NO PETS NO PROBLEM – Follow the Rainbow at Chincoteague Island

 

  Chincoteague ponies running back to their homes and flanked by boats. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

No pets, not even in cars on the refuge. No pets in parks. No pets on almost all trails. No pets in many stores. No pets, no pets. No pets allowed!

It seems to be the slogan for most of Chincoteague Island. Unlike Assateague Island, Chincoteague Island is in fact quite dog resistant. Of course, in order to preserve the natural ecosystem of Chincoteague, the refuge has a strict no-pet policy – even dogs in vehicles are banned. However, many shops and restaurants on the island outside of the refuge have a no-pets policy. Surprisingly, even nature trails are dog-restrictive, with only a tiny dog park and a single trail loop open to dogs. At the time of the pony swim, the large Veteran’s Memorial Park also has a large NO PETS sign. We also learned that the Carnival itself did not allow dogs on the grounds, unfortunately. It is quite jarring for those of us used to having our spirit animals at our side as we explore new places. A small and muddy plot of land across the high school is one of few, if any other, “parks” that allow dogs.

Having seen the much-anticipated pony swim, and encouraged by our complimentary Carnival ice cream, it was time to think of ways to get Stella to enjoy what she can on the island. Not all is doom and gloom for pooches, though. As a consolation prize, the Carnival offered us complimentary ice cream as Stella showed up to the grounds. It turns out, despite all these rules, there are hidden gems and things to do with your canine on this tightly regulated island. Amazingly, there IS a way for your pooch to see the Chincoteague ponies in their natural habitat. So without ado, here are three awesome things to see at Chincoteague… with your pets!

  Complimentary ice cream from the Chincoteague Carnival Grounds. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

1:  Find giant LOVE at the Waterfront

After being rejected from the Carnival Grounds, soggy from the weather, we decided to stroll downtown in Virginia’s one and only resort island. It might seem a plain and unadventurous thing to do, until you realize how beautiful the easy-to-miss waterfront is. The waterfront is marked by a statue of Misty, the famed ancestor of the Assateague and Chincoteague ponies. There is a small fishing pier and dock.

  Statue of Misty at the Waterfront. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

  Statue of Surfer Dude at the Carnival Grounds close to the Statue of Misty. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

For several days, intense downbursts followed by lingering overcasts plagued our pony-viewing. Yet, setting foot on the docks, the sky opened in a dazzling and rare rainshower as the sun began to set. From the small boardwalk to the lush gardens, everything was bathed in a coruscating light, and the entire waterfront acquired a glowing hue.

  Stella at the docks. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

If anything could express the state slogan adopted in the summer of ’69, it would be the beach chairs at this waterfront. Probably some of the biggest Adirondack chairs I’ve ever seen, the LOVEworks chairs attract so many passersby.

  LOVEworks at the Waterfront. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Virginia is for Lovers. Beach lovers. Mountain lovers. History lovers. Dog lovers. Vaycay lovers. Good life lovers. Romantic lovers. Lovers of one another! And for this week in particular, pony lovers. These gigantic chairs at the tiny boardwalk encapsulates Virginia at its finest – hugged by the Atlantic Ocean, sand, the Queen Sound, across from government agencies that reach the skies at Wallops Island, and tens of thousands of people flocking the island to support a good cause and express their love for culture and nature. Such a fine spot! After sitting on one of the 500 pound chairs, a rainbow appeared, and we followed it to a hidden gem of the island.

  Stella and Kitty under a rainbow. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

2:  Find a party off the chain – or leash – at Chinco Tiki

I must say I never would have expected to be able to let Stella off leash, on the sands, with other off-leash dogs, at peak season in Chincoteague of all places! But if that sounds like a dog-dream, listen to this. At the end of the rainbow, there is a small piece of sandy shore that seems to contain the majority of the island’s foot traffic on a Friday night.

  Sparse parking at the popular Chinco Tiki. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

  Mocktails and wagging tails at Chinco Tiki with pal Jagger. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

  Jagger's human petting Stella at Chinco Tiki. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Chinco Tiki is not for the feint of heart. During the day, it’s pleasant, with friendly staff and a relaxing atmosphere. It reminded me a lot of Huck-A-Poo's before 11PM. The food here is Caribbean-inspired, local, and fried in true Southern fashion. If you like Thrasher’s in Ocean City, you’ll find their boardwalk-style fries superb, even without the malt vinegar. Chicken tenders and delicious rockfish bits make for a satisfying meal. The drinks and mocktails here are also extremely affordable, with great pineapple-mango fusions. What’s more, the bartenders welcome dogs while serving them water bowls! There’s also great live music all day and night.

