If it’s “off the beaten track” you’re looking for, consider a day trip or an overnight stay on the tiny island of Tangier, Virginia, located in the Chesapeake Bay. Tangier Island is just three miles long, has a resident population of about 600, and a handful of well-cared-for inns and restaurants. In June 2011, my sister, my daughter and I took a day trip from northern Virginia to the charming fishing village on Tangier Island.
The only way to travel to Tangier or Smith Island (nearby) is by boat or small aircraft. The most common (and economical) way is by boat. Passenger ferries leave from Crisfield, MD, Onancoke, VA and Reedsville, VA every day in tourism season, which runs from May through October. Round trip tickets run from $25 (one adult for a day trip) to $40 for an overnight. Children’s tickets sell for $14 for day trips and $20 for an overnight.
Reedsville is a fascinating destination in itself. In the early 1900s it boasted the highest per capita income in the country, due to its profitable fishing industry. As you cruise up the Wicomico River, you’ll pass by downtown Reedsville, where you can see the Gables, a ca. 1914 brick gabled mansion built on the bank by a sea captain. It serves as a gracious inn, open to overnight guests. After passing the Gables, other points of interest include the huge fish cooking factory with its tall brick smokestack, and the lighthouse-adorned piers.
Once on the open waters of the bay, it’s about another hour to the tiny island of Tangier and nearby Smith Island. The Chesapeake Breeze out of Reedville is equipped with snacks, beverages and occasional comments from the driver explaining points along the coast and Tangier Island history and customs. From dock to dock the cruise is an hour and a half.
After centuries of use as an apparent fishing outpost by the Pocomoke Indians, John Smith (of Pocahontas fame!) landed on Tangier and Smith Islands in about 1608, claiming them for England. The island is thought to have been settled by the Crockett family in the 1680s. The island was soon populated with the handful of families who still live there today. The surnames of Crockett, Pruitt, Thomas, Marshall, Parks, Dise and Charnock make up nearly the whole island and have for three centuries. Some of the older residents of Tangier have a unique dialect that is thought to date back to Elizabethan English. The Tangier islanders make their living from the sea, mainly crabbing and fishing. The crab cakes on Tangier are to die for and definitely not to be missed! Our group of three spent about $40 on lunch at Lorraine’s restaurant, and it was worth every penny.
The ambiance of the island is peaceful. It’s very much like stepping into Anne of Green Gables’ Avonlea. The main modes of transportation are feet, bicycyles and golf carts, so it’s a quiet place. The narrow lanes meander past quaint brightly-painted houses, a post office, a school, the Swain Methodist Church which seems to be one of the centerpieces of the community, and a museum. When I signed the guest book at the museum, I caught the attention of the proprietor because my last name is Thomas and my maiden name is Pruitt. Yes, I told her, we came because of genealogical connections, but we’ll come back again someday because it’s such a beautiful and peaceful getaway. The museum has a comprehensive collection of Tangier history. The open waters of the Bay are very much felt here, with long lists of islanders lost at sea over the years, and an impressive list of native Tangiermen who have served their country in the military. Also hinted at in the history of the island is its present dilemma: there are far fewer fishermen, or “watermen” as they call themselves, today than ever before. The crab industry has taken a huge hit from pollution and a resulting drop in the crab population numbers. Nevertheless, crab cakes are a huge draw to the island restaurants, and the piles of crab cages on the numerous docks of the island testify to an active life on the water.
What is there to do on Tangier? Well, once you’ve stuffed yourself with crab cakes, learned all you can learn at the museum, and wandered through the main part of town, the answer is: not much. For my family and I, that was just fine. The peaceful feeling of getting away from it all was priceless. Our walk through the church cemetery gave us a feeling of connection as we read family surnames on stone after stone. The sunshine on the water was mesmerizing, as were the cries of the gulls. We felt a twinge of regret as we hurried back to catch our ferry for the return trip to Reedsville.
sources:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Tangier-Island-and-the-Way-of-the-Watermen.html?c=y&page=1
Wikipedia
History of Tangier (brochure from the island)