Tangier Island: Crab Cakes, Soft Shells and Sunsets

I recently returned from a two week sailing trip. A few weeks ago, I left the Salt Ponds Marina in Hampton Roads, Virginia with an open itinerary and the goal of seeing some new places and visiting a few favorites. I cruised up the coastline and stopped just about everywhere that caught my eye along the way. The morning I sailed into Crisfield, Maryland, I had seafood on my mind. I explored on foot for a while and struck up a conversation with a local who directed me to a dive he assured offered the best crab cakes to be found anywhere. His recommendation proved spot on, as I enjoyed one of the best Chesapeake crab cake sandwiches I've had in years. I left Crisfield about an hour later and pointed the boat towards Tangier Island. It was a leisurely sail and by mid-afternoon I switched from cloth to motor and pulled alongside the Tangier Island docks.

Visitors to the island will immediately notice that the people on Tangier speak with a unique, bye-gone-era, Elizabethan English-influenced accent. This year, residents are quietly celebrating 400 years of history. I say quietly, because there's really nothing exciting to be found on Tangier Island. If you're looking for traditional forms of entertainment, you won't find it there. Tangier offers no malls, no fancy shops, no movie theaters and no palpable nightlife beyond a walk along an empty moonlit beach. You can't para-sail or rent jet skis. There are no concert halls or arcades. You can't rent a car. In fact, the fastest wheels around are battery-powered golf-carts. I should also mention that you won't be ordering any frozen, alcohol-laden boat drinks to sip slowly at sundown. On tiny Tangier, libations are not for sale. To be blunt, there's a lot that Tangier doesn't have-- and if you're inclined to find those things important, consider going elsewhere.

There a few other noteworthy things you will not find on the island. They don't have traffic jams. They don't have smog to breathe. They don't have a jail either-- something which makes sense given the overall lack of crime. Tangier is undeniably lacking when it comes to those things many people today consider so absolutely essential. Nevertheless, what Tangier does have to offer, more than makes up for the aforementioned shortage of entertainment options. The island offers some of the most beautiful sunrises and stunning sunsets you could ever hope to see. If you like seafood, there are several unpretentious restaurants which consistently turn out crab cakes and soft shells that are not merely superior, but second to none. If you're looking to spend some quality time with your special someone, the bed and breakfast establishments on Tangier are run by people who set the standard for what customer service can and should be.

It almost goes without saying that the residents of Tangier are an honest and hard-working lot. It's common place to catch someone going out of his or her way to offer some random act of kindness. As such, it would be easy to offer up some cynical explanation, suggesting that any such kindness is due to an inherent laid-back, island-style innocence-- but ultimately, neither cynicism nor naivete can explain it away. Simply put, the people of Tangier Island are different. Today's residents are dealing with the uncertainty of unrelenting beach erosion. The island's watermen worry about the government's ever increasing regulation on the crabbing industry and how it's becoming almost impossible to earn a living from the sea. Meanwhile, parents face the sad reality that their children will have no choice but to leave the island behind if they're ever to have a chance of earning a decent living.

Despite all the changes and pressures thrust upon them, Tangier residents have remained largely unaffected by the challenges they face. Their spirit remains not only resiliently in tact, but strong, proud-- and genuinely kind. Romantic partners and contented souls will want for nothing on Tangier. The quiet, natural beauty is reason enough to plan a visit, but the real charm lies with the people who call the island home. When it comes to having a special place to get away-- whether for a day trip, weekend or longer stay, Tangier Island remains a gem without equal.