That’s a trip for the memory books! We started our trip by exploring the abandoned town of Union Level, Va for Jennifer’s & my 20th wedding anniversary. Since we were in the area, we made a stop at Lovers Leap & Mabry Mill where we happened to run into some old friends & spent some time catching up. The next day we celebrated Bailey’s 13th birthday while dispersed camping & then visited Brights Zoo near Johnson City, Tn so she could see their newest addition, a rare spotless baby Giraffe. After that, we spent the rest of the week showing Papa & Nana (from South Dakota) some of our favorite places in Virginia. To top the week off, they treated all of us to a wonderful horseback ride at Skyline Stables just outside of Radford, Va. What a great week it has been and we’re definitely exhausted. But there’s no rest for the wicked. On to the next adventure!
Tangier
Chesapeake Breeze out of Reedville, VA
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.
Is This Overlanding?
Overlanding…. What is it? There are varying opinions and definitions of this popular term. Some believe its four wheeling across rugged terrain, miles from civilization and some believe it’s purely car camping. While both of those scenarios certainly fall into the definition of Overlanding, there’s a lot more to it then just that. You see, “Overlanding” can really mean something different to everyone. One of the best definitions that we’ve happened across is “Overlanding sees the journey as the purpose. Overlanding is about exploration, rather than conquering obstacles.” This is the definition that personally resinates with us the most because it’s how we like to approach the majority of our travel.
So why are we talking about this? There are hundreds of articles and videos out there discussing this same thing. Well… Lately we’ve run into a lot of people who are interested in Overland Travel, but feel that they have to spend a small fortune to build a capable vehicle and have products X, Y & Z before they can even embark on their first trip. It really kills us to see how worked up everyone gets about having the right gear. So much, that they never even go on a trip. Listen, gear is great, but it’s also bad… Let me explain. Having the right gear can obviously make all of the difference between an alright trip and a fantastic trip. There’s nothing worse than waking up in a pool of water because your awning or tent leaked. Or shivering all night because you have the wrong temp sleeping bag. You won’t get any argument from us on that. However… Gear can also be a bad thing because you set in your mind that you have to have all of this “stuff” before you can do anything. The truth is, you probably won’t even use a third of all that gear on your first five trips. Ask us how we know. We, like many others before us, have fallen down the exact same rabbit hole a couple of times and had to claw our way back out of wonderland. It’s hard to do.
Okay, then how do we go Overlanding without gear? Well that depends on what type of Overlanding you want to do and how you define it. If your definition aligns with ours, then there is a lot that you can do without any gear. Remember, it’s all about the journey and exploration. Have you ever been to the next town, county or state over? What makes their area different than yours? What is their heritage/culture? What hidden gems rural and urban are hiding there? All you need for that type of exploration is a vehicle to get you there and a lot of curiosity. Overnighting it? No problem. Hit a hotel, bed and breakfast, or a cabin in a state park. Still not one bit of gear needed. And guess what… You’re still Overlanding!
Obviously when you mix car camping into the definition of Overlanding, things begin to change. Or do they? What does it take to car camp? For one to two people, not too much. Depending on the vehicle, you could just sleep inside with a pillow and a blanket. Need more room? Buy a small tent and ground pad and you’re golden. What about food? You’ve made ramen before right? How about Pop tarts? You laugh, but 9 times out of 10, we eat pop tarts for breakfast. It all comes down to how comfortable you want to be in relation to how much money you want to spend on the gear vs the travel. Believe it or not, you can be pretty darn comfortable for a reasonable amount of money.
I guess what we’re trying to get across here is not to fall into the paralysis by analysis trap. You want to go Overlanding? Then go, but go within your means. Try to add gear only as there becomes a need for it, not because everyone is buying it right now. We don’t even want to begin to think about the amount of times we bought something because it was going to be “life changing” only to sell it the following year because we only used it one time. That would be depressing. Honestly, some of our greatest memories and trips only required a vehicle and some clothes. If we can give you one piece of advice when looking at gear, it would be: “Think about if it is a need or a want… How much does it cost and how many trips could I go on instead if I were to just spend that money on the trips themselves?”
Exploring Blackwater
Jennifer and Bailey look over the powerful Blackwater River
Nature’s power on display as the Blackwater River cascades over the rock face
On the days leading up to Overland Expo East 2021, we visited a few of the more touristy area’s in the beautiful state of West Virginia. One of those places being Blackwater Falls near Davis, WV. If you haven’t been, we highly recommend adding it to your list of attractions and places to visit. Yes, there’s a trading post (aka tourist shop/trap) in the parking lot, but don’t let that deter you. Nor the masses that you’ll come upon while making the short journey to the falls from the parking lot. It’s worth it, trust me. We recommend visiting the historical markers and info stations along the short hike down to the observation decks. We found them very interesting and they allowed us to see the falls from a different perspective. You’ll understand what I mean if you take the time to read them. We won’t spoil that for you. No bother if you choose to bypass the info centers and head straight to the falls though. Nature’s power, showcasing the beautiful waters of the Blackwater River, cascading over the rock face is by far the main attraction here and is enough to keep anyone petrified with awe.
