Looking for Wild Horses on Assateague Island, Maryland

Eric and I are staying at Assateague State Park's Campground.  Our campsite is seaside and there's always a breeze.  We, along with everyone else want to see the island's wild horses.

Why are there wild horses on the Maryland and Virginia Shores?  No one knows for sure...  Some believe that the horses arrived in this region following a shipwreck.  Others believe that 17th century farmers brought the horses' ancestors to this barrier island to graze, avoiding taxation and the cost of building fences.

The horses became wild because they were no longer cared for, purposefully bred, and used for work by humans.  They are very hardy, thriving in a harsh environment that can be stormy,  hot and mosquito plagued while eating poor-quality food. 

The most important rule here is to stay 40 feet away from any wild horse.  Visitors have been injured when trying to engage with horses that don't know how to interact with humans.  (My pictures were taken with a camera with a long lens.  At no time was I close enough to a horse to feel its breath.)

Eric & I walk around our 

campground & watch 

horses grazing near 

camping trailers.  

I notice that the horses are muscular with beautiful coats and manes.  They're getting the nutrition they need and are well adapted to the Maryland Shore's varied climate.

Campers continue their activities

as horses saunter by...

This horse grazes on 

beach grass.

Three others head to the

sandy beach.

The Horse Crossing Zone

includes every road in 

this Campground.

This horse has unique markings.

Eric and I decided to ride our bikes to Assateague Island National Seashore to look for horses.

A wild horse crosses the road.

Eric stops to take a picture of the

horse ambling toward him.

He backs up as the horse

approaches.  

 A mare & her foal are safe

behind the guide rail.

A bicyclist gets a close-up

photo of mom & her baby.

Horses, horses everywhere!

This horse almost melts into

the nearby sand dune.

Cars creep past horses

in the road. 

Our visit to Assateague Island is everything I hoped for, and more!  Sharing space with wild horses is a unique experience.  And there have been no swarms of mosquitos during our stay.  

Where Do Eric & I Go Next? Assateague Island, Maryland

 Eric & I followed the road

 signs to US 50 West.

Thank You For Visiting

Ocean City, Maryland

We drive across the bridge to

Assateague Island...

... & enter Assateague Island 

National Shore 

Maryland District

Drivers & bicyclists share the

 road with Horses.

We are staying at Assateague

State Park to see the wild

Horses.

Eric & I go to the beach before

the light fades...

Our thoughts...

Day Seventeen: US East to Ocean City, Maryland

Eric and I say goodbye to Dave and Kathy at the KOA in Luray, Virginia, and continue our cross-country drive across America on US 50 East.  

Washington, DC is 36 miles away...

Maryland Welcomes You

We're Open for Business

Larry Hogan, Governor

Driving US 50 East to Annapolis.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge  takes

us across the northern section 

of Chesapeake Bay.

The northern, narrow section

of the bay is vast...

Welcome to Queen Anne's County

Gateway To The Eastern Shore 

Kent Island

First English Settlement

Within Maryland

August 1631

The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club

Welcome to Easton

Main Street America Community

Harriet Tuman was born a slave

in Dorchester County in the 

early 1820s.

Ocean City, the eastern end of

US 50 is 44 miles away.

Welcome to Salisbury

Crossroads of Delmarva

Welcome to Ocean City, Maryland

America's Finest Family Resort

All American City 2001

The water tower has waves

splashing at its base.

US 50 ends here, at the turnaround 

for the Boardwalk.

There is no End US 50 sign.

It's been a wonderful drive from Sacramento, California across Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Northern Virginia to Maryland's Eastern Shore.  Eric and I saw our country's desert terrain, mountains, small towns, cities, and farms as we drove to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  

Across America, people are traveling by car, with RVs, by bus, train, and plane.  My wish for all travelers is the joy of discovering and rediscovering our country up close.  There's so much to see and do, regional foods to try, and memories to make along the way.

Safe travels!

On Walkabout With Dave 'n Kathy in Northern Virginia

 I joined Dave and Kathy for a day of sightseeing in Northern Virginia...

Kathy & I with the Luray Hawksbill Greenway sign.

The bridge support is

decorated with images

of local fish.

Thar be Ducks...  

The Greenway's neighbors

added murals to the path.

The Luray Visitors Center is

in the restored Train Station.

Besides information on local attractions, there's a scale model of Northern Virginia Train Stations inside.

We eat lunch at Royal Spice

in Front Royal.

Dave, Kathy & I are among the

few seated diners.

Take Out is still popular here.

Dave & Kathy

We shared vegetarian Nepali Thali

Lunch includes Fried Egg atop Basmati Rice, Carrots & Cucumbers, Tomato Achar (Chutney), Cauli Palu (Cauliflower and Potato Curry), Daal (Lentil Soup), Takari (Mixed Vegetable Curry), Saag (Curried Spinach), Ghee (Clarified Butter), Papad (Seasoned Flatbread).  Our choice of beverage: Mango Lassi.  

We drive into Shenandoah

National Park to tour the

outlooks on Skyline Drive

The skies are clouding over...

Kathy gets a shot of the

valley below.

Here comes the rain.

Today's drive on Skyline Drive continues to Rockfish Gap, the Park's Southern Entrance.

Northern Virginia is a beautiful place to visit with natural wonders, public paths, history, and great food.  Thanks, Dave and Kathy for including me in today's adventures.