Just Hangin' With Some Wild Horses

Disclaimer: I lost all the pictures on my phone so these have been swiped from the interwebs.  
I tried to steal images close to the ones I took.

 

With things winding down here in Baltimore (big announcement coming soon) I am trying to finish off as many things on my Baltimore bucket list.  While a trip to Asseteague Island wasn't officially something which made the cut, it has been in the back of my mind and helps to chip away at the 30 Before 30. 

This national park, a two and a half hour drive from my apartment, is a 37 mile barrier island located off the Eastern shore of Maryland (the southern third of the island is actually in Virginia).  The national seashore was established in 1965, bus is also maintained by the Maryland State Parks and US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Thankfully you can buy one pass to get you in and it will be accepted at both entrance for a week.

One of the biggest draws for tourists is the wild horses.  There are two groups, one in Maryland and one in Virginia, and are claimed to be survivors of a Spanish ship wreck.  So technically not "wild" as their ancestors come from domestic horses, but they have been allowed to run loose over the island.  While the Maryland horses are owned by the National Park Service, those in Virginia are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department (strange I know).  In order to keep the populations from exploding the Maryland ponies have been placed under a federal contraceptive program while those in Virginia are put up for auction on Pony Penning Day.

The one picture I was able to salvage

While there is not much hiking (something you would expect when you hear National Park) the beaches, especially in the northern section are beautiful.  The first part of the day was spent on the northern part of Asseteauge.  I did get to spend some time wandering some of the smaller trails.

The Dunes trail gave a great deal of information about the park and how it had been formed over the years.  After a few hundred yards I was shocked to come across the Baltimore Boulevard.  This once paved road was part of a 15 mile development project.  A decade later much of the road and buildings were destroyed in a storm.  The properties were never rebuilt as the National Seashore was formed.

The final stop was to head back to the water in hopes of catching one last glance of some horses.  There were a couple off in the distance, but too far to get a good view.  When you get to the water there are signs saying you are allowed to catch crabs and muscles.  While I spotted some I decided to keep my feet on dry land. 

Seeing most of what I could (next time I am bringing a bike and seeing about a campsite) I got back in the car and headed an hour south to the Virginia side.  The first stop was the Lighthouse.  I'm a sucker for a good lighthouse; I blame all the summers on Cape Cod.

As the sun started to sink lower in the sky and the mosquitoes came out I decided it would be a good time to make the long journey home.  The final stop of the road trip before grabbing dinner in Annapolis was a country store attached to a gas station.  Stopping at random road side attractions and shops has become the norm since my SUS summer.  You never know what delicious home baked good and/or gag gift you may find.  This store did not disappoint and I found some great bird feeders.

National Park #11 crossed off the 30 Before 30 List.  

Only four more to go until I can cross another item off the list.