Just Looking Around Chincoteague…

After our somewhat unsatisfactory snack at Ropewalk, it was time for us to check in to our accommodations for the next 2 nights. 

 For some reason, I never did take a photo of the main building/offices for Key West Cottages.  Perhaps it was because my attention was focused on the colorful collection of cottages along the shore and around the facility’s pool.

At this point it wasn’t the prettiest day and a cool breeze was blowing.  I did convince Bill, Bonnie and Laurie to pose on the front porch of our cottage.

The cottage was attractive on the outside and nicely appointed on the inside too!  This view is from our front door toward the little kitchenette with the table, chairs, etc.  Straight back is one bedroom and the other bedroom is through the door on the right.  There are 2 well maintained bathrooms.  

The deck overlooking the water is off the first bedroom.  Laurie just ‘had’ to take a photo of yours truly on the deck overlooking part of the Chincoteague Channel and the VA Hwy 175 Bridge from the mainland.  Chincoteague Bay is on the other side of the bridge. 

Amenities at Key West Cottages include a pool and a beach area overlooking the Chincoteague channel.  You can access the Atlantic Ocean in either direction.  The feet in the photo belong to sisters Laurie and Bonnie.  They ‘chilled’ on the beach for a bit before we started further exploration…  To learn more about Key West Cottages, go to Home - Key West Cottages (kwcottages.com).

The sun came out a bit as the day went on.  So why is Chincoteague a popular tourist attraction?  There are 2 primary reasons.  One of those draws is the Chincoteague Ponies and the annual “Pony Swim” and auction.  The other is the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on adjacent Assateague Island.  The refuge is home to the ponies and a very popular recreational beach.  At the end of September, the number of tourists around was minimal but the bird life was plentiful.  On this first drive through the Refuge, we had no luck in spotting the famous ponies.

There is a $10 daily fee for autos…but my Lifetime Senior Parks Pass had us covered.

Laurie took this photo at far southern end of the beach…at least as far south as a vehicle can venture.  Love the calming sound of the waves…

Upon returning to the main portion of Chincoteague, we ventured north on Main Street to its end.  Along the way, we stopped to take a look at the Captain Timothy Hill House.  It was built ca. 1800.  The first mention of Captain Hill was when he recorded a deed with Accomack County for 30 acres and ‘appendiaries’.  This 1.5 story cabin measures 17 feet 4 inches by 16 feet 4 inches.  At one point the home had a wooden chimney.  It is a rare surviving example of log plank construction in Virginia. 

By 1836 there were 26 houses on Chincoteague Island.  This house is the only survivor.  The home remained in the Hill family until 1979.  The final Hill family birth that took place in this home occurred in 1930.

Then we drove back in the other direction, following Main Street all the way to the south end of the island.  More cabins and other accommodations were noted along the way.  At the end of the road, we noted a number of commercial and charter fishing boats.  The island has been home to commercial fishing for hundreds of years.  Currently the commercial harvest from the sea is focused on blue crabs, lobsters, hard clams, oysters, flounder, monkfish, spot, croakers, sea trout, drum, bluefish, striped bass and sharks.

It was getting a bit darker out so it was time to find some place to eat dinner before retreating to our cozy cottage.

We decided to try something other than seafood.  We’d noticed a couple of locations offering pizza so we looked them up on the Internet and chose the Famous Pizza and Sub Shop.  Note: This photo as well as the next two were borrowed from the Internet.

It certainly isn’t a fancy restaurant or even a fancy pizza joint.  Order at the counter and pay.  Famous Pizza isn’t a diner nor is it a drive-in…although it was doing a nice take out business.  Décor wise, it fits Guy Fieri’s definition of a ‘dive’.

But none of that is really important… It’s all about the food and the pizza!

The fact is that the pizza at Famous Pizza was very good indeed.  The price was right too!  Our Medium Pizza with Pepperoni and Italian Sausage was $15.99…and it was more than we could eat.  Bonnie and Bill ordered a medium size Greek Style Pizza with feta cheese, tomato, onion and black olives. ($16.49) It was more than they could finish too… We talked about taking it back to the cottage and keeping it in the refrigerator for breakfast…but that wasn’t something the ladies would want to start their day.

The menu belies the name.  Famous Pizza and Sub Shop offers much more than the name indicates.  There are seafood items on the menu, baked pasta dishes, burgers, salads, sandwiches, gyros and more.  I think that this restaurant’s website shows their measure of success in Chincoteague.  Check it out at Famous Pizza Family Restaurant | Our Family Feeding Your Family For Over 25 Years (famouspizzaci.com).

That’s about it for now.  Our search for the famous Chincoteague Ponies will resume in my next post.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave