Ocean City: Assateague Island

Assateague Island (North end, in MD)
Dan's family vacationed in this area when he was younger, and I 've heard so many stories of the "poopin ponies" that I was so excited to see them for myself.  It really is amazing, how they roam free all over the island.  

When we paid to enter the wildlife refuge, we were handed brochures warning to stay a bus length away from the ponies and that they can be aggressive and even bite.  We had actually just gotten in the car after about a 1/4 mile trail walk, when we jumped back out to see these ponies approaching.  As soon as I took this picture, the dark brown one starting coming right at the boys!  So I shooed them into the car.  The ponies are fascinating and slightly frightening at the same time.  

On the beach

I'm going to squeeze you!

I'm going to squeeze you harder!

Ponies on the beach
It's one thing to see them wandering near the road, but to see them on the beach, right near the water, was so amazing.  

The brown and white one near the water was a foal.  

We found a heart on the beach and had to get our picture by it :)

We stopped for lunch on the hour-long drive from the north end of the island to the south end.  We realized while waiting for our food that this little diner in Berlin, MD was apparently used in the movie Runaway Bride.  Now I'm going to have to watch the movie again!  

View of the Assateague Lighthouse (south end of the island in VA)  from the bottom

Boys by the Lighthouse

Lots of wetlands everywhere you look