Tag: #AssateagueStatePark

Sunrise Paddle Boarding

One thing you can do every morning at Assateague Island is go to the ocean side beach and watch the sunrise. Sometimes the horses beat you there.

These pictures are taken at Assateague State Park.

My last day there, the boys said they wanted to get up and paddle board at sunrise. I did not believe them as they have been staying up late ghost crabbing until midnight etc.

Sure enough one of the boys and his dad made their way to the beach after I did and went out paddle boarding. There was cloud cover near the horizon, so the sun did not actually appear until a little after sunrise. The sky was purplish.

Paddle boarder gets a good view of a pelican that flies right in front of him.

At this time of the morning I usually see pelicans flying low over the crests of the waves going south and returning north. The above paddle boarder had the experience of a group of pelicans flying right in front of him on his way out.

The boy and his father went pretty far out but had trouble travelling north. The currents out there were going in two directions.

For the days I was there I was the only one who got up each day to watch the sunrise.

The other boys made it out to watch the two brave the ocean during sunrise. Usually several people are on the beach each morning at the state park for the rising of the sun. Just another way to enjoy Assateague Island!

Clam Pasta with White Sauce

What do you do after clamming on the bay at Assateague Island? Cook them!

There is a whole process of soaking them in water and changing it out mixing between salt water and fresh water. This process takes a while. We did not eat the clams the day we caught them, but the next day. I would say read up on any directions on-line on how to prepare clams.

Boiling Them

The process of cooking them that they followed involved boiling them until the shells open. They were planning on cooking them in sauce after they remove them.

Then they transferred them to another container to have their shuckers remove the clams from the shells.

Below is what they look like after boiling them.

Removing them from the Shell

Use a knife or a clamming knife to remove the clam from the shell.

Responsible kids can take part in this.

Cut Them Into Pieces

If you are putting it into pasta, you may want to cut the clam into smaller pieces.

Making the Sauce

Next they cooked the white sauce then spread it over pasta.

Result

The result was well liked. The location was the Assateague State Park Campground. This is another activity kids can be involved in.

Clamming at Assateague 2023

Where to Clam?

Assateague Island State Park Boat Launch

Assateague Island National Seashore - Camping Map

The best places to go are on the bay side of the island and some areas along the mainland side of the bay. Some areas near beaches or access points near the bay may be picked over by others before you. If you can go by kayak, canoe, or paddle board, it may be better to put in on the mainland side of the Verrazano Bridge. You can see the boat launch on the upper middle section of this map.

National Park Boat Launches

Assateague Island Maps | NPMaps.com - just free maps, period.

There are good places to launch on the National Park land. Follow the signs after you cross the bridge and travel on Bayberry Road. There are a couple of places with obvious areas with a lot of extra stone on the shoulder roadside to park and launch before you get to the park tollbooth. These are free spots on the right. I recommend also launching from Old Ferry Landing Road launch. This is after the tollbooth, so you need to pay. There are paved parking spots at the launch and one restroom. If you are a veteran you may be eligible for a free lifetime National Park Pass. I believe there is also a pass for seniors. Otherwise, it is over $20 to enter the park for day use. I believe this covers multiple days though.

What Do You Need?

To make it easier, there are certain tools you can bring to clam. Some people bring a rake to scrap or dig up the clam. Many times just by rubbing your foot along the bottom while standing you can feel where they are. The rake can be used to loosen them. Others use a rake with a basket where they can scoop up the clam. Kids however seem to enjoy swimming down to grab them. Bring buckets to hold them clams in with water as well.

Sometimes other things come up with the clam.
A combination rake with basket.
Sometimes you can find multiple clams in the same location.
He liked to dive under the water to bring them up.
She was very happy to find some on her own and add to the effort.
He found a lot of large clams in chest deep water.

Notice in all the above shots clams were not found in shallow water. Sometimes you can find them there but also look in deeper water sometimes as well.

Official bucket holder and clam collector.
Heading back after collecting 120 or more clams.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience. We all returned after about an hour and a half out on the water on our kayaks and paddle boards. Sometimes finding your own food is an adventure.

(Maps are free and from websites online: https://www.assateagueisland.com/campingmap_statepark.htm. https://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/assateague-island-inset-map.jpg)

Sunrise Horse

I made a short trip to Assateague Island, Maryland for a few days to meet friends who secure a campsite every year. To get the week they want, they have four devices up and ready to click at the moment the campsites go up on the website for that week the following year. One device got the reservation. I guess July is the harder month to try to reserve because schools in the southern U.S. and north both have off that entire month, whereas June and August they don’t.

