After a quick reset at home, we were back on the road to our next destination. New York City! The girls have been excited about this trip for a long time and we were finally able to put some time aside to make it happen. In our normal fashion, we had to do things differently and we chose to camp at the Liberty Harbor Marina & Rv Park across the Hudson River in Jersey City. We were surrounded by the typical motorhomes that you’d expect in a campground, but there were also a Jeep and a beautiful Landy 110 rocking some rooftop tents. The word “Campground” should be used lightly here as it’s a paved parking lot with water and electrical hookups. There is 24/7 security, bathrooms with showers and a laundry facility on site as well. The best part about this “Campground” is the location. You’re blocks away from the Path train to go over to NYC and you can see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty right from the campground. Our first day in NYC consisted of hitting the big items on the girl’s list, just to help calm them down a bit.😂 Times Square, Grand Central Station and all 10 floors of Macy’s. Not to mention experiencing the NYC subway system. Once the “big must see” items were checked off the list, we were able to move onto the more experience oriented locations. Be on the lookout for our next post where we delve a little deeper into those……

On our latest adventure we made our way to the town of Reedville, Va where we boarded a ship, aptly named the Chesapeake Breeze, and traveled across the Chesapeake Bay to the little island of Tangier. Tangier is a special place that is chocked full of history, culture and a lot of character. Just talk to one of the residents and you’ll understand instantly what we mean. Pay particular attention to their accent or dialect, as you won’t hear anything like it anywhere else.

The island was originally discovered and named in 1608 by Captain John Smith and has had a very interesting history to say the least. It’s first inhabitants were thought to be the Pocomoke Indians long before the first English settlers arrived in the 1770’s. It’s said that after a good series of gale force winds, stone arrow heads can still be readily found on the beaches of Tangier. Later during the war of 1812, the island was used as a staging area for the British Fleet and was the base of operations for their attacks against our fledgling nation. Most notably, the sieges against Washington and Baltimore were launched from here. Another interesting little fact is that the British siege against Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor was the very battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write a little jingle called “The Star-Spangled Banner”, which was later adopted as our National Anthem in 1931.

The community today is that of a sleepy little fishing village that springs to life every time a passenger ferry or tour boat enters port. The residents are quick to show up on their multi seater golf carts and offer guided tours of their unique community and share the rich history of this special island. Tourism is a vital part of the island’s economy, second only to the Waterman livelihood. So make sure you stop and visit the shops or one of the three restaurants on the island. Oh, and we highly recommend the crab cakes if you decide you want to taste the freshest seafood on the Chesapeake Bay!

By the way, did I mention that the only way to and from the island is by boat or private aircraft? That’s right, because of how far the island is from the mainland, it’s considered to be isolated. So isolated in fact, that the mail and supplies to this small Virginia island actually come from Crisfield, Maryland, since it’s the closest locality to the island. Don’t let its remoteness deter you from visiting though, the natural beauty and history of this little island, not to mention the amazingly fresh seafood make this place worth a visit. If you’re considering a visit to Tangier, we recommend that you do it sooner than later as the island is at risk of disappearing due to the sea levels rising. I know, we’ve all heard about sea level rising, but has anyone actually noticed it? Well, lets put it this way. Since 1850 the landmass on Tangier has been reduced by 67%. The island is predicted to be completely underwater or at least uninhabitable by no later than 2051, if the sea level continues to rise at its current rate. Pretty crazy, isn’t it.