washingtonpost.com: Entertainment Guide
| Assateague Island and Chincoteague By Larry Fox, Eve Zibart and Eric Brace The Washington Post Weekend Section Friday, May 26, 2000 | ||
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Assateague Island, a 37-mile-long barrier island, is one of an endangered species on the Mid-Atlantic coast an undeveloped, unspoiled beach. The island consists of three major areas: Assateague Island National Seashore, managed by the National Park Service; Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Assateague State Park, managed by Maryland's Department of Natural Resources.
The Assateague beach may be the best on the Mid-Atlantic. With no paved roads extending beyond the northern and southern tips, the sands remain blissfully empty. The island has two beaches with lifeguards, but it takes just a 15-minute hike to find yourself alone at last on an empty (and unguarded) beach.
Beyond the beach, nature is the center of attention. The island is home to 44 species of mammals and 260 species of birds and is a nature-lovers' nirvana. Biking and hiking trails lead you from forest to marsh and along shallows and dunes. Bird-watching platforms provide a panoramic view of the marsh and its feathered visitors. Crabbing, clamming, canoeing and boating are popular activities. The Barrier Island Visitor Center, on Route 611, offers daily marsh walks, aquarium talks, bird-watching treks, canoe trips and other eco-activities. Near the southern end of Assateague, wedged between the barrier island and the mainland, is the quaint island of Chincoteague, which was immortalized by Marguerite Henry in her "Misty of Chincoteague" children's books about the wild ponies of Assateague. Don't feed or touch the shaggy ponies; they have been known to bite and kick, and human food is bad for their health. Each year on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July, many of the younger horses are rounded up, forced to swim the inlet between the two islands and sold at an auction to benefit the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department.
Accommodations
There are no hotels or motels on the island of Assateague but plenty of camping areas in the Maryland section. Chincoteague, the island gateway to the southern end of Assateague, does have numerous hotels, B&Bs and campgrounds.
On the Maryland side, stop by the National Park Service's Barrier Island Visitor Center (Route 611 south of Ocean City; 410/641-1441 or 410/641-3030) and the Assateague State Park entrance station (a mile or two past the Barrier Island Visitor Center; 410/641-2120). Here you can get information on camping, off-road vehicle use, park nature activities and other park happenings. The National Park Service offers two campgrounds, with primitive outdoor facilities, including chemical toilets, drinking water and cold showers. Some sites are open year-round. For information, call 410/641-3030. The state park offers tent and RV camp sites with bathhouses with hot showers and flush toilets. The camp area also has a small store and snack bar. For information, call 410/641-2120 or 410/641-2918.
On the Virginia end, camping is not permitted in the wildlife refuge, though commercial campsites are available on Chincoteague Island; call 757/336-6161 for information. Campgrounds are available right behind the dunes at Assateague, and some four-wheeling is possible on sections of the Maryland beach, with a permit available at the park office.
Beyond the Beach
You can explore much of the northern and southern ends of Assateague Island by car (though you will need an over-sand vehicle permit, available at state and national park centers, if you are going to drive beyond the paved roads in the Maryland section of the island).
Chincoteague's history is linked to the sea and is explored in the exhibits at the Oyster & Maritime Museum (7125 Maddox Blvd., Chincoteague; 757/336-6117). For on-water activities, consider a sea kayak tour led by Tidewater Expeditions (7729 East Side Dr.; 757336-3159) or relax during a sightseeing cruise on Linda J. Charters (6209 Clark St.; 757/336-6214).
Fishing remains a big deal here. Stop by Barnacle Bill's (3691 Main St.; 757/336-5188), Capt. Bob's (2477 Main St.; 757/336-6654) or Hooks & Feathers (7271 Jones Lane; 757/336-6812) to rent a boat or stock up on tackle and bait.
For shoppers, Chincoteague holds little beyond some curio shops and small artists' galleries.
The area's isolation made it attractive to the government for early rocket tests: Stop by the NASA Visitor Center/Wallops Island (Route 175 six miles west of Chincoteague; 757/824-1344), which uses hands-on displays and full-scale models of rockets to recount the history of the space program.
Dining
There are no restaurants on Assateague Island, and in Chincoteague your choices are limited. And while everything might appear to be fried, most restaurants will prepare your seafood to your order. Steamers Seafood Restaurant (6251 Maddox Blvd.; 757/336-5478) specializes in, of course, steamed seafood dishes, such as spicy shrimp and fresh local crabs, along with fresh, juicy fried chicken. A children's menu is available. Locals praise the crab cakes served at the Village Restaurant (6576 Maddox Blvd.; 757/336-5120), but don't miss the flounder (servings so large they cover the platter!). And if you like sunsets with your seafood dinner, visit the Chincoteague Inn Restaurant and P.T. Pelican's Deck Bar (6262 Marlin St.; 757/336-6110).
Night Life
Sunsets and soft-serve ice cream. And maybe a movie at the Island Roxy (4074 Main St.; 757/336-6301). Some restaurants have music during the dinner hour, but late-night carousing is rare. Instead, savor the sunset with a drink at one of the many waterfront restaurants and lounges and, after dinner, enjoy ice cream at Mister Whippey's (6201 Maddox Blvd.; 757/336-5122), Island Creamery Ice Cream (6251 Maddox Blvd.; 757/336-6236) or Muller's Ice Cream Parlor (4034 Main St.; 757/336-5894).
How to Get There
Assateague Take U.S. 50 almost to Ocean City. Two miles before the beach resort, turn south on Route 611, which goes to the national and state park areas. Distance: 165 miles.
Chincoteague Take U.S. 50 east from the Beltway to Salisbury, turn south on U.S. 13. Eight miles south of Pocomoke City, turn left on Route 175, which heads into Chincoteague. The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island can be reached by turning left on Main Street and right on Maddox Boulevard, which leads to the refuge and the island. Distance: 175 miles.
Important Numbers
Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 258 (Maddox Beach Road), Chincoteague, VA 23336. 757/336-6161. Web site: www.chincoteaguechamber.com.
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