A Trip Back in Time

Upon leaving Solomons we sailed back across the Chesapeake to one of, if not our favorite place on the Bay - Tangier Island.  Tangier is a small - about 6 miles long by 1 mile wide island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay just south of the Maryland/Virginia state line.  Approximately 450 people reside there and most have lived there their entire lives and are decendants of the same.  They live a simple life that reminds us of "the way things used to be".  The people are very friendly, politically conservative (may be one reason we like it so much!) have high morals and are very patriotic.  You see American flags and buntings everywhere and this island has sent many of it's sons and daughters to serve in our military.  All of the names of those whose lives were sacrificed in battle are engraved on memorials in front of the Methodist Church. 

It was just wonderful to visit with our friend Milton Parks, owner of Parks Marina.  We first visited this very special island about five years ago for the first time and have loved every visit since.  Unfortunately, it has been three years since our last visit and we were long overdue for our "Tangier fix"!  As soon as Mr. Parks made his way out to assist with our tie up last week the first thing he said after "hey" was "how long has it been since you were here"?  That was a nice welcome!  Happy Birthday Milton, who will be 82 in just a couple of weeks!  We love you and your island!

Tangier is the softshell crab capitol of the world.  Many generations of watermen have put in longer days than most of us can fathom - setting and checking their crabpots and then sorting the softshells from the rest of the blue crabs.  Many of them have not only their own deadrise crab boats but also a "crab shanty" where they process their catch.  These shanties line the canal that cuts right through the island from east to west.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy took out a few of them last year.  You can see one that is falling into the water.

 As you walk from Parks Marina to vist the rest of the island you immediately come to "the center of town" where there are a couple of restaurants, ice cream parlors, a small grocery store and the Methodist Church (steeple in background).

On Tangier there are very few cars - mostly limited to the policeman (singular) and firemen.  Everyone else rides a bike, a motor scooter or a golf cart.  Lots and lots of golf carts!  There are a couple of bridges over the marshlands similar to this one.

Scenes of Tangier

Tangier School

New medical center

Parks Marina

This will be my last post for awhile as we are leaving the boat for a few weeks to visit family and attend our nieces wedding.  We'll be back sometime in August and will begin making our way south.  Until then!