On Thursday we decided to take a trip to Tangier Island. It’s in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and only accessible by boat or plane.
The island was used by the British to banish the males of a particularly troublesome Indian tribe in the 17th century.
It is known as the soft shell crab capital of the world. Soft shell crabs are just crabs (typically blue crabs) that are harvested after they molt. I’m told they’re good but I’ll never find out.
We took a ferry out of Reedville which took a little over an hour.
Just casting off.
Lots of water traffic on the way there. The Bay is very busy.
The older folks on the island speak with an unusual accent. It’s very similar to how they spoke 400 years ago – an old English accent.
The most ornate rubbish receptacles you’ll find.
Living space is scarce and the 700 or so residents of the island make due with what they have. Many of the houses looked like typical houses but scaled down by about a third.
Grave space is limited and the old English tradition of burying loved ones on one’s property has left a very macabre bunch of backyards.
The more derelict hoops court I’ve seen.
The other side of the water tower has a cross. Someone alert the ACLU!
T’was a hot day and Aunt Jennifer and Gwynn needed a break.
We ate at one of the few restaurants on the island. The waitress seemed surprised that three of us didn’t want to eat any seafood.
We stayed on the island for about three hours. You get the feeling the locals have a very different lifestyle in the mornings/evenings when the visitors go.
Gwynn got tuckered out.
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