August 11 - 16, 2022
Newark, Maryland (for Assateague Island)
Hard to remember an easier drive than this 50 miles on one divided highway (113) south from Delaware into Maryland on Thursday. When we make our first and only turn I immediately recognize the location! I'm sure we've stayed here before and when we pull into Island Resort RV Park we both remember the park (9/2018).
This time we're in the back away from the lake and able to get level. 50 amp FHUs with open sky but no park WiFi. For the first time since April, we have four bars of LTE cell coverage!
What's clear from this trip east is that one should stay in New England until after Labor Day! Heat and crowds are both intense compared with past trips we've made "over here". Fortunately the temps and humidity drop here, and we make a few lazy drives into the marshlands of Maryland - I love the natural beauty of this area!
 |
| Old homesteads on backroads. |
 |
| Where the road ends at the water we enjoy a tasty lunch at a local pub where everyone knows everyone. |
 |
| Simple marina under dramatic skies. |
Ezra turns 7 (!) on Friday and we join him on screen while he opens presents. Wish we could be there for his party! Bill joins me at 66 on his Saturday birthday with a day of pre-season football following an attempt to see the ponies at Assateague. It's Saturday so not surprising we find a crowd that keeps us from getting into the state park.
 |
| We're rerouted onto the national seashore road of stopped vehicles. Eventually we make a u-turn to get home. |
I remember from our last visit that the ponies mostly stay on the Maryland side until after Labor Day (they like to pilfer from campsites during the busy season), but we still head south on Sunday to see if we can find any in Virginia. Chincoteague is also a more laid back place than the Ocean City area, with beautiful views across the water and AJs on the Creek has the best Caesar salads ever :-) A lovely upscale eatery, they're suffering from the staffing shortages like everyone else and the food quality isn't what it was - still we have a very good lunch before visiting the national park.
Into the national seashore we find no ponies, no "sign" of ponies, but plenty of humans.
 |
| A very nice refuge visitor center. |
 |
| Just us and a thousand of our closest friends. |
 |
| I'm happy for those who enjoy this, but it is definitely not for us. |
 |
| Surfers must exit - too many people in the water. |
 |
| Where we saw the ponies four years ago - such a beautiful place. |
 |
| Wallops Island NASA location. |
Our kitchen faucet springs a leak from somewhere I can't get to, and fortunately only when we turn the sink water on. Of course this occurs over the weekend so we live with it until Monday. Bill finds a mobile tech on Monday morning who arrives - no exaggeration - in five minutes! And then has it fixed in another ten minutes! It still cost a bunch, but we're very happy to have it resolved so easily.
 |
| Bill and I are excited that pro-football has started again - Tessa, not so much. |
Our last day is 78 degrees with a light breeze and absolutely beautiful - perfect to give the ponies one more try! Misty and Stormy, from the fabulous Marguerite Henry books, kept me entertained for many hours when I was a little girl. I never dreamed I'd get to see these special animals. And even though this is our second visit, I'm no less excited to come around a corner and see them - right there!
 |
| Our first sighting - it's their home, the rest of us have to wait. |
 |
| This adorable foal is right next to the Jeep but refuses to raise their head - of course! |
 |
| A dozen people with clamming forks - looks like fun :-) |
This area is one of my favorites on the east coast, but I'd still wait until late September to come back again. The state park on the water is also the better place to stay, although Island Resort is just about perfect for us.
 |
| Henry wishes his PopPop a happy birthday. |
 |
| Ezra enjoying his 7th birthday party. |
 |
| Next weekend we'll be hugging Penelope and Reese! |
Virginia is next with one more stop before our much anticipated visit with the grand daughters!!
Our granddaughters loved those books--and anything else horsey! Too many people is never fun is it! And we agree with Tessa about the football! :) Enjoy that visit with the grandbabies!
ReplyDeleteI think those and Black Beauty gave me my love of reading, something I'm so grateful for! I continue to be amazed by the number of people who crowd onto the beaches here.
DeleteAgreed - New England after labor day is the way to go. To little space, too many people. I hate seeing those ponies juxtaposed with all the cars and people. Somehow they bring reality to those wonderful childhood memories.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty strange that with all the acres of wild land in the park that the ponies want to hang out with the hordes - and they apparently drag off ice chests and food boxes from campsites. Yes they bring back wonderful memories!
DeleteIt’s Gay…Assateague Island is a favorite of ours too. Our nephew and his beautiful family live in Berlin, MD. It was one of our go to places after the Nascar races in Dover. Such fond memories you have conjured up Jodee! Happy birthday to Bill and Ezra.
ReplyDeleteYour nephew is so lucky!!! I could see raising a family in the area - and would love to have a reason to come visit more often :-)
DeleteI have wanted to visit Assateague, but we seldom get far enough east. Thanks for adding back on out ToDo list. The grands seem to be missing you too.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely "way over here" but I'm so glad I put it on the route again. There are certainly quicker ways to get here without traveling 14 states :-) I'm grateful for videos and chats so they remember who we are!
DeleteLove both Assateague and Chincoteague. We stayed 2 weeks in the National Seashore and saw the ponies every day. Went to Chincoteague many years. So wonderful. New England June thru Sept to avoid heat. OR the NC mountains:-)
ReplyDeleteWhat I should have said was "Sherry warned me!" Alas we're having quite lovely weather here in northeast Virginia this week. We agree we could spend a month on the island and hang out with the ponies on the shore!
DeleteOh, I'm so glad you got to see the ponies! Assateague and Chincoteague were in our 2020 travel plans, and you know what happened to that. So they remain on our list. Maybe next year? Your experience verifies what I was thinking...stay in New England until well after Labor Day! We would not enjoy those crowded beaches, either. Despite the crowds, I'm so glad you've had some cooler weather. Happy Birthday to Bill! You guys are catching up to me, LOL.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely must make your way to the ponies! Lots of places to bike and hike too. I was sure we'd passed you already :-))
DeleteYou arrived at just the right time for a break in the heat and humidity. All that sand, salt water, and bugs aren't fun with the humidity. So glad you got to see some beautiful ponies. Travel in the summer is tough. You seem to be doing well with the summer crowds. Enjoy the grands!!
ReplyDeleteWe've been pretty lucky before and after that Delaware heat wave - and so happy there have been very few bugs! Wish we could be everywhere in the Fall :-)
DeleteOnce you get through the crowds it look inviting. Glad to know if/when I plan a trip east to wait until September. Glad you got to see the horses. And by now the grandgirls.
ReplyDeleteAway from the crowds is always best :-) This is such a pretty area, we could see ourselves spending weeks after Labor Day.
Delete