Virginia’s Eastern Shore can be boiled down to great hospitality, quiet corners, and pristine beaches. As mentioned in the “Great Dismal Swamp” post, Virginia has been a magical place. Our time here has consisted of a burgeoning restaurant scene and access to beautiful bays and sandy beaches all accessed from a 1970s Airstream parked on an organic farm adjacent to Hungers Bay. We found the farm, which is situated on a high bank of the bay, through Air BnB. The hosts, MJ and Susanne, were especially hospitable allowing us access to their sandy beach, variety of watercraft, and in-ground pool. This location is like an adult playground and the hosts are knowledgeable stewards of their community. Our hosts instantly welcomed us into their home and invited us to breakfast. We discussed local attractions and historical tidbits over fresh bagels, lox, and eggs.
Beached on the Eastern Shore
It was from that Airstream where we set out on our day’s adventure. Following a tip from MJ, we decided to paddle south from his property to a sand bar just out in the Chesapeake Bay. It wasn’t more than a half-hour paddle if that. As we made our way to the desired spot, we passed an aquaculture farm for clams and patches of tall seagrass. This was the first time we decided to use someone else’s canoe for our adventure. The vessel is a bit smaller than our Old Town, but it was the perfect size for this excursion. Once the white hull skidded onto the ground we knew we were in the right spot. We found the sandbar.
At first, we needed an anchor to keep our location, but after a short time, as the water receded, we were fully beached and our day in the sun began in earnest. The water was as warm as a baby’s bath. It was shallow as long as the tide was low to the point where we were able to walk for several hundred feet from the sandbar before the water was up to our knees. The finely ground sand pressed firmly against the arches of my feet and between my toes. What else is there to do at this point besides soak up the rays and wade in the bay?
Running and Relaxing
Rigby especially liked to frolic in the miniature waves and took to some swimming as we enticed her to move deeper and deeper into the water. Then, we would race her back to the sandbar with the dog winning most meets by a hair. Of course, our four-legged friend was more or less trotting as her human counterparts were sprinting full speed pulling their knees and feet out of the water before leaping through the air only to tromp down with a splash. The races lasted 30 seconds. After about 10 minutes both the canine and humans were ready for some refreshments and relaxation.
Aside from a few boats, we had the area by and large to ourselves. We did, however, meet Chuck and his dog, Max. Both are local community members. They were friendly and shared stories of history and community on the Eastern Shore. We occupied that sandbar for several hours until the tides flooded back in and began to knock on the boat’s hull. At that point, we decided to retreat to higher ground and take solace poolside where we could relax under the Crepe Myrtle outlining swimming pool. Here, we cooled off and snuck naps between sipping beverages and floating on the inflatables.
The Eastern Shore is on our shortlist for revisits. The bay was exquisite both for bathing and sightseeing. The food in closeby Cape Charles was tasty and reasonably priced. The people at each of our stops were welcoming and helpful. This is a trip that everyone should complete once in their lives.
