It will be no surprise to most that I love the ocean. I loved it nearly every day of the three and a half years I lived on it. I tried to get outside everyday and look at the water. Stare at the horizon, where sky and water mix. I loved being out to sea with nothing surrounding us but blue. I loved how small it made me feel. It was calming. My problems never felt very large when I compared them with the vastness of the ocean.
There are still days where I need to see the ocean and allow it to calm me. I was feeling that way in late summer when I decided to visit Assateague Island National Seashore one Saturday.
Getting There
It turns out the beaches of the northeast on an August weekend are not as calming as I remember the ocean being.
Assateague is three hours from where I live. I frequently drive five hours to see my family so I decided to do this trip all in one day. I got up early, crossed a few things off the to do list, and left at what I thought was a good hour. I’ve heard horror stories about beach traffic but I was pretty sure I had beaten it. The extra hour I sat in beach traffic showed me I was wrong.
Assateague Island essentially has three different parks. There is a Maryland state park and the National Park has both Maryland and Virginia entrances. In fact, you can’t drive from one end of the island to the other, you have to go back to the mainland and drive over an hour south to get to the Virginia side. From the Maryland entrance you can get a special permit and take your Over Sand Vehicle to the state line. I love my little Subaru, but I’m not up for that kind of adventure yet.
When I got to Assateague I stopped at the visitor center on the mainland side of the Verrazano Bridge (oddly enough, that is also the name of the bridge my first ship, the Explorer of the Seas, sailed under while leaving our home port in New York harbor). I watched the informational movie and chatted with the rangers about my options. I could ride my bike over the bridge and get free access to the parks, I could park at the state park and use their facilities for $4, or I could go to the National Park for $15. I’d never been here before. I wasn’t sure how long the bike ride would be so I decided to go to the state park.
I wasn’t alone. I think most Marylanders decided to visit this specific park that day. There was no parking. I don’t mean people were waiting for a space. I mean the lot was so full it was closed. There was a sign asking people to come back later. I just spent 4 hours in my car. I wasn’t coming back later. Off to the National Park.
National Park Pass
I wasn’t very happy with the $15 fee, but I was determined to see this park. I decided to pay $80 for an annual pass to all of the parks. In retrospect, I should have done this when I started my #100by100 challenge as I’ve probably spent half that on entrance fees already. Having the pass also makes me more likely to visit the parks around me. Great Falls is only 20 minutes away and while the $5 fee is small it’s not something I would want to pay multiple times a month. Now I won’t have too. After I got over the sting of paying $80 for a day that I thought would cost $4, I was very happy with my purchase. I love our National Parks and I want them to be around for a long time. Paying $80 a year is a small way I can help make that happen.
Click here to get more info on purchasing your own annual pass.
Exploring Assateague Island National Seashore
It didn’t take me long to drive the length of the park roads. And guess what? No parking! Yep. Both the state and national parks were completely full. People were parking along the road so I squeezed my car into a spot with enough room to snag my bike out of the back. A few minutes later I was off on my bike exploring the trails and campsites.
The Wild Horses of Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island is known for its wild horses. Doesn’t that sound majestic? I pictured this island as a deserted place with herds of horses galloping along white sand beaches as their manes blow in the ocean breeze. What a sight it will be! Such a sight I didn’t see. I did see horses walking along the road. I did see horse manure on the white sand beaches where children were playing. It wasn’t how I pictured it.
Assateague Island National Seashore has a very complex ecosystem with many species of birds and fish. By far the most prevalent species I saw were homo sapiens. Despite the crowds, I can see the beauty of the island. I see the need to protect and preserve this place and I want to go back in the off peak season when I can relax and observe the wildlife in a calmer setting.
Seeing these little sika deer were the highlight of the trip.[/caption]
