adventure outfit that can
take you on paddling
tours of the nearby
wetlands and sea islands,
and arrange rentals
of kayaks, stand-up
paddleboards (SUP)
and sailing craft (small
Hobies).The Drive » Bethany Beach is
5 miles north of Fenwick Island
State Park on DE-1. Along the
way you’ll pass a few private
beach communities; be warned
that there are children at play
and speed limits in these parts
are enforced pretty mercilessly.6 Bethany Beach
If you’re coming from
the south, BethanyBeach is the first of the
three Delaware resort
towns – Bethany, Dewey
and Rehoboth. You’ll
know you’ve reached
Bethany when you see
Chief Little Owl, a 24ft
stylized totem pole
meant to represent the
indigenous Nanticoke
Indians, sculpted by
Hungarian artist Peter
Wolf Toth.
Bethany is the most
family-friendly beach in
the area. It also boasts
something like a real
town center, which
neither of the other two
beaches can claim. In the
early 20th century, the
only way here was viaan exhausting series of
travel exchanges: by train
to Baltimore, then a boat
across the Chesapeake, a
train to Rehoboth Beach
and finally a small boat
to Bethany.
A trolley (25 cents)
runs throughout town
from 9:30am to 10pm
during the summer. Kids
and the science-inclined
will enjoy the exhibits
and nature trail at the
Bethany Beach Nature
Center (%302-537-7680;
807 Garfield Pkwy; h10am-
3pm Thu-Sat, to 2pm Sun).
A bandstand in the
middle of town features
live performances on
weekends.SALTWATER COWBOYS
Roughly 300 horses, more commonly referred to as ‘ponies’ by locals, roam
Assateague Island, itself split by a fence between Assateague Island National
Seashore (in Maryland) and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (in Virginia).
While they’re often described as wild, the horses are in fact feral; their ancestors
were domesticated, but for generations they have lived a wild existence.
The small (average 13.2 hands high) animals are officially classified as
‘Assateague horses,’ and they’re a sight, galloping across the dunes and surf like
something out of a fantasy novel. The horses come in solid and pinto colors, and
were made famous by Marguerite Henry’s children’s book Misty of Chincoteague
(later adapted for the big screen as Misty). Legend has it the herd is descended
from the equine survivors of wrecked Spanish galleons, but a more plausible theory
is they were released by colonists looking to avoid stock taxes.
Rangers give the Assateague ponies contraceptives to prevent overpopulation,
but they are otherwise left alone. The Chincoteague ponies, on the other hand, are
owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Every year, in midsummer,
thousands of spectators gather for the Chincoteague Pony Swim (www.
chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide). During this event, ‘Saltwater Cowboys’ herd the
wild horses on the Virginia side of the island and swim them across Assateague Bay
to Chincoteague Island. The horses make landfall at Memorial Park (7427 Memorial
Park Dr, Chincoteague Island) and are paraded to local carnival grounds for a next-day
auction (at the time of writing, the average price of a horse was about $1440).
Some horses are sent back to the wild to replenish the herd.
If you’re in Delmarva during July, we highly recommend checking out the swim and
attendant fair, which we’d go as far as to say is the biggest regional holiday in the area.WASHINGTON.DC,.MARYLAND.&.DELAWARE.TRIPS19
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