Today we finished working our way south through Delaware and entered the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. This peninsula area of Virginia is not physically connected to the main portion of the state, somewhat like Upper Michigan...
We had planned to go to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, but as we entered Virginia I realized that we were almost to Chincoteague Island.
Those that know me know that I have read voraciously since I was taught to read in first grade (good ole Tip!) During my dog and horse phase as a young girl, one of the series I enjoyed was the one that began with Misty of Chincoteague. This is where I learned of the wild ponies on Assateague Island and the annual Pony Penning when "Salt Water Cowboys" roundup the herd from Assateague Island and drive them across to Chincoteague Island during low tide. Some of the ponies are then auctioned to raise funds for the local fire department. You can read more details about the history of this event here (and read the books!).
Chris and I toured both the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service visitor center and the National Park Service visitor center on Assateague Island. Both discuss various aspects of their responsibilities toward the Island and its inhabitants. The FWS displays discuss the local species that are endangered or threatened and the efforts to increase their populations. These include the Piping Plover and the Delmarva Fox Squirrel.
The NPS displays discuss more about the Chincoteague Wild Ponies, since the NPS manages the southern herd on the Island. After visiting both centers, we took the drive out toward the beaches on the Island. During that drive we spotted a couple of groups of the ponies grazing in the distance.
The beaches on the Island are nice and sandy. This may seem to be a "duh" statement, but we were comparing the beach to those we found in Galveston in July while vacationing with Austin. The Galveston beaches were not at all pretty, with rotting seaweed everywhere. They didn't smell to nice either. Although we had fun playing in the Gulf, the beaches were not really conducive to just hanging around.
By contrast, the beaches on Assateague Island were clear of refuse and were inviting. Although we didn't actually go in to swim, we did wade in the Atlantic Ocean and subsequently became quite wet! The tide was coming in and the waves are larger than those we encountered in Texas. Even though the weather is cooler now, it was still not too uncomfortable for late September! We also simply walked along the beach for a short bit.
After finding a campsite in Chincoteague at the Maddox Family Campground, we went further in to town for supper at Bill's Seafood & Steaks and ended with ice cream at the Island Creamery. This was definitely a splurge night and we can't do that too much more!
On to North Carolina tomorrow!
