Chincoteague, Virginia: Island Haven
By: Joe Volz Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-07-26 16:13:13.153913-04:00
I head to Chincoteague, Virginia, whenever I long for a simpler, less hectic life.
A small, seven-mile-long barrier island off Virginia’s Eastern shore, Chincoteague, so far, has retained the feeling of the fishing village it once was. It’s sheltered by the larger Assateague Island.
Once on Chincoteague, you’ll find no noisy amusement parks, no boardwalks and no huge shopping centers (and that’s just fine with me!). This refuge from the past, a four-hour drive from Washington, is linked to the mainland only by a drawbridge over the wetlands.
You won’t find massive crowds either—unless you come during the annual wild ponies’ run each July when more than 40,000 people crowd the island. Instead, the accent is on nature and what nature provides—the gentler pleasures of past times. There’s swimming, sailing, fishing, bird watching—and just taking it easy.
But don’t let too many months or years elapse before your visit. I see subtle signs of change in the town of Chincoteague. Where once visitors had only charming B & Bs or small inns to stay at, there’s now a Comfort Inn right on Main Street, and rumors that condos are going up where I used to revel in fresh sea food at an unpretentious restaurant overlooking the Chincoteague Channel.
Here are some sights you won’t want to miss.
Pony Penning Roundup
Probably the best known event held on the island is the annual pony swim sponsored by the town’s Volunteer Fire Department. Each July on a weekend at the end of the month, the ponies or small horses (experts don’t agree on which they are) are rounded up at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on nearby Assateague Island and swim across the salt water channel to the town of Chincoteague.
The firemen herd the ponies through the town to a penning facility. The next day, some of the ponies are auctioned to anyone who can care for them. The ponies aren’t cheap however; people bid them up to $1,700 or more apiece. After the event, the rest of the ponies are returned to the wild to swim another day. The money raised at the auction is used to support the herd.
Anyone who’s read Margaret Henry’s children’s novel, Misty of Chincoteague, already knows about the ponies. The movie is shown during the pony penning event.
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
The Refuge is home to countless birds including osprey, black skimmers, peregrine falcons, terns and pelicans. April through November, many different migratory birds stop at the refuge and its waterways.
To see the various animals, waterfowl and other birds, you have a choice between walking or biking (both free) along marked pathways or signing up for a guided tour (you pay for this), which are available various times during the day. There’s also a sunset cruise for visitors who want to see this wonderland as dusk approaches.
The advantage of the tours is that they can go into parts of the Refuge that are usually off limits. They are a pleasant way to spend an hour or two.
Assateague Island
When the government created a 14,000-acre national wildlife refuge 60 years ago, it incorporated much of Chincoteague and all of Assateague Islands.
No accommodations are available on Assateague Island; this protects the wild ponies and marshlands and the rest of nature’s gifts. (The town of Chincoteague is not part of the national refuge area.)
You cross from Chincoteague to the nearby Assateague beaches for sunning and swimming. Here you’ll find an unspoiled paradise of milky white sands with Atlantic Ocean waves breaking on the shore. Non-swimmers enjoy walking along the ocean’s edge and helping their children or grandchildren build sand castles.
The Oyster and Maritime Museum
Chincoteague is world famous for its oysters and clams. For many years, Chincoteague fishermen survived by oystering. The Maritime Museum is a history of their work.
A sight and sound diorama explains the ins and outs of oystering, from breeding to harvesting to packing and shipping. The Chincoteague Oyster Festival occurs each October.
Local artists and wildlife carvers also exhibit their wares at the museum. There’s an exhibit on the marine life in the channel waters that has survived virtually unaltered for more than 200 million years.
Dolphin Watching
Lucky visitors can admire bottlenose dolphins frolicking in the Atlantic Ocean. Boat tours are available with knowledgeable captains who know where the best spots for dolphin watching are.
Links
Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce
Books
Find these books online at Borders.com
Chincoteague Revisited: A Sojourn to the Chincoteague and Assateague Islands
By Dorothy Camagna and Jennifer Cording, The Oaklea Press, 2003.
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge: An Ecological Treasure
By photographer Irene Hinke-Sacilotto, Westcliffe Publishers, Inc., 2005.
Misty of Chincoteague
By Marguerite Henry with photographers Wesley Dennis and Dennis Wesley, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 1991.
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