“When they could eat no more, they pawed shallow wells with their hooves for drinking water. Then they rolled in the wiry grass, letting out great whinnies of happiness. They seemed unable to believe that the island was all their own. Not a human anywhere. Only grass. And sea. And the wind.”- Marguerite Henry

 

October 6, 2021

 

“When they could eat no more, they pawed shallow wells with their hooves for drinking water. Then they rolled in the wiry grass, letting out great whinnies of happiness. They seemed unable to believe that the island was all their own. Not a human anywhere. Only grass. And sea. And the wind.”- Marguerite Henry

Kathy and I decided to stay two nights in Chincoteague, one of only two places we did so on our trip back to Key West, but after exploring Assateague from the water on our first day boating adventure, we wanted to do a more in-depth examination of the island from the land.

So for our second day, I rented a bike, (Kathy already had hers from her Canadian trip) and we rode off to check out Assateague Island and the National Seashore.  The island is a 37 mile long barrier island that includes Assateague State Park as well as the area managed by the National Park system.

 

The northern two-thirds of the island is in Maryland, while the southern third where we were is in Virginia. The Maryland section contains the majority of Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park. The Virginia section contains the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and a one-mile stretch of land containing the lifeguarded recreational beach and visitor facilities managed by the National Park Service, it is best known for its herds of feral horses, pristine beaches and the Assateague Lighthouse. The island also contains numerous marshes, bays, and coves, including Tom’s Cove.

We biked all over the island, checking out the numerous inlets, marshes and swampy wetlands that are home to numerous species of birds and other wildlife. It is a truly beautiful place and the long stretch of undeveloped beach is incredible. Wee visited the visitor center and then rode on a number of cool bike trails just off the beach and through the island.

We also checked out the beautiful Assateague Lighthouse. The 142 foot tall structure is still in use as a navigational aid today. Originally built in 1867 to replace and older (1833) and shorter version, the lighthouse is painted red and white in alternating bands and stands as a beacon to passing ships warning them of the shifting barrier islands.

It was not open when we visited, but it was still pretty cool to see and was worth the short diversion from the main bike path to visit. The entire day of biking was great and we had a fantastic time in what was absolutely perfect weather.

We also visited the main section or downtown area of Chincoteague, which is a quaint little section that features a few shops and restaurants as well as the main city marina and a statue commemorating the famous book, “Misty of Chicoteague” written by Marguerite Henry about the wild ponies that brought the area so much acclaim.

All in all it was a pretty stellar two day experience in the area and it is certainly a place that we will consider visiting again. I would like to witness the annual pony roundup for myself and I know Kathy would not be averse to returning.

https://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm