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Patricia
Cornwell used Tangier Island as
a site of a gruesome murder in
her thriller, Unnatural
Exposure
But you will
find the island a quiet retreat
where the only crime may be a
golf cart driven too fast by a
fisherman.
In 1608 Captain John Smith,
who charted so many of
Virginia’s waters, stopped at
an island in the Chesapeake
Bay and named it Tangier
after the Moroccan coast he
thought it resembled. Located
15 miles from the Maryland
shore and 20 miles from the
Virginia mainland, Tangier was
a hunting and fishing grounds
for the Pocomoke Indians. An
Englishman named West
purchased the island from the
Pocomokes in 1666 for two
overcoats. In another two
decades John Crockett, who was
attracted by the rich oyster
and crab grounds, bought part
of the island from West and
settled in Tangier with his
family. Even today the fewer
than 1,000 residents of this
isolated island retain an old
English accent more
reminiscent of 17th-century
Elizabethan England than
20th-century Virginia.
It is hard
to image 12,000 British
soldiers on this tiny 3
½-by-1-mile island, but this
was their staging area for the
attack on Baltimore in the War
of 1812. The beach from which
they embarked has now been
reclaimed by the sea.
Erosion, an ever-present
threat, has made the islanders
put their small white frame
houses far back from the
shore. There are only a few
cars; visitors tour on golf
carts along the narrow roads,
or ride bikes they rent or
bring aboard the excursion
boats. Inquire about
arrangements when you make
reservations for the island
trip; call (804) 453-2628.
Getting to Tangier is half the
fun. During the summer months
the ferry, Chesapeake Breeze,
leaves Reedville at 10:00 A.M.
(a two-hour drive from Richmond)
and returns at 3:45 P.M.
Reedville is the center of the
Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishing
industry and on your way across
the bay you’re likely to see
fishermen setting their big nets
around huge schools of fish.
It’s an 1 ½ trip to Tangier, but
the breeze off the water makes
it pleasant even on the hottest
summer day. You can also catch
the boat at Onancock (see
selection) or from Crisfield,
Maryland. From mid-May through
October the cruise ship
Stephen Thomas sails from
Crisfield daily at 12:30 P.M.
and begins the return trip from
Tangier at 4:00 P.M., call (410)
968-2338 for details. Sailing
year-round is the U.S. mailboat
Courtney Thomas that also
leaves Crisfield’s dock at 12:30
P.M. daily and arrives in
Tangier about 1:15 P.M. Since
the captain is an islander, he
does not return to the mainland
until the following day so
overnight accommodations are
necessary for mailboat
passengers. For additional
information call (804) 891-2240.
Although the ferry schedule
allows only a brief three hours
on the island, you’ll want to
spend part of that time enjoying
lunch at Mrs. Crockett’s
Chesapeake House. Many
passengers return just to repeat
the experience. Meals are
served family style with
enormous platters of crab cakes,
clam fritters, Virginia ham, hot
corn pudding, fresh vegetables,
homemade rolls and pound cake,
all washed down with pitchers of
iced tea. Those who want to
stay can find overnight
accommodations at the Chesapeake
House, but reservations are
required far in advance; call
(540) 891-2331. Other popular
restaurants are The Fisherman’s
Corner and The Islander. If you
want to stay overnight on
Tangier there are two bed &
breakfasts: Bay View Inn (804)
891-2396 and The Sunset Inn
(804) 891-2525.
Directions:
From I-95 in the Richmond area,
take I-295 east of the city and
pick up Route 360. Follow Route
360 to Reedville for the Tangier
Island cruise. From Virginia’s
Eastern Shore, take the
excursion boat from Onancock.
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TRAVEL
WRITERS WANTED
FREE
trial month in new
"WRITING TO
PUBLISH WORKSHOP."
Send us
an
email for details. Publication
is guaranteed for those
accepted in program. Instructor is
former president of the Society of
American Travel Writers.
TRAVEL
WRITERS WANTED
FREE
trial month in new
"WRITING TO
PUBLISH WORKSHOP."
Send us
an
email for details. Publication
is guaranteed for those
accepted in program. Instructor is
former president of the Society of
American Travel Writers.
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