Solomons is known for sea nettles
Crisfield is known for dragon flies
Tangier Island is known for cats – yup CATS…and crabs i guess too.

After arriving to Tangier Island, VA, we were completely exhausted. The journey wasn’t that far, but it was A BATTLE to get here: a sailing battle, a buggy battle (still a mess all over the cockpit) and a docking battle. But we made it! Now we could really settle in and hopefully recover for a few days. Plus, we had a lot of exploring to do. This is the one place we read about that we planned to visit since we started our journey down the Chesapeake Bay.

What Makes Tangier Special?

Tangier Island has quite a history in itself. It sits out in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, accessible only by boat or plane. The island is only 1 mile wide and 3 miles long. The island is a nature wonderland. All sorts of crustaceans, mollusks, plants and BIRDS galore. We saw osprey, heron, black skimmer, pelican, tern and cormorant. Lots of the blue crab along with snails and fiddler crabs.

The island has no bank, hospital, movie theaters or clothing stores. It has a grocery store, post office, 4 restaurants (1 open year-round), 1 firetruck and a ‘health center’ (built in 2010). There is only 1 school (K-12) and each grade has less than 10 kids. Sports include basketball and baseball/softball. The logistics of games can be complicated. Kids have to travel by ferry and train to get to a game. Its usually its a 2-3 day affair for any game. Cable TV and internet were introduced to the island in 2010, which is when they also received a microwave power grid system to allow constant power throughout the island. There are no vehicles. Everyone drives golf carts or bicycles. The roads are very narrow and many of the island’s waterways are connected via wooden bridges.

Its clear that the traditions that Tangier was built are firmly ingrained and hopefully preserved. Today, the island is home to 700 and a very close-knit community, many of whom are related. Most have the last name Crockett, Parks, Pruitt, or Thomas. They make their living as watermen in the Chesapeake Bay. Ideas of feminism were only introduced to the island in recent years. Men work as watermen, and women work as housewives. Thats how it has always been, but running the home is a lot more work on the island than in mainland. Today, women have found they can work in town (grocery store, gift stores, tourist attractions) which gives them an opportunity to help support their household. Children are sort of left to their own devices. It has a very “Lord of the Flies” feel, with kids out in the streets or playing on piers, docks, boats, bikes, etc. Its clear that they all know each other and look out for each other. There is zero crime on the island. The locals also speak their own language, something like Elizabethan English meets Honkey Dory.

One really cool thing (I think) is that Tangier is a dry island, so there is no alcohol anywhere. A tradition that stems since the first settlers. The locals cherish this and want to keep it that way. Family and religion are also very important. Almost every home on the island has its own graveyard in their front or back yards.

Life here is quiet and serene. For us, the most fascinating thing about the island were all the cats. There are cats EVERYWHERE. I guess this isn’t entirely nature at work. One resident in particular was in love with cats. She was Mr. Parks wife (who passed away about 2 years ago). She had acquired over 50 cats before she passed. Many of those cats roamed the streets, and of course begot more cats. Eventually cats took over. Within the last few years, veterinarians have come to neuter 75-90% of them, but you still see them everywhere.

The island itself is getting smaller and smaller each year, slowly being swallowed by the ocean. Its also becoming increasingly difficult for watermen way of life to sustain, because of the new government restrictions placed on the industry. This means the youth of Tangier can no longer follow in their parent’s footsteps, and have to find work off the island. Tourism has found its way as a semi-lucrative industry, but it has also forced the island to make technological upgrades that many would prefer to leave off.

The whole place felt like stepping back in time 50 years ago. We got to experience all of it first-hand, making it even cooler! It is definitely a place worth visiting (before its gone!)

Highlights From Our Visit

I guess we really didn’t think about the fact that we are now on an island. I mean the boat is our island. But Tangier is a REAL island. One that has spawned a completely different way of life.

