Assateague Island

We just got back from Assateague Island today. My husband and I, along with my sister and brother-in-law, journeyed to this Maryland island earlier this week to relax on the beach and enjoy some camping together. The Assateague beach is lovely. The waves are big enough to rough you up a bit, but not overwhelming and the water is shallow a long ways out which makes it a great place to bring kids (not that we did) and the sand is soft on bare feet. Plus there are seashells everywhere for collecting.

Who knew seashell collecting could be so addictive? 

If you have any fun ideas for how I should use my little stash, I'm up for suggestions. I just couldn't resist these beauties and I don't remember ever collecting seashells before so I enjoyed myself while the others napped on the beach.

Our campsite was separated from the beach by a small dune, but it was so close that we could hear the ocean as we were going to sleep.

The campsite on the left and the ocean on the right.

When we weren't relaxing on the beach or frolicking in the waves, we were avoiding the mosquitos like the plague because, well, they were like the plague.

My mosquito bitten legs (and sunburned feet!)

We often ate our breakfasts or lunches somewhere else, like this Assateague Market parking lot, where the mosquitoes were sparse and didn't swarm like the skillfully-trained guerilla blood suckers who waited in the bushes for an innocent victim to pass their way.

Thank you, Assateague Market for the bug spray, the hard lemonade,
and the use of your parking lot.

I have to say that some good food was produced in this parking lot.

Parking Lot Omelet courtesy of my sister and brother-in-law.

This was a memorable trip, full wave jumping, sweet time with family, and the new experience of beach camping (i.e. sandy beds), but I have to say, that Assateague Island camping is not for the faint of heart. We left a day early since my family loves me enough to not want me to turn into one giant red mosquito bite (the suckers loved me best and my bites swell up big and red) and with the number of bites I had received, we probably left just in time. We were in good company. Three of our neighbors also left earlier than planned.

Glorified Port-a-Potties

Oh yeah, and then there were the chemical toilets. Nice for a water-free bathroom, pretty clean, but also mosquito infested. We avoided these as much as possible. Thankfully, this was never far away...

Don't pretend you wouldn't have done the same.