This horse was on the beach at sunrise at the state park camper’s beach. I was there three days and two of the days at sunrise the horses were there to watch the sun come up. The beach is a short walk from the campsites and over a dune. It is worth getting up at 5 or 5:30 to watch the beautiful sunrise with the added bonus of horses!

Tie Dye Tuesdays at Assateague State Park

There is more than wild horses on the beach at Assateague. Every Tuesday during the summer at Assateague State Park they have Tie Dye Tuesdays after dinner and before dark. This is one activity the whole family can take part in.

Rubber Banding It

First you buy a shirt from the park at a nominal fee or bring your own. Next, you get the shirt wet under a faucet. Then, they have a printed guide on hand with examples to show you different patterns you can make via tie dye and how you would arrange the shirt and band it.

This was one of the ways to band the shirt.
As you can see this one was more in a circle kind of shape.
Applying the Dye

You can either use a squeeze container filled with dye to squirt on the fabric.

Or you can dunk all or a portion of the shirt into a bucket filled with dye.

If you fill in the gaps with as much dye as you can you are more likely to have less white in your final product.

They had the option after you bought their shirt of having an Assateague 2022 stamp applied to the shirt.

The end result. What a cool shirt! It appeared fun was had by all who participated. If you are camping at the state park side of Assateague, Maryland, try Tie Dying a shirt on Tuesdays. It is a colourful way to remember your stay.

Oyster Catcher

There is a lot more to Assateague Island in Maryland than the wild horses. There are many different kinds of birds you can see from the ocean side and the bay side of the island. One such bird is the American Oyster Catcher.

I like the way it walked at times lifting his leg up high like he was marching.

I did see an oyster catcher briefly early in the morning around sunrise on the ocean side at the state park beach. I only saw one. However, when I went kayaking from the bay side launch later in the morning at the Assateague Island National Park I saw some walking around the edge of an island in the bay. This one went in and out of the water.

This oyster catcher appears to be holding a razor clam.

I was lucky enough to catch it bring up a shell with an animal protruding out. It appears to be a razor clam. This oyster catcher seemed quite proud of his catch as he walked around with it for a while. Their diet consists of shell fish such as clams and oysters.

He is back to looking for food.

I did not know I was able to get this bird with its prey until I started looking at the photos on my computer after my trip. If you hang out long enough, are patient and take lots of snaps hoping for the best, you may get lucky.

A Horse’s Guide to How to Get in a Selfie

Assateague Horses

Where can you go to see wild horses and enjoy a beach at the same time? One place is Assateague Island in Maryland. The following pictures were taken early morning at Assateague State Park. This park is next to the Assateague Island National Seashore where there are also wild horses.

Being friendly or true love?
Watching over the new one
The friendly one

Two out of the three mornings I was there I saw horses at sunrise on the beach. They will wander through the campgrounds at the state park and national park. They say to keep a distance away from them as they are wild and can charge. I tried to keep a distance, but the one above kept getting close to me. He was good at posing for pictures.

Go some place different and experience something you have not experienced previously. It will enrich your life.

Ghost Crabbing

What is a ghost crab? A ghost crab is a sand coloured crab that comes out at night. The Atlantic ghost crab lives on beaches that are not crowded along most of the Atlantic coast. A fun activity while visiting Assateague Island is Ghost crabbing.

I followed this group on Assateague Island at the State Park. The beaches at the state park for campers are great places to find the Ghost Crab as they are not crowded during the day. If you are in Assateague head to the beach at night and see if you can catch these quick crustaceans.

When to Find Them

Since ghost crabs burrow in the sand during the day and emerge at night, the best time to try to catch them is after it gets dark. They say the younger ones burrow closer to the ocean while the older ones burrow farther away.

What To Bring

Bring a net as these crabs can scurry quickly. Also bring a flashlight, but a headlamp as this girl is wearing makes it easier to catch them because you then have two hands free.

How to Catch Them

When you shine a flashlight on the ghost crab if freezes momentarily. Then it scurries away. The best time to try to catch them is when they freeze.

Catch and Release

When you are finished, release the crabs. I understand people do not eat these. No ghost crabs were harmed in this activity.

The next morning I saw many remains of ghost crabs next to the water. There are birds that like to catch them and eat them when the sun starts to rise.

Get out and enjoy nature! Expand your knowledge and have fun while you do.