Chincoteague Island is located in the state of Virginia along the Atlantic Ocean. It is actually "sandwiched" between Assateague Island to the east, and the mainland (the Eastern Shore) to the west. The Virginia part of Assateague is a continuation of the Assateague National Seashore, but it also consists of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (which, confusingly, is located on Assateague Island, not Chincoteague Island). No people live on Assateague - only wild creatures. People and businesses are located on Chincoteague Island and the mainland. (Again, there are limited camping sites on Assateague Island National Seashore on the Maryland end, accessible via the town of Berlin. There is no camping on Assateague in Virginia.)
For information regarding the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island, please visit:
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge - US Fish and Wildlife Service
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague/
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge - Virginia State Parks
www.stateparks.com/chincoteague.html
For information regarding Chincoteague Island, Virginia:
http://www.chincoteague.com
http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/
http://www.chincoteagueisland.org/
From Forbes Magazine, this article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/fathom/2014/07/26/forget-the-hamptons-chincoteague-island-is-the-place-to-be-this-summer/#5fb8325e4622
If you want to take a hands-on ecological tour and learn about marine life, take a trip with Captain Barry's Back Bay TourCruises.
If you want to see ponies on Assateague from a boat, I suggest Captain Dan's Guaranteed Pony Tours.
If you want to get a good view of the islands and learn about the history of the area, Captain Dan's Tours and Daisey's Tours are great.
If you want to hear about the history of the island, and sit inside a comfortable van, with a true Teaguer (and CVFC Firefighter) check out Teaguers Tump Tours with Denise Bowden, who is very involved with the Pony Round-Up each July.
If you are seeking the most up-to-date information regarding the ponies on the southern end of Assateague Island, in Virginia - the ones made famous in the book Misty of Chincoteague - then the best place for information is the website of Darcie and Steve Cole, who own and operate DSC Photography out of Greenbackville, Virginia. They have multiple photos of each pony - and the groups are separated into stallions, fillies and mares, and herds. They also start a new album each year of the new babies, listing dam and sire, sex, and when the baby was first seen. Their website may be viewed at https://www.dscphotography.net and they also have a great Facebook page. There are also many other informative Facebook pages regarding Chincoteague itself - I recommend them all.
If you want to learn the names and designations (breeding numbers) of the ponies on the Maryland end of Assateague, I highly recommend visiting two different Facebook pages: The Assateague Island Alliance and Assateague Island Ponies.
Showing posts with label cruises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cruises. Show all posts
Monday, April 24, 2017
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Fun Things To Do On Chincoteague and Assateague Islands
In Virginia, people live on Chincoteague and only wild things live on Assateague. In Maryland, a person can camp on Assateague, which isn't possible in Virginia. There are a myriad of things to do and see in either state and on, or around, both islands.
Assateague Island is a National Seashore in both states, and, in Virginia, Assateague is also the site of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR). This confuses a lot of people. Chincoteague ponies run wild on Assateague Island in both Virginia and Maryland - but each state has a unique way of dealing with the ponies. All of the different kinds of wildlife on Assateague mingle and breed together - except the ponies (usually). There is a fence separating the Maryland and Virginia sides of the island, but ponies do, on occasion, break through and mingle. I can definitely say the ponies on the Virginia end of Assateague Island are branded and micro-chipped. The Maryland ponies are not branded. I don't know if they are chipped or not. A person, or family, can legally camp on the Maryland side of Assateague with a permit. No over-nighters are allowed in Virginia.
Chincoteague Island is located within the Virginia state borders only. It's where people live, work and play. If you visit Chincoteague or Assateague for the annual festivals, you know that you usually stay on Chincoteague in a hotel, motel, rental, or bed and breakfast. There are all sorts of festivals on Chincoteague. The most widely known, thanks to Marguerite Henry's book and the 20th Century Fox movie, Misty) is Pony Penning. There are also a Blueberry Festival, Seafood Festival, Oyster Festival, Decoy Festival, Arts and Crafts Festival, Chili Festival, the Volunteer Firemens' Carnival and multiple bird-watching festivals, throughout the year.
If you visit the islands, be prepared for heat, humidity and mosquitoes in the summer. Storms come from the Atlantic regularly - northeasters and hurricanes. I can easily remember the five high tide lines on the wall paper in my Grandfather's kitchen. A seemingly huge storm can sweep across the island in a few hours and wash everything new again.
What is there to do on the islands?
