Where The Horses Aren't

November 19-21, 2019

Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, Maryland

Day 158-160

Pulling out of the driveway, a turn signal warning light came on spooking me. I got out of the truck and indeed, the trailer’s left blinker was not working. Quickly I thought, I don’t have any extra bulbs...where do I go and how to I replace it?! Then before getting anymore worked up, I decided to shut off the truck, wait a minute and restart. Sure enough, that was it. Phew!

We are going to Assateague Island today. It's where wild horses roam on the beaches of Maryland and Virginia. On the way there, we stop off in a cute little town, Berlin; voted “Best Small Town” by many magazines, including Architectural Digest and Southern Living. It’s adorable with its fare share of antique shops and country stores. Great for a day visit.

Our campsite is about 20 minutes away. We are staying in the National Seashore campground which doesn't have electric or water. (The State campground, literally a mile way, had just closed for the season. It has electric which I would have preferred… note for next time). I see one wild horse on the way in, crossing the road going towards the bay. It's beautiful and peaceful here. I'm told during the summer it's crazy busy.

Our spot is on the bay side. There is deer right outside our window, but this location is really too remote. There are about 30 plus sites on the bay side, and I am one of the only campers. I don’t want to move so we stay here for two nights. The beach slots are slightly protected by a dune which can be messy if it’s windy; which it is today. There are more rigs over there, including the camp host. I feel safe here but going forward, I'll ask to be near the camp host if there are few campers.

Day 2 - We drive to Chincoteague, Virginia today but on the way, I stop into the Visitor’s Center and see the movie about the horses, the commercialization and later protection of this area.

Chincoteau is another town along this barrier island. There are wild horses there too, which I was hoping to get to see today. The drive there is flat and mostly of small farms. The town of Chincoteague is a little touristy and many things have already closed for the season. I could have skipped it but wanted to do the drive into the National Wildlife Refuge there. Turns out that dogs, even in cars, are not allowed as they can be disruptive to wildlife and horses.

From there we head back north, just past where I am staying, to Ocean City, Maryland. Glad I went but won’t go back. It's very, very commercial. I continue driving north looking for a place I can throw the ball to Sparky and settle on a church yard. We don’t stay long because the hawks are circling us. Sparky is about 18 lbs and probably too big for a bird to come and snatch him away, but I am not taking any chances. Too bad, he really needs some exercise.

We get back on the road and head up to Bethany Beach in Delaware - cute little beach town with a small boardwalk. After getting a bite to eat, we head back to camp.