Have fun on beautiful beaches, wildlife preserves, picturesque fishing villages, and see the NASA Visitors Center, tidal flats and salt marshes, shorebirds, and wild ponies.
The Delmarva Peninsula lies between the Atlantic on the east and Chesapeake Bay on the west. While the area touches three states: Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland, this drive will take you through a small part of Virginia.
Known for its beautiful beaches, picturesque fishing villages, and wildlife preserves, the area has
something for everyone. Children will love the pony roundup and swim immortalized in “Misty of Chincoteague”, a Marguerite Henry’s book. Head U.S. 13 south from the Maryland-Virginia border for 4 miles to Route 175 toward Chincoteague. Soon you’ll come to the NASA Visitors Center–hard to miss with its launchers, rockets, and other space equipment out front. The self-guided attraction features models of space vehicles and satellites with hands-on exhibits; you can build and launch a bottle rocket or find out about the speed of data transmission via satellites.
Back on Route 175, cross the salt marshes and tidal flats and drive on to Chincoteague Island. Chincoteague has some of the best seafood restaurants around including plenty of shops selling local crafts. The Oyster and Maritime Museum and the Refuge Waterfowl Museum detail the region’s natural history.
A short causeway over the Assateague Channel leads to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore. The Eastern Flyway is a migration route for thousands of waterfowl, and the wildlife refuge here was created to safeguard the birds’ island habitat. Egrets, herons, and numerous species of waterfowl are around throughout the year, though July and August are peak times to see such shorebirds as sandpipers and terns. On the last Wednesday in July, wild ponies are gathered together on Assateague Island to swim across the channel to Chincoteague, where they are auctioned off with proceeds going to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Be sure to arrive early as this very famous event attracts huge crowds.
Starting Point:
U.S. 13 Virginia state line
Distance of Drive:
18 miles
Must Eat:
Steamers Seafood
6251 Maddox Blvd., Chincoteague, VA 22336
Phone: 757-336-5478
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Year round (spring for bird watchers)
Points of Interest on Drive:
Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
NASA Visitors Center
Refuge Waterfowl Museum
Tagged with: beach • best time:yearround • Virginia • wildlife
Filed under: Best Road Trips