Tangier Island - Chesapeake Bay

Well, we finally made it to Tangier Island. A great place to visit in a
plane - I'm not sure I'd want to take the ferry there unless I had some
real business out there.

It's just a dry spot in the middle of the estuary that's big enough for
a small town. I guess it's been inhabited since the 17th Century and
I'm sure some people can trace their family history back a looooonnng
way. As all the blurbs say, they have their own accent or perhaps dialect.

The main streets (2) are wide enough for 1 car but it's hard to find
any. It's golf carts and bicycles. Every third house (small) seems to
have a family graveyard out front. If you follow any alley 50 yards,
you are in the marshes. The people are friendly but they know you are
just visiting. There are a few small B&Bs scattered around, a few
restaurants too. All small, homey and full of crab.

A very enjoyable day trip with no prep or expectations. We took a young
cousin out, landed, rode around on the airport bikes and then, the best
part, took a few circles in the air to fully appreciate just how small
and remote this place is (for the east coast anyway).

The only surprise was the cashier at the restaurant telling us we were
the first pilots in that weekend!! Then she said, "normally we get up
to 1 hundred". First, 100 air visitors would tip the place over.
Second, I couldn't thing of anything that would have kept pilots out
yesterday (Father's day).

Do any of you visit the island when there are more than a half dozen
planes visiting?

I've been in there twice, but it was many years ago. I remember having some
great Maryland crab in a little restaurant fairly close to the strip.
DH
"Maule Driver" wrote in message
om...
Well, we finally made it to Tangier Island. A great place to visit in a
plane - I'm not sure I'd want to take the ferry there unless I had some
real business out there.

It's just a dry spot in the middle of the estuary that's big enough for a
small town. I guess it's been inhabited since the 17th Century and I'm
sure some people can trace their family history back a looooonnng way. As
all the blurbs say, they have their own accent or perhaps dialect.

The main streets (2) are wide enough for 1 car but it's hard to find any.
It's golf carts and bicycles. Every third house (small) seems to have a
family graveyard out front. If you follow any alley 50 yards, you are in
the marshes. The people are friendly but they know you are just visiting.
There are a few small B&Bs scattered around, a few restaurants too. All
small, homey and full of crab.

A very enjoyable day trip with no prep or expectations. We took a young
cousin out, landed, rode around on the airport bikes and then, the best
part, took a few circles in the air to fully appreciate just how small and
remote this place is (for the east coast anyway).

The only surprise was the cashier at the restaurant telling us we were the
first pilots in that weekend!! Then she said, "normally we get up to 1
hundred". First, 100 air visitors would tip the place over. Second, I
couldn't thing of anything that would have kept pilots out yesterday
(Father's day).

Do any of you visit the island when there are more than a half dozen
planes visiting?

I'm sure it hasn't changed much. We had some crab cakes and soft shells
- all quite good and presumably local. I think the crab/people ratio is
pretty high.

From what I know of the crab business, this may be the only place on
the bay where you are more likely to get Chesapeake crabs over gulf
crabs. Crabbing has become like farming... in fact, I guess it is farming.

Dudley Henriques wrote:
I've been in there twice, but it was many years ago. I remember having some
great Maryland crab in a little restaurant fairly close to the strip.
DH
"Maule Driver" wrote in message
om...

Well, we finally made it to Tangier Island. A great place to visit in a
plane - I'm not sure I'd want to take the ferry there unless I had some
real business out there.

It's just a dry spot in the middle of the estuary that's big enough for a
small town. I guess it's been inhabited since the 17th Century and I'm
sure some people can trace their family history back a looooonnng way. As
all the blurbs say, they have their own accent or perhaps dialect.

The main streets (2) are wide enough for 1 car but it's hard to find any.
It's golf carts and bicycles. Every third house (small) seems to have a
family graveyard out front. If you follow any alley 50 yards, you are in
the marshes. The people are friendly but they know you are just visiting.
There are a few small B&Bs scattered around, a few restaurants too. All
small, homey and full of crab.

A very enjoyable day trip with no prep or expectations. We took a young
cousin out, landed, rode around on the airport bikes and then, the best
part, took a few circles in the air to fully appreciate just how small and
remote this place is (for the east coast anyway).

The only surprise was the cashier at the restaurant telling us we were the
first pilots in that weekend!! Then she said, "normally we get up to 1
hundred". First, 100 air visitors would tip the place over. Second, I
couldn't thing of anything that would have kept pilots out yesterday
(Father's day).

Do any of you visit the island when there are more than a half dozen
planes visiting?

Been there 10 or so times. Mostly an empty ramp sometimes nearly full.
Michelle

I'm not sure, but I think the crab industry took a hit down that way and
Tangier would have been part of that. I hope it's gotten better for them. I
know those crab were mighty tasty...although I have to admit to feeling
sorry for the buggers making all that noise inside that big 55 gal drum of
boiling water they dumped them in to cook um in while I stood there with my
nut cracker and little wooden hammer waiting for the noise to stop !!!. :-))
DH

"Maule Driver" wrote in message
om...
I'm sure it hasn't changed much. We had some crab cakes and soft shells -
all quite good and presumably local. I think the crab/people ratio is
pretty high.

From what I know of the crab business, this may be the only place on the
bay where you are more likely to get Chesapeake crabs over gulf crabs.
Crabbing has become like farming... in fact, I guess it is farming.

Dudley Henriques wrote:
I've been in there twice, but it was many years ago. I remember having
some great Maryland crab in a little restaurant fairly close to the
strip.
DH
"Maule Driver" wrote in message
om...