  Laid back performance near the bar. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Visiting again on a Friday evening begs the question, what more do you want? Live music of the headbanging type drew in more people per square inch than the pony run itself. The crowd was young and old, beachy and nautically dressed, with many people parking at the docks to dine, and many others walking from nearby hotels and the Carnival Grounds for drinks and bites. The best part is that there are so many well-behaved dogs among the crowd that Stella made several new friends. All the dogs here relaxed, and constantly strolled through fellow dog lovers as if on a cuddles/petting conveyer belt. Great time for all here.

  Just another Friday at Chinco Tiki. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

  Stella relaxing at the docks of Chinco Tiki, away from the moshpit. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

  Drones annoying the seagulls at the center of Chinco Tiki. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

3:  Visit the Chincoteague Herd While They Are at Home

The last and best part of our trip together was finding that loophole to see the ponies. Sure, dogs could see ponies during the parade post-swim, but it’s not quite the same as being able to see them at the refuge. While the refuge doesn’t allow dogs even in the car……. There’s nothing stopping nautical dogs from viewing the wonders of the refuge!

A big shout out to Daisy’s Island Cruises, who took us in at the last minute. The first sunny day of the week, it was a great time to take Stella out into the water. We were able to catch up with the herd only an hour or two after their return swim.

  Off to sea. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Departing from Queen Sound’s Channel, sting rays performing their ritualistic dances, striking fear into beachgoers on the lookout for sharks. However, the thrashing double fins could not fool Stella’s nose one bit.

  Shaky footage of the sting ray ritual. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

With Wallops Island and the NASA launchpad in the background, plenty of playful dolphins surrounded our boat, as if expecting us. You don’t have to wait at all to spot one. There were so many of them leaping out of the scintillating waters that you might even lose count. One child spotted thirty dolphins. Perhaps these dolphins awaited not only the human spectators, but the occasional rain of NASA parts into the water.

  Adult and baby dolphins play near the boat. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Going deeper into Tom’s Cove, we docked near the Chincoteague herd. It was but a couple years ago that we were in this same spot for this rare sighting! Amazingly, nothing has changed. Bright white egrets stalked the patches of verdurous sea grass mixed with tall and flowing spartina, the only things separating us from the wild ponies.

  Great Egret stalking the spartina. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

  Ponies grazing in their natural habitat. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

There before us, against the backdrop of Assateague Lighthouse’s red and white daymark, were not just descendants of Misty, but also descendants of the legendary Surfer Dude - the Misty of our time. Surfer Dude passed his signature flaxen, bleach-blonde surfer mane and gnarly bronze tan to his offspring, Riptide. These features added to the striking diversity of the painted ponies, as splashed white, black, chestnut, pinto, and bay pinto patterns stuck out. With the help of the saltwater cowboys, this dazzling array of ponies has members that have been known to live up to their late 20’s in the harsh wilderness of the barrier islands. So, it’s thrilling to see some of the same herd members you could have seen years ago, thanks to the efforts of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, the saltwater cowboys, Fish and Wildlife, and of course, the tens of thousands of pony fans that witness the pony swim this week.

  Kitty and Stella viewing ponies. | Fellow crew member. / SHIROOKAMI

  Surfer ponies graze at home. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

On a larger boat, we had to stay a bit further from the herd to avoid getting stuck. No problem for a dog, though, as Stella was able to encounter them up-close thanks to her nose! She reacted as if there were deer on the horizon. But it was great to observe them, relaxed in their natural homes, without disturbance, an experience that is hard to experience with the Assateague herd. It is no wonder why the Chincoteague herd is by comparison more laid back, on island time. Bunch of surfers, those ponies!

  Stella getting all the salty sniffs. | Fellow crew member. / SHIROOKAMI

Despite the rain and restrictions, I couldn’t have thought of a better time to visit Chincoteague with my dog. The pony swim was epic in and of itself. The mud, sand, and saltwater, the remnants of Hurricane Beryl… None of it could stop dogventurers. After withstanding the storms, the boggy air, and the gloomy weather, we were rewarded with literal sunshine, rainbows, and ponies!