If you want to be totally away from the crowds and hustle and bustle with a glimpse of another time in history, visit this tiny fishing village. The area is known for oysters and soft-shelled crabs. The island shores overflow with crab farms, fishing crafts, and sailing boats. The Tangier fishermen have supplied the Eastern Shore of Maryland with crabs and oysters since the 1800s. Tangier Island today is a mixture of old and new. 70% of the residents make their living on the water and along with other bayside communities, supply a great amount of the nation’s seafood. The majority of the people still follow the Methodist Religion. And, today, like in 1800 the population is mainly Crocketts and their descendants.
Ground burial is not an option on the island so a very interesting sight was the concrete burial vaults in the front yards of many homes where descendants of family members were buried. The surrounding marshlands and high water level are the cause of many mosquitoes; a beautiful sight are the many egrets and birds in the marshes.
We found the beach area and parked our rented golf cart and were immediately inundated with mosquitoes. There were many jelly fish in the water so we abandoned the beach, hopped back on the cart stopping at the half dozen or so non-descript souvenir shops, exploring the island sights and stopping for ice cream. The main happening after dinner was again riding around town in the golf cart; this time accompanied by many town residents who waved as you passed by. Once it started getting dark, very few people were out as there were no streetlights and we were fearful of running into the water on the golf cart. We giggled like children as we drove wherever we wanted around town, across the several wooden planked bridges covering the marshes. People very politely yielded the right of way on some of the narrow bridges as only one cart could pass at a time. We did nothing and it was great fun!
For over 30 years a visiting doctor has been making "island calls" twice weekly by airplane on the tiny airfield landing strip. A Baltimore State Police helicopter airlifted a young boy after a minor mishap; this created much interest. After riding around the island several times, it dawned on us that the airstrip was located just behind our B&B.
Quick Tips:
People arriving by ferry quickly rent golf carts ()and you might not have one if you are staying overnight. However once the ferry departed at 2pm, Kathy Crockett the owner of our B&B had a cart for us to rent. Because we were staying at the B&B the charge for one day was and overnight. We elected to keep the cart overnight as the weather was extremely hot on our visit and walking around in the heat wasn't too pleasant. Neither my husband nor I had ever driven a golf cart. It was quite an experience. It took a few minutes to figure out that you only had to turn the key for the battery then shift into gear to get the cart moving. We had a good laugh as we couldn't figure out why the motor did not turn over like a car.
Tangier is a "DRY ISLAND" . No alcoholic beverages are sold but you are welcome to bring your own and be discreet.
No cars are on the island; only service vehicles for construction and repairs. This island will not be for everyone. There are no luxuries, limited accommodations and just three restaurants, a sandwich shop and the ice cream shop. Most restaurants only open for lunch when the ferries arrive, close for a few hours and reopen for dinner but close early, about 7pm. The sandwich shop was the only place open late in the evening where we drove to on our golf cart for ice cream as we were reluctant to end the day. It was rather a greasy spoon serving fast food and not very appealing.
Even with the mosquito problem we just loved the ambiance of this area and its friendly and laid-back people. We do plan to return for another visit.
Best Way To Get Around:
Our destination for this road trip was Onancock, VA., approximately 300 miles from New York City area where we would board a ferryboat to Tangier Island. Tangier is about 6 miles below the Maryland-Virginia state line. Access to the island is by airplane or ferryboat from Crisfield, MD., Reedville, VA. and Onancock, VA.
Be sure to check departure times as ferry crossings differ depending on which dock you leave from either in MD or VA.
We purchased our tickets for the Capt. Eulice ferry about 30 minutes before the 10am departure time at the boat's loading dock at Onancock Wharf. We arrived the day before to be able to make the 10am ferry.
Free overnight parking was available at the dock when visiting Tangier Island overnight. The round trip ferry cost for ages 13 and up and for kids ages 4-12. No Charge for kids under 4. Cash only.
If taking the ferry from Onancock, it returns to the mainland at 2pm. The ferry ride takes approximately 75-90 minutes. As we cruised the Chesapeake Bay we spotted several magnificent osprey nesting.
www.tangierisland-va.com.
Upon arrival at Tangier, we were met by Kathy Crockett the owner of the B&B; she picked us up in a golf car to transport us with our luggage to the B&B, less than 5 minutes away.
If you like to walk, bicycle, rent golf carts or motor scooters, this is your only method of transportation on the island. There are only two streets that are 8-10 feet wide.
Most visitors are usually day-trippers who arrive by ferry perhaps have lunch, spend a few hours returning to the mainland on the afternoon ferries. You can see most of the island in about 20 minutes and everything is within 5 minutes of each other.