an honorary fire hat (above). "There's sawdust on the floor, they bring in a bluegrass band. No women allowed. I go every year."
TWO PHOTOS
DIANA ELIAZOV (HAT, MENU)
MAP
PHOTO
PUNKINCHUNKIN.COM (SIGN)
PHOTO
CORBIS (CHICKEN)
PHOTO
MICHAEL P. MALARKEY/WIREIMAGE.COM (PETITGOUT)