Wild Islands of Virginia

Update: is the fate of Assateague ponies endangered by man? Click here for the latest.

For many years, a book about a mysterious ship wreck and its cargo of ponies bound for the New World and two children has captured the imagination of countless baby boomers. BoomerCafé co-founder and publisher David Henderson, himself a boomer, recently revisited the actual scene of the story –

It was one of the most alluring places of my youth – two islands off the coast of Virginia – Assateague and Chincoteague. The last time I was here was about 40 years ago when I was in my teens.

The two islands – named by early Virginia Indian tribes – are long and narrow and haven’t really changed from the way I remember them. Assateague is the barrier island and the longest, protecting Chincoteague from storms.

Herds of wild Moor ponies have roamed Assateague for centuries. As legend has it, a Spanish galleon wrecked on the dangerous shoals offshore in the Atlantic sometime in the 17th century, and its cargo of ponies from Europe swam to safety on the island.

Treacherous currents off Assateague have caused thousands of shipwrecks for as long as anyone has kept track, from the time when America was first discovered until today. The skeletons of early sailing ships can be discovered occasionally today when revealed by sand and wind. It’s a harsh and beautiful environment on Assateague, now a national park.

Chincoteague is separated from Assateague by a few hundred yards of water and has long been a quaint thriving fishing village. Some visitors say the town today reminds them of the way Martha’s Vineyard use to be, many years ago.

I learned about the ponies and the islands from a book – Misty of Chincoteague – that my mother first read to me when I was a child. When I learned to read, I revisited the story many times, and read the book to my children.

Misty of Chincoteague by author Marguerite Henry is a true and timeless story of two children who lived in the village and their love of the one particular pony, Misty. Chances are you’ve either read or heard of the book which was popular when many baby boomers were children.

What’s special is that when you visit Chincoteague, you can stay in the same room in Miss Molly’s boarding house – now a B&B – where Henry wrote the story.

Yet, the best part of any visit is time on Assateague … walking the wide beaches that seemingly go on forever … climbing the original 140-year-old lighthouse right up to the top. Look out at the sea and the sand and the island covered with pine … and hope, just wish, to get a glimpse of the ponies.