When planning a family vacation along the USA east coast, one of the destinations worth considering is Chincoteague Island Virginia. This beautiful island is located within a few hours of Baltimore, Washington DC or Norfolk Virginia. Located on the eastern shore of Virginia, Chincoteague Island is easy to reach and a relatively inexpensive vacation resort.
Chincoteague Island has something for every member of the family. The island is best known for its wild ponies, made famous by the novels "Misty of Chincoteague", "Stormy" and others. Also famous for it's seafood, Chincoteague is home to excellent local oysters, clams, flounder and other delicacies.
Families can spend time together, as well as find activities for any member of the group. Men might enjoy local fishing while ladies explore the shops and boutiques. Kids will be delighted to see and touch local wild ponies, swim at the sandy beaches or enjoy miniature golf or a scooter rental.
Downtown Chincoteague is a mix of art, clothing, restaurants and specialty food shops. Artists display every manner of nautical art, including decoys, wildlife carvings, sculpture, pottery, photographs, paintings and more.
Minutes from Chincoteague is Assateague Island. Sharing the island is Assateague National Sea Shore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is one of the most popular USA, especially among bird watchers. Ducks, geese, swans, egrets, herons, and dozens of other shorebirds are seen here. Upon entering the refuge, Birdwatchers can check in at the visitors center, then make the short drive to the beach, explore the seashore and hike the many trails. Of particular interest to birders is the Wildlife Loop, which leads thru forest, marsh, and the lagoon.
Beach lovers will find beautiful sandy beaches, both on the oceanside and along Tom's cove. Visitors can swim, sunbathe, walk the beaches, search for shells, and spot wild ponies on the beach and porpoises in the ocean.
Anglers will find Chincoteague to be a good place to take a fishing vacation. There is surf fishing, pier fishing, flounder fishing, deep sea fishing, crabbing, clamming and more. The waters are also a great place to powerboat, sail, jet ski or kayak.
The combination of small town atmosphere, local art, recreation, scenery, abundant wildlife and great beaches make this among the best values in family vacations along the eastern seaboard.
We flew into San Francisco, where we rented a car and hit the road. We started our perfect family vacation by driving along a coastal road and watching the fog lift to reveal the ocean in all its immensity and beauty. We then stopped at a cute little restaurant where we could gaze out at a harbor filled with boats coming and going.
After a delightful meal we headed further South where we visited an aquarium. What an amazing place to see. There were sting rays you could touch, little sharks that would stick their heads out of the water to look up at you, and all other kinds of sea life. It was an experience that will stay with me throughout my life.
Upon returning to San Francisco we walked along the beach front and took pictures before calling it a night. The next day we headed to Alcatraz for a tour. It was fascinating to see how the prisoners there had lived. We also had the opportunity to meet an author who had written a book on Alcatraz that included information about the famous inmates from there. He signed our copy and I had most of it read before we returned from our vacation.
The next jaunt in our perfect family vacation was the Winchester Mystery House. There is nothing else like it. It was built by the widow of one of the Winchester heirs. She lost her small child and then her husband within a short time of one another and went crazy. She believed that the only way to keep bad spirits at bay was to continuously build on her house. This meant building around the clock and adding rooms, closets, etc. randomly, continuously expanding. There is a staircase that goes nowhere (it connects with the ceiling), a door on the second floor that opens into midair, and a cupboard that is only about an inch deep. It is a truly incredible house to walk through.
Before catching our return flight and ending our perfect family vacation we explored the Maritime Park. This is along the beach and consists of several old ships you can walk through. They still have small room with signs showing you where the different crew members worked and slept.
This was our perfect family vacation. Everything went well and we enjoyed all of the interesting sights. We all had our favorite parts about the trip, but nothing we did was dull.
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John C. Banks has sinced written about articles on various topics from Beach Vacation, Fishing and Gardening. The author is a small business web designer, recreational angler and owner of several outdoor websites. See for more information abo. John C. Banks's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
Sarah J Holt has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Travel and Leisure and Family Travel. Sarah Holt writes for Everything About Travel .com. For more on , as well as a free "Travel Secrets" e-book, travel stories and tips, visit. Sarah J Holt's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.