Quiet days watching ponies skip through high tide while the taste of salty surf clings to the lips and sea air ruffles the corners of a pop-up camper is, admittedly, not for everyone. But for those who seek romantic outings outside the box, there is no finer place in time than a weekend on Assateague Island National Seashore.
The Washington Examiner sat down with Lisa Challenger, director of tourism for Worcester County, for her thoughts on the rugged way to go.
EXAMINER: Can a couple be comfortable on a weekend camping getaway in Assateague?
CHALLENGER: Yes, very comfortable. Couples can either bring a tent or a camper or rent one. Most all sights are in sand, so the ground is not hard. The National Park and the State Park have a couple of main differences. The State Park is open through the end of October, and the National Park is open year-round. The State Park has hot showers/bath houses and flushing toilets, [while] the National Park is referred to as primitive [with] composting toilets and cold water showers. Assateague National Park allows pets on a leash; the State Park does not. The island has three nature trails in the three different habitats — the marsh, the forest and the dunes.
EXAMINER: What kind of nearby activities could a couple pursue if so inclined?
CHALLENGER: There’s great shopping in Berlin and great restaurants and live entertainment. [The town] is full of galleries, [and] there are two very nearby museums, the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum and the Lifesaving Station Museum at the inlet in Ocean City. Snow Hill is also a short drive with several museums, galleries and the Pocomoke River Canoe Company that rents canoes and kayaks on the Pocomoke River and the Nassawango Creek.
EXAMINER: What are the options for renting campers?
CHALLENGER: Coastal Campers is a business that caters to people who want to camp without all the fuss. [They] arrive, set up your camper right down to dishes and towels and firewood, if you like. When you leave, they come in and clean up and haul the camper away.
EXAMINER: If you wanted D.C. readership to know one thing about a camping getaway on Assateague Island, what would it be?
CHALLENGER: The landscape is breathtaking, and to fall asleep at night to the sound of the surf is mesmerizing.
