Chincoteague Island

Sometimes the best adventures happen by chance. That happened to us the summer we traveled down the eastern shore from Main to Georgia. We were in our 40 foot motorhome heading south after visiting the Maritime area of Canada. We planned a stop in Baltimore, MD and our next planned stop was the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We try to travel less than 300 miles a day whenever possible. While looking for our next overnight stay, my significant other, Don, noticed a little island off the coast of Virginia that had RV parks and he figured the stop would be interesting. We had no idea how to pronounce where we were going, but we headed south for the island of Chincoteague (SHIN-ko-teeg).

The day we left Baltimore was hot, humid, and clear. As we crossed the five-mile causeway and bridges from the mainland of Virginia to the island of Chincoteague, my interest increased. We arrived on the island and headed for Toms Cove RV Park. We had no idea where we were going, but were fascinated by the quant seaside area we traveled through. Then we began to learn the interesting history of this island and the nearby island of Assateague.

Chincoteague (shinko-teeg) Island, according to the advertisements, is the only resort island of the islands that dot Virginia's Eastern Shore. The island is 9 miles long and about 1.5 miles wide. At one time the native tribe known as Gingo-Teague inhabited the island. During the 17th century 32 inhabitants from Virginia moved to the island. In 2000 the population was 4, 317. The population definitely swells in the summer, but there are still areas of solitude if you wish to look for them. According to the official Chincoteague government site, the town attracts over a million visitors annually.

The island is known for its oyster beds and clam shoals, but it is best known for the Chincoteague Ponies that roam on nearby Assateague Island National Seashore. There is a bridge that connects Assateague and Chincoteague. No humans live on Assateague. Part of Assateague is in Maryland and part is in Virginia, and it is a National Seashore Park. The inhabitants of the island are birds and animals, but mainly the Chincoteague ponies. Once we heard about the famous Chincoteague ponies we decided take a ranger tour of Assateague so that we could see the ponies as well as the island. The tour included the Assateague lighthouse, the marsh area, and the area where the horses roamed.

The day we headed for the tour of Assateague Island we were delayed by a gaggle of geese crossing the main road. There must have been about 100 geese gathered in a field on the right side of the road. The geese crossed the road single file. Finally, one goose stopped to let the traffic proceed.

There are a variety of stories about how the horses arrived on the island. One story is that the ancestors of the present horses swam to the island after the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon. Another story is that Spanish pirates brought them ashore. The U.S Government believes that the horses were actually from domesticated stock that was brought to the island during the 17th century by farmers who were trying to avoid paying taxes as well as fencing requirements.

The horses are referred to as ponies, but they look like small horses. They are wild horses that belong to two herds separated by a fence at the Maryland-Virginia line. They wander the dunes and marshes of the area. The horses on the Maryland side are cared for by the National Park Services. The Chincoteague Fire Company owns the Virginia horses.

How the fire company got to be owners of the ponies is part of the rich history of this little island. In the early 1920's there were two disastrous fires that destroyed much of the town. Determination to protect the island from this type of disaster from happening again led to the development of a volunteer fire company. To raise money for the equipment needed, the firemen held a carnival that included a "Pony Penning Day." That was the start of the annual Pony Penning and Auction. Each year the Southern, or Virginia herd, is rounded up and are driven across the bay between Assateague Island and the Town of Chincoteague. After swimming across the bay, the horses are driven down Bunting Road to Main Street and then to the Firemen's Carnival Grounds, where they are penned and cared for until the auction.

The pony swim and auction takes place the third week in July and is part of the annual carnival. The horses are auctioned off to raise money for the fire company. Some of the horses are adopted but left with the herd, while others go home with their new owners.

It is advisable to make reservations a year ahead to stay on Chincoteague during the carnival. The island is small and there are some hotels and bed and breakfasts available, but the rooms fill up fast in the summer, and even faster for the carnival. There are also 4 campgrounds on the island. Since we were in our motorhome we only had lunch out one day, but we were told there are a number of good restaurants on the island.

There is a small grocery store, and a number of tourist shops selling a variety of things. Artists live and work on the island and sell their work in galleries on the island. One of the evenings we were there Chincoteague had an art walk and wine tasting. We stopped at Osprey Nest Gallery where we met Kevin McBride, a very talented artist who owned the gallery. He not only had paintings, but other souvenirs. We bought a t-shirt and a coffee cup with replicas of his pictures. Kevin signed both of these. We were also privileged to hear John Amrheim, author of "The Hidden Galleon" talk about the origins of the Chincoteague ponies.

There was something magical about the island and we were glad that we took this route on our way south. If our travels ever take us this way again, we will stop and explore the shore areas that we didn't have the time to enjoy.