After our arrival, we decided to walk around to get the lay of the land. Turns out the island is so tiny that EVERYTHING is only a few blocks from the marina. We found 2 restaurants and a grocery store within minutes. Since we didn’t eat all day, we were beyond famished. At first we thought we’d cook a meal. But we needed some produce.

The grocery store was totally different than we expected. It was more like a house with just a few shelves and a very sparse amount of goods. Plus it was PACKED. Turns out we arrived on ‘Freight-day,’ when new goods and produce come in. So everyone in town was there! We grabbed a few fresh veggies, some T-bone steaks (there were only 3 packages of them total, we got one of em) and some eggs. Then we waited for a very long time to check out. Even that was interesting. One woman would read out the price, the other would enter it on a bankroll (like a typewriter) and the third would take money (cash-only). A fourth would bag. WEIRD!

After that fun experience, we realized we were still starving and no closer to getting fed. So we decided to save the food we just bought and go to one of the restaurants we passed; The Fisherman’s Corner. The fresh seafood was amazing. Fish tacos and tuna steaks had never tasted better to either one of us.

Once fed, the exhaustion really settled in. It felt so nice on the boat with A/C and we even hooked up our little TV and watching some old episodes of “The Office” before passing out. It felt so good to wake up after 10 hours of restful sleep!

We only planned to stay one more full day at the marina, so we had a lot of exploring to do before the day was out. First we made a breakfast fit for kings: steak and eggs! It was the most glamorous meal we’ve had since cruising.

The rest of the morning we took out the folding bikes and toured the different ‘neighborhoods’ around the island. It felt so good to stretch the leg muscles! Plus it felt like we had the whole island to ourselves. The tour boat had not come in for the day yet, so we were the only ‘outsiders’ for the time. Everyone we passed (in golf carts or bikes) was really friendly to us.

The tiny town was pretty cool. Homes were very modest but looked pretty adorable. It was strange seeing graveyards all over the place, but obviously thats a part of the town’s history. After our ride, we made our way to the small History Museum. It was loaded with old paraphernalia, photos, stories; history. So so interesting!!! Definitely a highlight.

Jake and I have a tradition where we collect Christmas ornaments from places we visit that are significant. We decorate our ‘memory tree’ and this way hopefully remember all of our adventures in life. Since Tangier felt so special, we got ourselves a little crab-catching ornament that were sold in the Museum. The woman working the register said she is the one who made the ornaments, and I guess she was able to pay for a brand new roof by selling them (over the course of 2 years). That was really cool!

We definitely experienced all the animals that Tangier is known for. After the bike ride, we spent a few hours doing boat chores; namely cleaning the cockpit of dead bugs and hosing everything down. The marina dock had some very shallow waters around it, where we could see tons of sea critters doing their thing. Birds catching fish, Crabs scuttling to and fro, fish jumping all over the place. I was in heaven, snapping pictures left and right! We even experienced all the cats! Sure enough everywhere you turn, cats were there. Cats of all colors, shapes and sizes.

Late in the afternoon, Mr. Parks came by to offer us a golf-cart tour of the island. He drove us everywhere, telling us about the history of many places, but mostly stemming from his own experience or family. He would point out where his children and/or grandchildren lived, or the places they worked. Apparently two of his kids founded the fire department and health center.

Mr. Parks is a unique character on his own. He is 83 years old, but still really sharp and funny! He runs the marina all by himself. In the past he was a watermen but as age crept in he found that running the marina was more suitable. He actually built the entire place himself too. You can tell he is an extremely hard working man and loves this island.

After our very full day, we were again, completely exhausted. Initially we were planning to leave the following day, but then we decided that we needed just one more day. There were things we still wanted to do; namely go to the beach. Plus we still needed time to recover from travels. So we stayed one more day. It was another beautiful and easy-going one filled with white sandy beaches and a beautiful blue-green ocean (starting to get bluer and bluer the more we head south).

Our visit to Tangier has been the favorite so far. It has a TOTALLY different feel than any other place we’ve been yet. The way of life is so completely different and was so beautiful, quaint and interesting. Everything and everyone on the island has a story that makes it very special.