Well, first and foremost, Assateague is a National Seashore. The beach is highly recommended. Get some sun, play in the surf, or walk the beach. There are many walks and trails available for hiking on Assateague in both states. Check in at the respective Visitor's Centers and see what is recommended, or is off limits, for the day. (Some beach areas may be closed due to bird and/or turtle nesting.) There is also a widely varied group of wildlife on Assateague - from over 400 different kinds of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, to otters, muskrats, the Delmarva fox squirrel, water and grass snakes, turtles and terrapins, white tail deer, miniature elk (aka Sika deer), seals, ponies, frogs and toads, butterflies, raccoons, fox, groundhogs and rabbits, to name a few. Take a birding guide and/or a guide to wildlife tracks. Wild turkeys are in abundance and might startle you. With a fishing permit, you can surf fish from the beach. And you can tour the Assateague Lighthouse from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. during the summer.
Water activities? There is swimming and surfing, or one can take out a canoe, kayak, paddle board, or small motorboat. You can see all the sights on a guided tour; take a fishing boat into the bays or channels, or out into the ocean; you can fish, crab, clam and oyster - as long as it isn't on private or posted property. You can cook and eat what you catch - flounder is running well, I hear. On small cruises, one can take a hands-on ecological tour of the marshes and bays (with Captain Barry), tours around the island of Chincoteague with some local history thrown in, sunset cruises with champagne (with Captain Barry, and others), a guaranteed pony-sighting tour (with Captain Dan), sunrise and sunset cruises on the Miss Chincoteague, and just about anything you can imagine, or want, to do.
On Chincoteague, the choices seem endless - walking, biking or trolley tours; shopping; eating; reading; the library; the cinema; coffee houses; the Carnival on weekends in July; Second Saturday art shows; the Saturday Farmers Market; the Chincoteague Island Museum; the Chincoteague Bay Field Station; the Chincoteague Pony Center; the Chincoteague Natural History Alliance; the Refuge Golf and Amusements Center; or just kicking back and relaxing.... There are three parks on the island where you can picnic. And I mentioned eating a little earlier in this paragraph - the home made ice cream on Chincoteague is to die for! The Island Creamery is known as having the best ice cream on the east coast of the United States; then there's Mueller's Ice Cream Parlor and Mister Whippy - all delicious!
If you don't mind taking a short trip off the island, you can visit the NASA Visitors Center, go hang gliding with Virginia Hang Gliding, take an air tour with Carter Crabbe aviation, visit the Delmarva Discovery Center in Pocomoke City, or the Barrier Island Center of the Eastern Shore in Machipongo. You can also go horseback riding at Queen Hive Farm in Assawoman.
I never get around to doing everything I want to when I'm there - I have to pick and choose. You will, too.
Assateague Island is a National Seashore in both states, and, in Virginia, Assateague is also the site of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR). This confuses a lot of people. Chincoteague ponies run wild on Assateague Island in both Virginia and Maryland - but each state has a unique way of dealing with the ponies. All of the different kinds of wildlife on Assateague mingle and breed together - except the ponies (usually). There is a fence separating the Maryland and Virginia sides of the island, but ponies do, on occasion, break through and mingle. I can definitely say the ponies on the Virginia end of Assateague Island are branded and micro-chipped. The Maryland ponies are not branded. I don't know if they are chipped or not. A person, or family, can legally camp on the Maryland side of Assateague with a permit. No over-nighters are allowed in Virginia.
Chincoteague Island is located within the Virginia state borders only. It's where people live, work and play. If you visit Chincoteague or Assateague for the annual festivals, you know that you usually stay on Chincoteague in a hotel, motel, rental, or bed and breakfast. There are all sorts of festivals on Chincoteague. The most widely known, thanks to Marguerite Henry's book and the 20th Century Fox movie, Misty) is Pony Penning. There are also a Blueberry Festival, Seafood Festival, Oyster Festival, Decoy Festival, Arts and Crafts Festival, Chili Festival, the Volunteer Firemens' Carnival and multiple bird-watching festivals, throughout the year.
If you visit the islands, be prepared for heat, humidity and mosquitoes in the summer. Storms come from the Atlantic regularly - northeasters and hurricanes. I can easily remember the five high tide lines on the wall paper in my Grandfather's kitchen. A seemingly huge storm can sweep across the island in a few hours and wash everything new again.
What is there to do on the islands?
Well, first and foremost, Assateague is a National Seashore. The beach is highly recommended. Get some sun, play in the surf, or walk the beach. There are many walks and trails available for hiking on Assateague in both states. Check in at the respective Visitor's Centers and see what is recommended, or is off limits, for the day. (Some beach areas may be closed due to bird and/or turtle nesting.) There is also a widely varied group of wildlife on Assateague - from over 400 different kinds of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, to otters, muskrats, the Delmarva fox squirrel, water and grass snakes, turtles and terrapins, white tail deer, miniature elk (aka Sika deer), seals, ponies, frogs and toads, butterflies, raccoons, fox, groundhogs and rabbits, to name a few. Take a birding guide and/or a guide to wildlife tracks. Wild turkeys are in abundance and might startle you. With a fishing permit, you can surf fish from the beach. And you can tour the Assateague Lighthouse from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. during the summer.
