28 Jun - Assateague Lighthouse

Long drive north today to see the Assateague Lighthouse which is located on Virginia end of the Assateague Island.  To get there from Virginia Beach, we had to drive approximately 222 miles round trip, over the Chesapeake Bay via the 20-mile long, four lane Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  

There are actually two tunnels on that bridge, the Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel (southern) and the Chesapeake Channel Tunnel (northern).  We were of course driving the truck without our trailer, but always taking notice of signs about overhead clearance which is 13' 6".  There are signs saying trailers are prohibited, but we sure saw a lot of them.  The lanes are none too wide and it is two-way traffic inside the tunnels, so you have to really pay attention when you are driving something as wide as the dually.  

For those who travel bridges and tunnels all the time this is probably no big deal, but we enjoyed it.  A few pictures (this is headed from the south end to the north end):

A long drive on the bridge before you get to the first tunnel

Heading down to the entrance of the tunnel

Entering the first tunnel

Inside the first tunnel.  Amazingly bright.  Sirius XM, cell phones, radios stations, etc lose signal in there 

There is indeed light at the end of the tunnel

Emerging from the first tunnel

Lanes split into separate northbound and southbound

Here you can see the entrance and exit of the northern tunnel

Entrance to the northern tunnel

I though they said no trailers?!

In we go

Looks like the other one

Daylight in sight!

One more bridge until we get back on land!

So that was interesting!  I had no idea the Chesapeake was that wide.  As soon as we got over the bridge and back on land we stopped at a rest area for a quick break as we did not know what would be available at the lighthouse. 

75 miles further north and we arrived at Chincoteague Island.  From there we crossed over to Assateague Island and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge where the Assateague Lighthouse is located.  

The original lighthouse was built in 1833 for $55,000. In 1860 they started building a taller brick lighthouse, but it was delayed by the Civil War. After the war, work resumed and the lighthouse was completed in 1867. The lighthouse is 142-foot-tall with a base of over 27 feet in diameter and the lights can be seen 19 miles out to sea. 

To get to the lighthouse you have to park and then walk down a 1/4 mile trail through the woods. Because we had Liberty with us, I stayed in the truck with her (no dogs allowed in the park), and Doreen walked the trail.  We knew before we drove up here the lighthouse was closed to climbing.

Doreen was riddled with mosquito bites from her stroll through the woods, but was glad she got to visit this lighthouse.  To top things off we went seeking the elusive stamp for her passport.  We tried the Visitor center, but it had not yet reopened since COVID.  She did find a park ranger who pointed us to another office, so we headed towards the beach.  

The drive to the beach gave us the opportunity to look for the wild horses this island is noted for. Doreen did spot some a long ways out but we did not get any pictures. There is quite a story about the horses here. Their ancestors are supposedly survivors of a shipwreck off shore.  Each year there is a Chincoteague festival called "Pony Penning.'' On the last Wednesday of July, the horses are rounded up and swum to Chincoteague Island. On the following day most of the young foals are auctioned off. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department.

One of the "pen" areas

We continued down towards the beach and I dropped Doreen off at the building and continued to a turn-around where the beach area was visible.  Wow, tons of beach goers and a beautiful beach!

The Rangers in that building re-directed us to the main gate, so on our way out we stopped there and sure enough they had the elusive stamp!

With that completed, "mission complete", so we headed back towards Virginia Beach.  Re-entering Chincoteague Island we passed the Wallop NASA Flight Facility.  They also have a visitor center there and  I really wanted to stop and see it, but it was still closed due to COVID.  

A display at the closed visitor center

On the other side of the road from the visitor center is an area that looks like an airport but is a maze of spacecraft tracking antennas and other equipment.  

From the NASA Launch web page, in July the Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Mission-16
to the International Space Station will launch from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia!  Wished we could have visited it!

So southbound we went and soon we were crossing the bridge and tunnels again.  The water in the Chesapeake Bay is almost indescribably blue!  Beautiful, especially from the bridge.

Tomorrow we will work around here, probably pick up a few groceries at the NAS Oceana Commissary, and prepare to bug out on Thursday morning.  We have really enjoyed our stay at Virginia Beach, but are looking forward to our next stop which is near Williamsburg VA.  More history!