Chincoteague and the Eastern Shore of Virginia

Leaving work at 2:00 pm, I hopped into the car and drove toward the Eastern Shore.  Luckily, there was little traffic on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel at that hour--if you've never been on the tunnel, it's approximately 13 miles of expansive bridge with the occasional tunnel portion.  And it can be yours for the only slightly high toll of $15 dollars.  It is a pretty cool feat of engineering, though.  You can also stop along the way for views of the Bay.

I arrived at the Island Manor House Bed & Breakfast (http://islandmanor.com) and got into my room, the Hummingbird.  It was perfect for a single traveller on a budget--double bed, private but detached bathroom.  And the adventure began!

• Day One:  Leave work at 2 pm, drive the two hours up Route 13, check into B&B.  Drive out to Assateague Island National Seashore (daily pass is $8, so I bought a 7-day pass for $15)

• Day Two:  Breakfast at the B&B (fresh fruit and yogurt, frittata), 3 mile hike in the park hoping to see ponies, afternoon tea at the B&B, beach, shopping on Main Street in Chincoteague, postcard writing and reading

• Day Three: Breakfast at the B&B (fresh melon, eggs benedict), climb the Assateague Light House,1.5 hike in park hoping to see ponies, trip to the Island Creamery, back to Norfolk

I learned a big lesson on this excursion: do the research beforehand.  I rather stupidly assumed that the ponies would be right there, waiting for me, with little-to-no effort.  Realistically, the only people who saw ponies while I was there were people who decided to take an evening boat tour around the island.  I did tons of research into the inn, and I have no regrets.  If you have the time, I would absolutely recommend the afternoon tea; the wonderful food and excellent tea actually lasted for two whole meals!

The only true bummer of the trip was that I didn't actually see any of the famous Chincoteague ponies.  Which simply means that I'll have to make another trip up the Eastern Shore!