Water activities? There is swimming and surfing, or one can take out a canoe, kayak, paddle board, or small motorboat. You can see all the sights on a guided tour; take a fishing boat into the bays or channels, or out into the ocean; you can fish, crab, clam and oyster - as long as it isn't on private or posted property. You can cook and eat what you catch - flounder is running well, I hear. On small cruises, one can take a hands-on ecological tour of the marshes and bays (with Captain Barry), tours around the island of Chincoteague with some local history thrown in, sunset cruises with champagne (with Captain Barry, and others), a guaranteed pony-sighting tour (with Captain Dan), sunrise and sunset cruises on the Miss Chincoteague, and just about anything you can imagine, or want, to do.
On Chincoteague, the choices seem endless - walking, biking or trolley tours; shopping; eating; reading; the library; the cinema; coffee houses; the Carnival on weekends in July; Second Saturday art shows; the Saturday Farmers Market; the Chincoteague Island Museum; the Chincoteague Bay Field Station; the Chincoteague Pony Center; the Chincoteague Natural History Alliance; the Refuge Golf and Amusements Center; or just kicking back and relaxing.... There are three parks on the island where you can picnic. And I mentioned eating a little earlier in this paragraph - the home made ice cream on Chincoteague is to die for! The Island Creamery is known as having the best ice cream on the east coast of the United States; then there's Mueller's Ice Cream Parlor and Mister Whippy - all delicious!
If you don't mind taking a short trip off the island, you can visit the NASA Visitors Center, go hang gliding with Virginia Hang Gliding, take an air tour with Carter Crabbe aviation, visit the Delmarva Discovery Center in Pocomoke City, or the Barrier Island Center of the Eastern Shore in Machipongo. You can also go horseback riding at Queen Hive Farm in Assawoman.
I never get around to doing everything I want to when I'm there - I have to pick and choose. You will, too.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Captain Barry Is Out On the Water; Boulder Is Having a Blizzard
A tale of two cities - or towns.... It's currently 63 degrees on Chincoteague Island, in Virginia. Captain Barry, my cousin-in-law, took several cruises out yesterday, and was scheduled for three or four today. Captain Barry's Back Bay Cruises are the best ecological, interactive cruises on Chincoteague Island - especially if you want to learn about marine life and how it affects the marsh and channels,and how the waters cause effects upon the marine life. Now, that sounds awfully boring. Barry loves to make the cruises as interactive as possible, so it's a true hands-on experience. I love going out with him - I always learn something new each time. Learn about clams, crabs, oysters, jelly fish, sponges, and almost anything that you can imagine finding in a drag net - or in and on the marsh flats. It's a fantastic experience. Captain Barry always books up fast, and frequently has an "on-call" waiting list during the summer. You can call and book your experience today at (757) 336-6508. (And don't forget his Champagne Sunset cruise, either!)
It was in the mid-70s yesterday, and Beatrice traveled down to Denver and was able to spend a good amount of time in the new Samurai exhibition at the Denver Art Museum. I laughed yesterday evening when the newspaper announced that Boulder could get up to 6 inches of snow overnight. I heard the first rain drops pelting my bedroom window at 12:35 a.m. by 4:00, there was three inches of snow. At the moment, 10:30 a.m., more than 8 inches have fallen, and the weather guys are saying we might get another 10 inches before the snow stops tonight... I am not walking Rosie or Tessa today, but I am due at Rosie's for a 2-hour stint this evening. I may end up taking a cab both to and from her house.
Colorado needs the snow. I am not complaining about the precipitation. The snow plow for the apartment parking lot just went through, and I've heard the snow plows on US 36 running past about every hour. My cousin was pretty shocked when she found out that the front of my apartment building faced US 36. She thought I lived somewhere secluded in a very wooded area, far away from traffic. I wish that were so. In any event, it's the usual weird Spring weather for Boulder...
It was in the mid-70s yesterday, and Beatrice traveled down to Denver and was able to spend a good amount of time in the new Samurai exhibition at the Denver Art Museum. I laughed yesterday evening when the newspaper announced that Boulder could get up to 6 inches of snow overnight. I heard the first rain drops pelting my bedroom window at 12:35 a.m. by 4:00, there was three inches of snow. At the moment, 10:30 a.m., more than 8 inches have fallen, and the weather guys are saying we might get another 10 inches before the snow stops tonight... I am not walking Rosie or Tessa today, but I am due at Rosie's for a 2-hour stint this evening. I may end up taking a cab both to and from her house.
Colorado needs the snow. I am not complaining about the precipitation. The snow plow for the apartment parking lot just went through, and I've heard the snow plows on US 36 running past about every hour. My cousin was pretty shocked when she found out that the front of my apartment building faced US 36. She thought I lived somewhere secluded in a very wooded area, far away from traffic. I wish that were so. In any event, it's the usual weird Spring weather for Boulder...
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