Tangier Island: A Brief, Quiet Visit

The watermen's crab traps present a colorful view of Tangier Island. 

Our last full day on the Eastern Shore Thursday presented LindaK and me with the opportunity to sail out to Tangier Island for a brief visit. A longer visit than our two hours would have been wasted because this is a tiny island. It has 400 people--most of them watermen and women and with a school that houses K-12.

There are very few automobiles on the island. Most of the people get around in golf-type carts or bicycles. It is an easy ride of about 20-30 minutes around the inhabited portion of the island. There are a couple of adequate restaurants, a museum and a lot of opportunities to take good photographs, which appealed to me.

Linda and me on the boat over from Crisfield, MD, to Tangier Island. 

I talked to an old guy who has lived there most of his 90 years and he wanted to tell me that the island would be gone in 50 years-- "and so will I." It is, indeed, slowly sinking into the sunset. The old woman who owns the only grocery store on the island said that getting resupplied is often a challenge. Her shelves were about 75 percent bare. Those wanting to go to Crisfield or a couple of other villages on the mainland to shop have to pay the same price a tourist pays to ride the boats making regular trips ($20, $30 or $40, each way, depending on the boat).

The island does not have a lot of amenities, not much to do and, frankly, not a lot to see. But if you're looking for solitude, it's easy to find. In fact, if a grave is the ultimate in solitude, Tangier has plenty of them, a lot in front yards of the homes they owned when they were alive.

Interesting place, this Tangier Island. 

LindaK found a nice spot on the boat.

These were the other boats that shuttled to Tangier from Crisfield.

The old captain and his dog, Homer.

The old captain and the young leg.

Entering the harbor at Tangier Island. 

More of the crab traps that populate Tangier Island. 

A rustic view of a rustic place.

Yes, the onion rings were good. So was the flounder.

Nice views everywhere. 

Contrast of colors on the shore with oyster shells littering. 

Everywhere you look, there is a photo waiting to be taken. 

Yet another bright spot for the watermen.

This boat seems to have been used up.

Bicycles are a primary form of
transportation, especially for the tourists. 

This was a church cemetery, but some graves are in people's front yards. 

The scourge of America seems to be everywhere, even Tangier Island. 

The paint peeling from this house gave
it an interesting look. 

Hey, you decorate how you can, sometimes more colorfully than other times.

That's LindaK in the overalls. I love overalls. Find them especially sexy. 

Mimosa, one of my faves. LindaK thought it was a drink.

LindaK couldn't find the Cheetos in this grocery store.

No, she's not taking her pants off. She's adjusting them. 

This was our ride.

The sun was warm on the fore deck, but the wind chilled.

The old cap'n taking it all in.