Maryland and Eastern Virginia Peninsula

I was close to the Maryland border and, after a day of of errands, I camped near Frederick at Gambril State park.  I opted out of a hike after the ranger told me they had recently seen a large black bear on the trails and the rattlesnakes and copperheads like to lay out on the trail!  I stuck to the paved paths and enjoyed a campfire.

I had reservations at Assateaque national seashore on the east coast of Maryland and drove in the freeway near Boston and Annapolis and across the Chesapeake Bay bridge. Then I drove through flat farmland towards the Atlantic, arriving at Assateaque in time to have a quick swim in the Atlantic Ocean.

There were ponies on the beach!  There was a group of 1 stallion, 8 mares, and a baby with wobbly legs!  They like to come to the beach in the evening to cool off and the breeze chases away the mosquitoes!  There was a lone young stallion that was not allowed near the herd.  The national park tries to keep these ponies wild.

I camped on the island on the Bayside and on the oceanside.  The mosquitoes and biting green flies were vicious!  It was a great place for biking, except for the bugs! The oceanside campsites were pretty. I enjoyed swimming and just sitting on the beach reading. 

Fiddler crabs were all around and came out to watch me when I was quiet. I also had my first softshell crab dinner and it was so good! (not the same type of crabs as those scurrying around on the beach)

On Friday I headed inland to Blackwater national wildlife refuge and saw Osprey with fledgling, Eagles, egrets and many other birds. Blackwater is on the migration path for birds.

I camped near Blackwater on Taylor Island at a campground where I could see the lights of Washington DC across the Chesapeake Bay.  

I had another birding morning and rode my bike on the nature trail.  Biking is a perfect way to observe the birds and animals!

Soon it was time to head on to my next stop at the Virginia end of Assateaque Island at the beach town of Chincoteague.  This herd of ponies are managed differently and they annually auction off ponies to raise funds for the fire department. The ponies were hiding from me but I enjoyed swimming at the beach and climbing the lighthouse.

Then I headed to the tip of the East Virginia Peninsula to the Kiptopeke state Park near Cape Charles VA.  I swam in the quiet and shallow waters of Chesapeake Bay.  It was very hot so I enjoyed cooling off in the water.