Sunday, December 23, 2018

WILD HORSES.

Day 5 – We hadn’t decided where to go next until we saw Gail’s son, Shane, and he told us about Assateague Island National Seashore & showed us pictures of the wild horses running in the sand with the Atlantic Ocean behind them. Yep, we knew we had to go there. We got up at 8 a.m., 33 degrees & sunny. We leisurely packed up, dumped tanks, and departed Martinak State Park at 11:10 a.m. The girls just settled in right away; they’ve really adjusted to camping.

76 miles (1:45), 32607-32683

Our biggest concern was where to stay, partly because it was off-season & many Parks are closed plus it’s a holiday week. But mostly because of the shutdown. When we were at the National Wildlife Refuge at Blackwater yesterday, we heard the ranger talking on the phone, answering questions from a caller. “Yes, we are open today & tomorrow,” she had said. “We have enough money in our budget for that, but we are closing for Christmas Eve & Christmas and we will see after that.”  Hmmm, we wondered, does this mean Assateague will be closed? Tried phoning, no answer at the State Park. The National Seashore number was busy, 24/7, off-the-hook, we guessed. We decided to just drive there and see what we’d find.

The drive south and east took us out of Maryland, into Delaware, and back into Maryland as we got closer to Assateague Island. Not much traffic, the roads were in good condition, not even windy – nothing to complain about, LOL.

Click on any picture below to see a slideshow.

Winter corn fields, DE

Fixer upper, MD

Verrazano Bridge, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

We arrived at 12:55 p.m.  The State Park was closed for the season. The Visitor Center and facilities for the National Seashore were closed due to the shutdown. But the Assateague Island National Seashore Bayside and Oceanside Campgrounds were open, without facilities like Martinak. That was fine by us, we can be self-sufficient & have camped many times without amenities. We drove through the campground’s loops & chose campsite #14 at the Bayside Campground overlooking the marsh with the Chincoteague Bay behind it. The campsites at the Oceanside Campground were also nice, but there was no view because the Ocean and the campsites were separated by large sand dunes. Each campground loop had only one camper parked in it.

There was evidence everywhere of the horses & we saw them in the distance. Cars drive thru at a regular clip looking for the horses. It’s a very nice place.  Assateague in Maryland (and Chincoteague, further south in Virginia) are barrier islands comprised of sand dunes with the Atlantic Ocean on the east side & large bays of water on the west side, connected to the mainland by bridges. Trees aren’t real tall, probably due to wind, and there is a lot of shrubbery. It’s wild and open and sandy. Just north of Assateague is Ocean City, a very popular summer destination for people on the East Coast. Summer months must be a real zoo here; we’re here at the right time for us.

Site 14, Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Site 14, Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Site 14,Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Loop A, Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Loop A, Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Loop A, Bayside Campground, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

We filled the tanks with fresh water, ate lunch, unpacked, and settled in. Rob took a walk, looking for horses and he found them, not far away. He was also looking for information on where we should pay for our campsite, since there’s no one around to ask.

Wild horses, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Sika Deer, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Wild horse, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

Wild horse, Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD

We enjoyed the sunset and watching the bright, full moon as it rose, then disappeared behind the clouds. The high today was 50 degrees, supposed to rain tonight then the temperature may drop some.