This is the third in a three-part series on my Memorial Day 2008 camping trip to Assateague Island National Seashore. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
Sorry for the delay, but here are the photos from our third day at Assateague. The wind was pretty crazy on Monday, so I didn’t really want to risk using the camera that day, so this is my last post for these photos.
Sunday was basically the day where everything really came together. Saturday’s partly cloudy skies gave way to an amazing blanket of clear blue – one of the most perfect days I’ve ever seen. The day began with a beautiful sunrise as the last wisps of cloud started toward the Atlantic. I spent some more time searching for shells and taking pictures along the shore, before making my way back to camp for breakfast.
Relaxation was the name of the game Sunday: we ate lunch, sure, but otherwise we were hanging out on our towels an blankets with our books, until we stopped to throw the frisbee around or play soome horseshoes. Aislinn and I actually jumped in the water for a swim at one point – I’ll just state for the record that the Atlantic is cold in late May, at least this far up the coast.
I finally saw some crabs on Sunday – something I’d been looking forward to all weekend. As we left the beach that evening to prepare dinner, I spotted a couple of little ones shuffling and scurrying about. Nature’s pretty amazing: if they hadn’t been moving (and I hadn’t been actively looking for something to photograph) I’m not sure I would have seen them.
That night, a crab wandered straight into our bonfire on the beach. We have no idea what the little fella was thinking – he walked straight into the flames and coals, and he lost a couple of legs before we were able to get him out and take him near the water. I hope he was OK.
We saw a few more crabs that evening, larger ones, using our headlamps and walking around the beach. We finished off our marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers, and I didn’t bother waking up early the next morning to see the sunrise. After we packed up camp we spent another few hours on the beach, as members of our party trickled away. Finally, the four of us who arrived first were the only ones left, and after a sandy lunch of sausages and hot dogs (the wind was intense) we loaded up the car and hit the road.
KathyF
Oh, I’ve wanted to go there since I was a little girl and read the Misty books! I’ll have to visit vicariously through your great photos!