Excursions: A Spy at Chincoteague

Located along the Atlantic Flyway (a migratory bird route along the East Coast), the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is a fine place for a spy to come in from the cold. This past week, the first of tens of thousands of snow geese began arriving (they winter in the refuge), so while all eyes were watching the white V-formations in the sky, I turned the black Citroen into the parking lot of the Best Western on Maddox Boulevard.

I’ve been staying there for years, checking in under a variety of aliases, and yet no matter what name I use or costume I adopt, the uniformed clerks at the front desk treat me like a treasured and loyal patron. I highly recommend the place: the rooms are large and spotless, the free breakfast (eggs, bacon, waffles, etc.) is generous, and no matter who you are or pretend to be, the BW staff will treat you as if you are British Royalty.

For shoppers, there's plenty to do downtown.

Since the refuge is a habitat for migratory birds, there are a lot of birders on site, i.e., people who roam about with binoculars and cameras stuck to their faces. They are watching waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds, and for this reason, a spy can move about largely unnoticed.

The famous wild ponies of Assateague Island are a big draw. To explain: the refuge is actually on Assateague Island, which is connected to Chincoteague by a narrow bridge. There are two herds of ponies: the Maryland band lives on the northern section of the island, and the Chincoteague ponies, the larger herd, live on the Virginia side. Along the main road through the park, en route to the beach, people plop tripods along the shoulder hoping to spot the ponies grazing on marsh grasses or drinking at freshwater ponds. I have never found this necessary, as the ponies are magnetically drawn to the Spy car. The official brown park signs say: Please don’t feed the ponies, but they do not say: Please don’t feed the ponies information.

I can tell you this much: the two herds trade top-secret tidbits among themselves. How do they move messages across state lines, you might ask? Well, cleverly, by way of “the Roundup.” Sponsored by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company (owner and manager of the Virginia herd), the Roundup occurs every year on the last Wednesday and Thursday in July. Horseback riders gather the ponies and drive them across the channel to the Chincoteague carnival grounds, where some of the ponies, the ones who don’t know how to keep a secret, are sold at auction. The rest are returned to the island.

Up and coming: special agent, Buddy Greenleaf

After I’ve had my fill of birds, ponies and various other mammals–Sika Elk, River Otter, the rare and exquisite Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel–I head for the main attraction: the perfect, unspoiled beach. From Maui to the Mediterranean, I’ve walked lots of gorgeous beaches, but truly, it doesn’t get better than this. Keyword: clean.

I’ve saved mentioning the very best of the wildlife for last, the Chincoteague oyster. Salty, plump, sublimely delicious. If you have never had a true Chincoteague oyster, come here first. Eat them on the half shell at The Village Inn, where the shuckers apparently don’t know how to count, or else think 13, 14 or 15 is a dozen. Beware when ordering Chincoteague oysters in certain wanton mid-Atlantic cities. Unscrupulous types ship oysters to Chincoteague for overnighting in the clean salty waters, and then pass them off in restaurants as Chincoteague oysters. The connoisseur will detect the difference at once, with or without a registered iSpy Bivalve Scanner™.

Foodies should try the Sea Shell Café for European bistro-style food. It opened last year and has been getting consistently great reviews. The clam chowder is so good that, hard as I try, I cannot decode messages while eating it. And that’s saying something!

I rented a one-speed for $3 per hour.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Three hour drive from Chestertown. Most of the refuge is located on the Virginia end of Assateague Island; about a third is on the Maryland side. Only the ponies know when and how they first arrived on the island. If you’re curious, just ask one, but be prepared to bargain.