Planning around weather can be a bit tricky this time of year in the mid-Atlantic region. A storm is nearly always in the forecast, so the goal is figuring out where the storm is expected to be and where you can go to avoid it. The original plan for the day was to rent kayaks at the local state park, but when SuperDad looked up the weather report on his BlackBerry, we decided to postpone that activity; instead, we loaded up and headed for the beach at Chincoteague.
Click on any pic to enlarge
Playing in the hot sun and the rough surf is exhausting.
Luckily, there was plenty of time to relax.
There was time to build sand castles…
…and to observe the constant battle of man vs. nature.
After 3 hours at the beach, we were all ready for a late lunch in town. On our way back out to the island after eating, I noticed a sign about mosquitoes but didn’t have time to read it. (Hey, I was driving!) I hadn’t thought about mosquitoes at the beach; the breeze had been steady enough to keep the bugs away. But there was no ocean breeze on our 2 short hikes and I still have some welts on my back to prove it!
Mosquitoes and I have a long history of one-sided attraction vs. my strong reaction. I’m still waiting for a bug spray strong enough to keep them away from me.
The famous Chincoteague ponies
The ponies in the photograph above as seen through my camera’s zoom setting.
Click on photo to enlarge picture.
The view below is how close we actually were (look for the 2 specks in the right top quadrant) but SnakeMaster still happily posed.
At this rather anti-climatic point, we decided to call it a day, loaded back up, and stopped for ice cream on our way back to our home base.
Kcinnova's World 
Thank you! I am a regular visitor to Chincoteague and I always love seeing other’s photos to remind me of my annual trip. I get nailed by the mosquitos too, but this year I only had three bites. I tried a lemon balm/eucalyptus oil and it really seemed to work well without the DEET
Looks like you planned everything perfectly. That is so great. I love the ocean pictures. Sooooo much water! I miss the ocean!
How wonderful. It’s been ages since I’ve seen the ocean. I must get back to the coast one day. That umbrella photo really grabbed me.. so colourful and whimsical.
How fun. I love the man vs nature 🙂 And that light house is spectacular. Of course a beach scene wouldn’t be complete without pink toenails covered with sand LOL 🙂 Very well done. Okay I’m gonna ask a question. I figure hell, if ya don’t ask ya never will know. Why are the Chincoteague ponies famous? Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thom, the Chincoteague Ponies are most famous because of the book Misty of Chincoteague. There is a question of where they originally came from: was it a shipwreck (ponies swam to the island for safety and survival) or are they descendants of horses owned by early settlers who decided that it was easier to keep them on the island than build fences on the mainland?
They are small because of their limited food supply, and their bellies tend to be round because of the saline content in the food.
We were at the beach this weekend, too, and the surf was mad crazy at Chatham!!! Lots of seals, too, and jellyfish.
i’ve been up & down the east coast so many times, but NEVER to chincoteague! gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. we were at the beach up in DE this weekend and were worried we’d get hit with one of the various hurricanes, but the weather was perfect. the water was awfully rough, but i was happy enough to sun myself on the beach 🙂
What a great day at the beach–there’s nothing like it!
Love the pink toenails! My friends love having me around when there are mosquitoes out – I am like a magnet for the little blood suckers so my friends are all fine.
Well, you saw a lot MORE of them than WE saw — but we saw them a LOT closer up! Like I could have touched them! IF I were allowed. Isn’t it just beautiful down there? I LOVED it!
Have you tried Avon’s Skin-So-Soft to keep the mosquitoes away? No horrid chemicals, good for your skin, and it smells good, too!
This looks like a great place to spend the day. I am glad you got to see ponies, even if you weren’t closer. A friend of mine went a few years back and never saw even a pony tail!
Hey,. wait a minute, you HAVE the Skin-So-Soft, don’t you? Why weren’t you using it?!
The wind had kept the mosquitoes away and gave me a false sense of security. I know it was false because as soon as I stepped 20 feet into the woods, I was ambushed! Believe me, I made sure I applied it ASAP!
We will have to make it there one year. Emma keeps talking about the horses. We just planned our trip a little too late, so all the good houses were gone by then.
Great pictures…looks like you had a vacation to remember.
Does it make me weird if I say I want to live in a lighthouse? I know it can be inconvenient and lonely. But gawd, what an amazing slice of the planet to call your own!
I’ve felt that way before, too. I’m not sure if it makes us weird or not!