Assateague Island in August

Let's leave this interminable cold we have been suffering, for the warm late summer air of Assateague Island. This has always been a special place for me and my family, and we would venture there often. In the summer the beach and swimming are the big draw, even with its chilly waters. We would also go in the winter to marvel at masses of snow geese, swans, brants and other waterfowl. Other than its mosquitoes, Assateague's most famous animals are its wild ponies which are usually very easy to spot, but they must have been camera shy that day, or perhaps it was way too early for them. I biked from Chincoteague Island over to Assateague and took advantage of some of the paved trails, and except for the birds and a few other early risers, I had the island to myself.

Conoclinium coelestinum (Hardy Ageratum)

Assateague Lighthouse

Kosteletzkya virginica (Virginia Saltmarsh Mallow)

The southern half of Assateague is in Virginia and the rest is in Maryland. Fortunately the entire island is protected either federally or by the states and barring major sea level rise, should remain a special place for many years to come.