Eastern Shore Special Section
July/August 2009
A Natural Beauty
TOUR THE UNDEVELOPED COASTLINE OF THE EASTERN SHORE
BY LAND AND SEA
Driving across the 23-mile mouth of the Chesapeake Bay is like driving into the sea. At a point, you can’t see land on either end. Completed in 1964 as an engineering marvel, the bridge-tunnel is an experience in itself as you leave behind the urban traffic of Hampton Roads for the open water—and one of the last undeveloped stretches of coastline between Maine and the Florida Keys.
As you near the narrow tip of Virginia’s 70-mile-long piece of the DelMarVa Peninsula, undeveloped barrier island beaches and marsh segue to maritime forest. As you continue north, farm stands, seafood markets and antique and artisan shops dot Route 13, separated by acre upon acre of soybean and tomato fields. Life on the Eastern Shore is still defined by land and sea.
Off Route 13, country roads lead to waterfront villages like Wachapreague and Onancock, Colonial-era county seats like Eastville and Accomac, and the beach towns of Cape Charles on the bayside and Chincoteague on the oceanside.
The Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge is at the northern terminus of the bridge-tunnel, on the right. The visitor center houses an extensive collection of waterfowl carvings and exhibits on the migratory birds who rest here on the Atlantic Flyway. Hiking trails on the 752-acre refuge and an elevated viewing platform atop a World War II bunker make this a bird-watcher’s paradise.
Kiptopeke State Park, three miles north, is located on the site where ferries once docked before the construction of the bridge-tunnel. An artificial bay was formed by sunken, concrete-filled ships visible from the beach. The waters are shallow and calm enough for small children to swim.
Cape Charles is reached by a left-hand turn onto Route 184. Farming and loading boats is how this port town has made its living since it was carefully laid out in the 1880s by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Tracks end at the town’s protected harbor.
See the sights by train in a historic restored dining car with Bay Creek Railroad, or by bay on a sunset cruise on the Schooner Serenity.
Park the car and walk the Mason Avenue shopping district of small galleries, shops, pubs and restaurants in repurposed storefront. Outside town you can play golf on one of Bay Creek’s two championship courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
Head north on Route 13 and turn left to Eastville, established as the Northampton county seat in 1631. The Courthouse contains the oldest continuous set of court records in the country. You can see the Debtor’s Prison, old Clerk’s office and well-preserved homes in this quiet, non-commercial village. The Gallery at Eastville displays art glass, woven art
and photography.
The Barrier Islands Center in Machipongo on a historic almshouse farm preserves the artifacts and history of life on the Shore’s remote barrier islands. The center maintains a descendents’ registry and oral histories of those who braved island life. Nearby, wineries Chatham and Holly Grove are making award-winning wines on Colonial-era waterfront farms.
One of the larger villages on the Shore, Exmore has a row of antique and curio shops, the famous Exmore Diner, and New Ravenna, where upscale mosaic tiles are created.
In Melfa, the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce operates a visitors center with a wealth of information. Turn here to reach Blue Crab Bay Company, and sample or take home some of Pam Barefoot’s shore specialties. A little further north on Route 13 is the famed Turner Sculpture, where you can view the life-sized bronze sculptures of world-renowned artists William and David Turner. Watch the artisans at work, and browse their gallery shop.
A left on Route 179 leads to Onancock, a 1680 Colonial port where older gents sit on the Liar’s Bench watching pleasure boats launch from the wharf. Across the way is Hopkins Bros. General Store, one of the oldest on the East Coast. Inside you can see the preserved store and dine on fresh seafood at Mallards restaurant.
Onancock Creek, a natural deepwater channel that leads four miles to the Bay, is used by kayakers, fishing vessels, tug-pulled barges, and snowbirds enroute on the IntraCoastal Waterway.
See the historic creek the way the first settlers did on a narrated historic kayak tour by SouthEast Expeditions. Or rent a bike from gardenART on King Street to explore this quaint village on two wheels. The Tangier Ferry takes you out on the creek and 12 miles into the bay to Tangier Island, a watermen’s community where you can take a golf cart tour or self-guided kayak tour (there are no cars on the island).
In a town of just 1,500, Onancock has a half dozen international restaurants and as many places to stay, from restored Victorian B&Bs to a resurrected boutique hotel. House of Deals is a fascinating place to browse for hardware and local produce.
Every second Friday, an evening Art Stroll takes in many of the galleries like the new Gallery Onancock and Red Queen Gallery, both featuring changing and seasonal exhibits of local artists. The smell of wet paint on Market or King streets means artists like Willie Crockett and Jack Richardson are at work in their gallery studios.
See how the better half lived inside the impressive brick Ker Place, a historic house museum open to the public. Beside the sparkling white Historic Cokesbury Church sits the town square and gazebo, site of weddings and ice cream socials.
Accomac has an astounding amount of preserved historic architecture. The Debtor’s Prison, built in 1784 as the jailer’s residence and adapted to the prison in 1824, remains virtually unchanged. The Eastern Shore Railway Museum in Parksley, two miles west of Route 13, is on the site of the original station and preserves the golden age of the railroad. Bloxom Vineyard was the Shore’s first winery open for tours and tastings. Have a tasting and a pizza from the outdoor oven.
Turn on Route 175, the approach road to Chincoteague, and pass Wallops Flight Facility, a NASA rocket launch site. The Visitor Center has an assortment of vehicles, equipment and exhibits on America’s space flight program.
Beach crowds and pony-watching keep Chincoteague hopping in summer, especially during the Second Saturday Art Strolls. There are seafood restaurants, ice cream shops, galleries with artists and carvers at work, and boutiques selling everything from decoys to designer clothing.
Bike and mopeds rentals are a popular way to explore the island, and several eco-tours, like Captain Barry’s, depart from here. The Oyster & Maritime Museum and the Refuge Waterfowl Museum chronicle life in and on the sea.
The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island is the home of the famed Chincoteague ponies and an area of great natural beauty set aside to protect wildlife and their habitats. The Herbert Bateman Education Center’s outstanding exhibits are a great starting point for a visit. There are lighthouse and bus tours and hiking, biking and driving loops to view waterfowl. Climb to the top of the landmark red-and-white Assateague Lighthouse. The annual Pony Swim and Auction takes place this July 29–30.
For the rest of this article, see the July/August 2009 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, currently available on newsstands.
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