Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda, This Place Sure Beats Camp Granada

YOU tell them there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

John Clark reporting in after a most satisfying trip. Back in January, Beth suggested it might be fun to take Piper, our older granddaughter, on an educational adventure this summer. We decided on a Road Scholar program called Ocean Science Adventures on Chincoteague Bay With Your Grandchild, With assistance in planning from AAA, we set off two weekends ago, driving to Portland and catching a bus to South Station in Boston. We took AMTRAK from there to Washington DC, rode the Metro to Reagan Airport and then rented a car. We stayed overnight at a hotel in Easton, MD where Beth and Piper took advantage of the swimming pool in the morning, having it all to themselves.

Some of the sea creatures we caught in the net.

The drive to Wallops Island took us through lots of farm country. I’m convinced Maryland has more Turkey Vultures than all of New England combined. I don’t think there was a moment where we couldn’t see at least one soaring overhead.

We arrived with a couple hours to kill before check-in, so we drove out to the beach on Assateague Island. While being crowded, there was plenty of room to wander the beach and for Piper and Beth to wade in as far as they wanted. It was a perfect beach day and we got our first glimpse of the famed ponies on our way back. The road between Wallops and Chincoteague crosses a wide salt marsh that’s rife with sea birds as well as numerous blinds for birders and hunters. Beth loves herons and she got her fill on the trip as we saw several varieties almost every day.

North herd ponies

After checking in, we went to our room which had four single beds with a bathroom across the hall reserved for the three of us. We shared that part of the building with a couple from California and their granddaughter, Elizabeth who lives in Oregon. She and Piper became besties on the first full day of the program. All the kids got along extremely well with each other, playing volleyball, putting on a talent show, and showing each other new discoveries during hands-on activities. It was fun to watch them bonding and being full of happiness and excitement.

Another activity, hand netting for sea creatures in the surf.

I can’t say enough about the meals! Every one was great and plentiful. Breakfast always included scrambled eggs, accompanied some mornings by bacon or sausage. Hot oatmeal was available daily, as were several varieties of fruit. Beverage choices ranged from juice to coffee, and varied carbonated flavors on tap, as well as milk. Yogurt was also a breakfast staple. Lunch and dinner had different choices each day, ranging from grilled salmon to fried chicken, burritos. Every lunch and dinner meal included a very well stocked salad bar. Nobody went away hungry.

Our Thursday evening meal was a special experience. After seeing marine life up close all week, Molly, our extremely capable program director and her staff cooked us a boiled seafood fest of blue crab, clams, and shrimp. There were more traditional entrees for those allergic or not shellfish fans. I, however, am one who believes there is no such thing as too many shrimp. It was cooked by the staff and began with a double layer of kraft paper on top of the table. We watched while they walked along two tables, spilling seafood down the middle of each. When we sat and began to enjoy the feast, those of us who were knowledgeable about the ways of eating shellfish tutored the others in how to undress shrimp, and crack crabs. Aided by plentiful bowls of melted butter, it was a true feast.

Mantis shrimp

Now for the programs. Each morning, we had an outside meeting where Molly and her crew got us moving with a singing exercise followed by the day’s schedule. On Monday, we went back to the beach on Assateague Island for a barbecue, some surf wading,and time to explore the Bateman Visitor Center where a very sharp woman entranced the kids by showing and telling them all about Hermit Crabs. The staff was up to the challenge of fending off frequent forays by Black Headed Gulls, eager to grab whatever food they could.

Other program highlights included wading through a salt marsh to get a real sense of what they’re all about. Everyone was encouraged to wear a bathing suit and old clothing because they would be in muddy conditions. I passed because my balance is getting pretty bad, but Beth and Piper went right at it. At the edge of the marsh were hundreds of fiddler crabs and can they move fast!

The famed marsh wade.

Everyone was psyched about seeing the famed ponies. We first saw some of the smaller southern herd while going and returning from the beach, but the staff had permission to take us on a bus along the access road to view the larger herd on the north end of the island. Some of them almost seemed to expect us as they posed for everyone to take photos. One of the staff members kept up a narrative about their history, how they are cared for, when and why the twice a year swim happens, and why the herd needs to be thinned. The work of making sure much of their care happens is done by the Chincoteague volunteer fire department. They raised upwards of $200,000 last year.

Beth and Piper, post mud

My favorite was the dredging trip on a large flat-bottom boat. Molly and her staff walked us through what we might see when each drag net was hauled up. We used the drag four times and there were two firsts for the season. We caught two stingrays and a Mantis Shrimp, which has front claws so powerful they can break glass. In addition, we caught a Toadfish, several flounder, a seahorse that gave birth right after it was placed in a tank, and a purple sea urchin. Everyone got a chance to release, or retrieve the net at least once. In addition, we used a tiny mesh net with a collection jar to get samples of plankton which we examined under a microscope in a later lab session.

One of the plankton we captured, viewed under a microscope.

We also took a bus ride to the beach just north of NASA’s Wallops rocket launch area. There, we used what we’d learned in a lab session to create embryonic dunes, working as teams. This reinforced our classroom learning about how barrier islands and dunes are created and what their role in the environment is. Then we did some shell seeking. I looked for ones I thought Beth and Piper might want, content to do that while enjoying another long stretch of beach.

Out final evening was a social hour for the adults, followed by the kids performing a talent show. It was great fun for all. One of the other two grandfathers there grew up In Warren, moved to Pittsfield and graduated from MCI. Perhaps the most interesting person was an eighty-five year old woman who had emigrated from Burma in the 1970s. She brought her thirteen year old grandson from where they live in Oakland, California because he hadn’t had much chance to adventure and socialize since COVID. I greatly enjoyed chatting with both of them.

While long, this barely covers our adventure. If you’re looking for a way to gift your grandchildren a trip that blends learning and fun, look no further than something from Roadscholar.

Finally, a shout-out to a fellow author who was on the trip. Her first historical novel comes out later this month. Check it out at https://lindaross-author.com