Road Trip, Day 4: Assateague Island

We got up and got ready, packing up, as we would be leaving the hotel and heading home, after spending a day on Assateague Island.

We headed over and had breakfast at the little restaurant near the hotel.   The same couple that had been singing and playing their guitars, the day before, was out on the porch doing it again.   After we ate, we sat and listened for a little bit and then I struck up a conversation with them.   When they found out I sang, they encouraged me to sing for them, so despite my stage fright issues, I started to sing "Amazing Grace" for them.   My Mom chimed in, over to my right, while she watched my girls.

The couple complimented us and we talked a little bit more, before we had to get back to our room to finish packing and check out.

After the car was loaded and we had checked out of the hotel, we headed to a local t-shirt store and I got two new horse t-shirts with Chincoteague Ponies on them, my favorite being a light blue with a white pony running in the water, with a wave coming up behind it.  My girls each got a shirt and my oldest picked out one for her Daddy, who couldn't come with us on the trip.

After we were done shopping, we drove across the bridge to Assateague Island and we stopped at the entrance to the island and there was a sign that said no dogs were allowed, even in cars, on the island.  We told the ranger I had a Seeing Eye Dog and she, of course, said that was fine, but was happy I had told them, so she could radio the other personnel to let them know a Seeing Eye Dog was coming onto the island.  

We then stopped for a short time at the visitors center.  I wish we could have spent more time there, but we wanted to get to the beach.

As we drove across the island, we saw a lot of cars stopped up ahead of us and as we started to slowly pass them, we saw what they were looking at.   Over to our right, in a large meadow, was a herd of ponies!   My Mom stopped the car and rolled down the windows, so we could all get a good look at the ponies.   My oldest counted 13, which included two foals.   There were lots of different colors and patterns, mostly pintos of various colors.

We watched for about 10 minutes, Mom took some pictures, and then we headed back on our way to the beach, on the eastern side of the island.

We found a parking spot near the bath house and changed into our bathing suits.   We then grabbed what we would need for a few hours on the beach and headed out to find a good spot.

The wind was really blowing and we were having trouble with our unbrella, so some nice ladies came over and helped us.   Once it was securely in place, we laid out a few towels and a blanket, got our covers and sandals off and headed down to the water's edge.

At first I just kept Dextra on her regular short leather leash, but eventually I switched to her flexi leash and she had a blast playing in the water, like she always does, being a Labrador.

My oldest played near me, holding my hand as we stood in the waves and Dextra ran around us.

My youngest was a bit intemidated by the waves and didn't really want to go in the water.   My Mom tried a few times, but she really didn't want to do it.

After awhile, Dextra needed a break, so my Mom took her up for some water and to rest in the shade of the unbrella.   Dextra laid there on the blanket, with no one holding her, in a perfect down and rest for a very long time.   Someone was always with her, of course, it was just that she is so good we don't always have to hold onto her leash, if we are trying to do something else.   She is a wonderful dog and so well behaved, a perfect example of what a Seeing Eye Dog should be.

I had both my girls down by the water and my oldest wanted to go in, but my youngest still was not wanting to.   I picked up my youngest and started talking about how fun the waves were and she eventually let me carry her out a little bit, where my oldest could have some fun in the waves and when a few big ones hit my legs and splashed her feet, which were dangling down near my knees, she started to realize it was fun.

So, I took us back a bit and I sat down on the beach, in a spot where waves only occasionally reached us.   I started with having her sit on my knees, then she sat on my lap and eventually was willing to stand infront of me, as I stayed sitting.  

My oldest sat next to me, sometimes laying in the sand, so the water would come up around her, so she could splash in it, when the waves came up.   Both girls had a wonderful time and I was so proud of my youngest daughter for overcoming her fears and playing in the waves.

We let them play for several hours in the sand and in the water, before we decided it was time to pack up and start heading home.    We changed in the bath house, but unfortunately, the line for the showers was too long, so we could not wash the sand off of us, we just had to do the best we could dusting it off.   That was pretty hard, as the sand on the island is very soft and seemed to be more sticky than other places I've been.   My oldest had laid all over in the sand, so she had it everwhere, even up in her long wavy hair.

We loaded up and stopped at McDonald's for dinner, as we started our car ride back home.

We drove several hours south, down the eastern shore of Virginia and then crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel right before dusk.   I think it was the first time I have actually been on it, so it was pretty nice to see all the water.  I was told there were ships in sight, but I could not see them, they were too far away for my limited eyesight.

We arrived home around 10 PM and my husband and I got the girls changed into their pajamas, dusting more sand off of them and got them into bed.

It had been a long day, fun filled, and one to remember.   It had been a wonderful 4 day journey, starting with Mount Vernon and ending with the beach of Assateague Island.   I hope I can go back to Assateague Island again soon, it was so beautiful and I want to see those ponies, again, too, of course.   if you are a horse person and have not been, you must go.   If you like nature or just going to the beach, you must go to Assateague Island for some great fun!