Cape May, Assateague Island, and Virginia Beach

Assateague Island

The drive to Assateague Island was full of anticipation.  We were up early—at 5:30 to be exact, and on time to catch a 7:30 ferry from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE.  The ferry ride was lovely.   We hopped on board, left our car below deck, and headed upstairs to watch the shoreline melt into the distance.  As we passed by the lighthouse and the concrete ship at Cape May point, it was hard to believe I was finally beginning the trip I had been planning all year.

The sunset in Avalon

On the ferry

The Cape May lighthouse and the concrete ship in the distance

Our first stop, Assateague Island, was only about two hours from Lewes.  Thankfully, we had great driving weather to start our journey.  I hope it is a sign of things to come! In Deleware, we made a stop at a lighthouse that was on our map.  It was closed, but it was pretty!

The trans-peninsular line

Along the way, we passed through Ocean City, MD.  A towering display of hotels and countless mini-golf courses (seriously, I stopped counting after 10), it is a far cry from the shores of Avalon that I grew up on.  Once we got through Ocean City, it was a short drive to the Island.

As we ascended the long, narrow bridge, I wondered if we would actually see any horses on the Island.  (Although Assateague and Chincoteague are famous for their wild horses, they are only “wild” on the Maryland side.  On the Virginia side, the horses are tended and even sold at auction once a year.)  As we descended the bridge, I screamed, “there are horses in front of my car!”  Right there, on the road into the  park, six horses were walking across the road.  It was truly the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

Driving bridge on the left and walking bridge on the right

Once I got over the shock of seeing horses walking around, we proceeded to the beach.  Unfortunately, we did not see any horses on the beach; however, we did have a great time relaxing and reading in the sun.  The only downside was the sea temperature—it was balmy compared to the scorching sun. 

After a couple of hours on the beach, we drove back over the bridge.  It sounds crazy, but the horses seem to hang out around the foot of the bridge on the Assateague side.  It is a far walk from the parking lot back to the bridge, so the solution was to go back to the mainland and walk over the bridge from there.  If it sounds like a lot of back and forth, it was.

We were thoroughly rewarded for our efforts as soon as we reached the end of the bridge on the Island.  We were able to get within a few feet of the herd, and see them up close.  It was truly stunning.  The Assateague horses ARE wild, however.  As such, they kick, charge, and bite.  Being the skittish human I am, if a horse so much as looked at me, I would book in the opposite direction.  I made it out unscathed, and managed to get a few good shots.  In my opinion, it was a huge success.

If you look in the background, you can see the horses under the sign!

Once back over the bridge to the mainland (we had to get to the car), we decided to go into the visitor’s center.  It was very pretty, informative, and most importantly, air-conditioned!  We spent some time looking around at the exhibits, and even got to touch some horseshoe crabs.  Naturally, we left with a few postcards.  Those sneaky, well-placed gift shops get me every time.

At about 4:00, we checked in to our campsite, and set up camp for the evening.  We camped steps from the dunes and steps from the bathroom (site A-13, if you’re interested in visiting) in a truly perfect location.  After building a fire (yay!) and cooking a satisfying dinner (double yay!), we went for a walk on the beach.  As the sun set, sandpipers and gulls played in the waves—a truly picturesque way to end the evening.

On the beach

We camped steps from the beach

If you’ve ever considered going to Assateague, or have just heard about it for the first time, I highly recommend it!  If you can, camp on the Island, it really adds to the experience and gives you more time to enjoy the atmosphere.

Virginia Beach

We started for Virginia Beach at about 9:00.   On the way out of town, we stopped at one of the many locally-owned farmer’s markets and made a breakfast of strawberries, peaches, and oranges.  The strawberries were especially tasty! 

The highlight of our drive today was the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  If you have never been over/through it, it is a weird experience.  The bridge turns into a tunnel, which turns into a bridge—it truly feels as though the car is driving across the water.

On the bay-bridge tunnel

Eric and I are not the type of people who like to stay at impersonal resorts with thousands of other people and tons of amenities.  Okay, so maybe I am.  But, Eric’s not, and we are on a budget, which leads us to the River’s End Campground. 

When I found this little gem online, it boasted private beaches out of the way of all the hustle and bustle of downtown Virginia Beach.  It sounded perfect, plus we would be able to camp on the beach!

What I didn’t realize was how far out of the way it is.  We got to Virginia Beach and drove, and drove, and drove.  Past farms and (domestic) horses and schools, until finally we arrived.  The campground is definitely nice.  It has a beautiful view, and sits right on the beach.

We spent much of the afternoon swimming in the lake that is literally steps from our tent.  At sundown, the sun set over the lake, lending us yet another picturesque evening by the water.  After the sun went down, we were treated to a light show by mother nature.  Away from the lights of the city, the stars were truly spectacular.  There were also a ton of HUGE lightning bugs around, who flickered above our heads.

All in all, it was a fun, relaxing day.  It did not compare to the awe I felt while on Assateague, rather it was uneventful.  However, uneventful can be a beautiful thing.