Well, we finally made it to Tangier Island. A great place to visit in a
plane - I'm not sure I'd want to take the ferry there unless I had some
real business out there.

It's just a dry spot in the middle of the estuary that's big enough for a
small town. I guess it's been inhabited since the 17th Century and I'm
sure some people can trace their family history back a looooonnng way.
As all the blurbs say, they have their own accent or perhaps dialect.

The main streets (2) are wide enough for 1 car but it's hard to find any.
It's golf carts and bicycles. Every third house (small) seems to have a
family graveyard out front. If you follow any alley 50 yards, you are in
the marshes. The people are friendly but they know you are just
visiting. There are a few small B&Bs scattered around, a few restaurants
too. All small, homey and full of crab.

A very enjoyable day trip with no prep or expectations. We took a young
cousin out, landed, rode around on the airport bikes and then, the best
part, took a few circles in the air to fully appreciate just how small
and remote this place is (for the east coast anyway).

The only surprise was the cashier at the restaurant telling us we were
the first pilots in that weekend!! Then she said, "normally we get up to
1 hundred". First, 100 air visitors would tip the place over. Second, I
couldn't thing of anything that would have kept pilots out yesterday
(Father's day).

Do any of you visit the island when there are more than a half dozen
planes visiting?

"Dudley Henriques" dhenriques@noware .net wrote

I have to admit to feeling
sorry for the buggers making all that noise inside that big 55 gal drum of
boiling water they dumped them in to cook um in while I stood there with
my nut cracker and little wooden hammer waiting for the noise to stop !!!.
:-))

I -do- know what you mean! g

I have no problem with eating previously living things, but the thought of
the boiling water *almost* puts me over the edge. I _do_ find myself at
the edge of the table, when all is said and done! g
--
Jim in NC

"Maule Driver" wrote in message
om...
Well, we finally made it to Tangier Island. A great place to visit in a
plane - I'm not sure I'd want to take the ferry there unless I had some
real business out there.

It's just a dry spot in the middle of the estuary that's big enough for a
small town. I guess it's been inhabited since the 17th Century and I'm
sure some people can trace their family history back a looooonnng way. As
all the blurbs say, they have their own accent or perhaps dialect.

The main streets (2) are wide enough for 1 car but it's hard to find any.
It's golf carts and bicycles. Every third house (small) seems to have a
family graveyard out front. If you follow any alley 50 yards, you are in
the marshes. The people are friendly but they know you are just visiting.
There are a few small B&Bs scattered around, a few restaurants too. All
small, homey and full of crab.

A very enjoyable day trip with no prep or expectations. We took a young
cousin out, landed, rode around on the airport bikes and then, the best
part, took a few circles in the air to fully appreciate just how small and
remote this place is (for the east coast anyway).

The only surprise was the cashier at the restaurant telling us we were the
first pilots in that weekend!! Then she said, "normally we get up to 1
hundred". First, 100 air visitors would tip the place over. Second, I
couldn't thing of anything that would have kept pilots out yesterday
(Father's day).

Do any of you visit the island when there are more than a half dozen
planes visiting?


I just checked my logbook...I've flown in 12 times over the last 10 years.
I've also sailed their a half a dozen times as well. Things haven't changed
too much...some of the resturants take credit cards and new lighthouse
trashcans have been placed throughout the island. I've always found Tangier
to be a facinating place to visit for the day. More often than not, I've
found myself heading over to Crisfield for dinner. It's just another 15nm
or so and with an all-you-can-eat crab resturant and a lighted runway, you
can wrap up the day nicely.

On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 21:39:50 GMT, Maule Driver
wrote:

Well, we finally made it to Tangier Island. A great place to visit in a
plane - I'm not sure I'd want to take the ferry there unless I had some
real business out there.

Does it still have the big hump in the runway 1/3 of the way from the
north end? What about the guy in the little shack collecting the $3
landing fee?

The big hump? I probably stopped before reaching it. Clear approach,
wind down the runway, Maule....

$3!!! He charged me $5. At least that's what he asked for. Then after
dropping off the bikes, my wife kept reminding to go back and pay the
rental. I think he was too embarrassed to ask since none of them were
in decent working order.

He could have asked for $25 and I wouldn't have minded. Just glad to
have an interesting aviation destination when I needed one.

DonSideB wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 21:39:50 GMT, Maule Driver
wrote:


Well, we finally made it to Tangier Island. A great place to visit in a
plane - I'm not sure I'd want to take the ferry there unless I had some
real business out there.


Does it still have the big hump in the runway 1/3 of the way from the
north end? What about the guy in the little shack collecting the $3
landing fee?

Yep. Needed the credit card thing. My mate kept saying how cute the
trashcans were but I counldn't figure out what she was talking about at
first.

Where's Crisfield? We drop into Kentmorr sometimes for crabs. Grass,
Maule, small beach, and ironically got to know the former owner thru
other circles. Small world!

Going to go thru there this weekend on the way to Saratoga. Will do
Kentmorr in one direction or the other... any other suggestions?

Brad Zeigler wrote:
I just checked my logbook...I've flown in 12 times over the last 10 years.
I've also sailed their a half a dozen times as well. Things haven't changed
too much...some of the resturants take credit cards and new lighthouse
trashcans have been placed throughout the island. I've always found Tangier
to be a facinating place to visit for the day. More often than not, I've
found myself heading over to Crisfield for dinner. It's just another 15nm
or so and with an all-you-can-eat crab resturant and a lighted runway, you
can wrap up the day nicely.