Day 10-October 5, 2020

This was our last full day with Wendy and Carl and our last full day in Maryland.

 

We started today on a very slow pace. Breakfast was simple:  OJ, coffee, cereal, and scones from a local bakery. 

 

We reconnected with our friends Bill & Mila around noon, getting some goodies from the Daily Brew bakery in Snow Hill, and then had a leisurely lunch in a park along the Pocomoke River.  

 

Around 2 PM, we said goodbye to B&M who were returning to their home in Arlington, Va. and we returned to Chincoteaque Island to further explore the National Seashore where we walked the four-mile Wildlife Loop.  

 

Before we found the Loop, I needed to answer a call of nature.  While I was in the privy, I heard quite a commotion, and assumed it was just a group of fellow tourists, who were also anxious to use the facilities.  When I came out, I was startled to see that several wild ponies were in the process of passing through the parking lot, passing right past our van and right next to the privy.  What a thrill.

Moving on from the privy and parking lot, we drove to the Wildlife Loop trail which circled a huge tidal marsh.  Along the walk we were spotted a variety of shorebirds, ducks, a deer, and the highlight of the trip, a bald eagle!

 Leaving the park, we met up with Wendy and Carl who spent the day at the beach on Chincoteague.  

After striking out on our first three restaurant choices for dinner, two were closed and one had no free tables, we settled for “The Ropewalk” where we sat outdoors overlooking the water.  

In addition to a beautiful sunset, our meals were equally spectacular:  oysters, cream of crab soup, sesame encrusted tuna tacos, day boat scallops on a bed of orzo with lump crab eat, and the “deadliest steampot” a boil that included snow crab, Andouille sausage, shrimp, corn on the cob, and potatoes.

 

Leaving Chincoteague around 7 pm, we closed the night around our campfire.