AT THE TOP OF MY SEAFOOD LIST

If you have read the famous books about Chincoteague Ponies - Misty of Chincoteague, Stormy and Sea Star - then you know about Chincoteague Island.  We grew up on those books and it was a dream come true to go there and actually see the Island, the ponies of today, the Beebee Farm and Stormy, who was still alive at the time!  

Chincoteague, Virginia

Stormy

My Mom with Misty II

If you’re reading this and you have children. Grandchildren or just know kids for whom you buy gifts, PLEASE get the Misty Books (by Marguerite Henry) for them.  These are classics that shouldn’t be allowed to fade away from existence, as so many of our treasured books do today.  Titles of these books are:  Misty of Chincoteague, Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteague and Stormy, Misty's Foal.  You can find them on Amazon or eBay.  She also wrote other great books -- Brighty of the Grand Canyon and other horse books that were unrelated to Chincoteague. 

The Last Known Photo of Misty

 While on Chincoteague, we attended the Pony Penning parade, the Pony Auction and all the festivities at the Fair Grounds and we got to meet Morgan Dennis, the son of Wesley Dennis (the artist from the Misty series of books).  Linda and I even saw “Bambi” at the Chincoteague Movie Theatre. 

The ponys arrive from Assateague Island

 

The Pony Penning Parade

 

The Pony Auction

 

My sister Linda with Morgan Dennis, son of Misty Artist Wesley Dennis

 We went over to Assateague, where we saw the Assateague Lighthouse and the many wild  ponies living on the Island.

 

The Assteague Lighthouse

The wild ponys on the beach at Assateague

But one of my favorite things was to sit down by the fishing docks in back of our motel in the evening and watch the boats coming back in.  And who could ever forget the most beautiful sunsets in the world!?

 

The Fishing Boats off Chincoteague

As much as for the Ponies, Chincoteague, Virginia is known for Crab Cakes, hand-carved ducks and Salt Water Taffy, called Pony Tails.   

Pony Tails Salt Water Taffy from Chicoteague Island

Crab cakes are definitely among my top favorite seafoods!  Especially the ones we get on Chincoteague Island, in the DelMarVa region off the coast of Virginia. Theirs are really the best -- true Chesapeake Bay crab cakes!  I've had them at different restaurants there -- Bill's on Main Street, Pony Pines, The Chincoteague Inn, The Landmark Crab House, The Brant and The Wagon Wheel. They're always great!  And at Pony Pines, I ate the very BEST shrimp I’ve ever had (before or since).  And that’s saying a lot for a shrimp lover like me!

 

The  pantng THE LEGEND, which hung in The Brant restaurant

CHINCOTEAGUE CRABCAKES

6 slices white bread, crusts removed and crumbled

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

6 teaspoons OLD BAY Seasoning

6 teaspoons Parsley Flakes

1 1/2 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

3 egg, beaten

3 pound lump crabmeat

Mix bread, mayonnaise, OLD BAY, parsley, mustard and egg in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in crabmeat. Shape into 12 crab cakes.

   

Broil 10 minutes without turning or fry until golden brown on both sides.  Makes 12 Crab Cakes

 

Chincoteague Crabcakes