Horses, Harbours and Happenings:Steve and Sue visit Chincoteague and Hilton Head, May 2009! - COMPLETE - Page 6 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
I have to say, it's interesting to read a trip report about your own local area. I live on the Delmarva Peninsula, about 2 blocks over the Maryland-Delaware state line. We're about a half hour from Assateague (MD) and go there quite alot, year round. Chincoteague is a wonderful little town, and I have several friends and co-workers who live there. But I will tell you, the town has changed greatly over the past 10 years...alot of transplants! Sounds like you had a wonderful time. If you ever come back and need a tour guide, look me up! Lol...
Sue - I've been putting off reading this TR because I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Chincoteague and Assateague my whole life - well, ever since reading Marguerite Henry's books over and over. (I still have my copies of 'Misty.." and "Stormy...", too!) I knew this TR would make me realize I haven't achieved that goal yet...but we're going to rectify that next summer. I promise.
I still have my copies, too! This is definitely a place you must visit!
Quote:
Can't wait to read more.
It's coming!
Quote:
my goodness, the area is just packed with beautiful places and amazing things to see and do.
And there are things we didn't even have time to do!
Quote:
Your photos of the horses are amazing!
Quote:
More great pictures Sue!
Quote:
Great photos of the Boardwalk!!
Thanks!
Quote:
I have to say, it's interesting to read a trip report about your own local area. I live on the Delmarva Peninsula, about 2 blocks over the Maryland-Delaware state line. We're about a half hour from Assateague (MD) and go there quite alot, year round. Chincoteague is a wonderful little town, and I have several friends and co-workers who live there.
We really fell in love with the area, although several locals told us that it has changed quite a bit! You live in a beautiful area of our country!
Just got to catch up with your last few updates...what a wonderful trip so far. I love the view from the lighthouse but what a climb Your pictures are amazing, love the sunset pictures that you took after dinner, they were so beautiful. Can't get over all the horses just grazing along the road...
I have often thought of taking a long weekend down to Ocean City - glad you both were having a great time.
After a shower and a nap, we headed out to dinner. We decided on Don's again. I wanted to try the Prime rib, and as far as Steve goes, you can never have enough beef.
Steve decided on a Captain and Coke, and I had a Sam Adams!
The prime rib did not disappoint:
After dinner, we decided to walk through town.
We met some more locals:
This was another Bed and Breakfast:
Down towards the canal:
Earning extra money by selling shells on the honor system. You take the one you want and leave your cash!
The Coffee House we never got to:
We walked down Maddox Street. Our destination was the Chincoteague Pony Centre. According to the brochure, the Centre was supposed to be open until 10 PM and was the only place on the Island to see Misty family descendants. Sadly, when we got there, it was closed. Happily, the horses were housed in corrals out front!
Up in the front were two ponies in a corral. I looked closer,a nd sure enough, one of them was Ember! Ember is a direct descndant of Misty, and she had a rough statr in life. Born premature, it was uncertain if she was going to live. But she did, and showed alot of spunk, just like her great-great-great grand relative did all those years ago! This is her story: Chincoteague Pony Centre
And this is her picture: (she is the one in the background in the first picture, and sort of hiding in the other two!)
By now it was getting really dark (it's hard to tell because I shot the pictures on night and manual). We had a pretty far walk back, so we walked over to Church Street (4 churches that we counted on it) and back to the B & B. Steve insisted I take this picture:
I took a few night shots:
And when I left the porch, I ran into...
The third cat! Yes, he really did live here! I didn't have any more success petting him then I did the other two, but at least he sat for his picture.
We were soon ready for bed. It had been a long day, and we had a long journey tomorrow.
Next...goodbye to Sam and Lin, is that a bridge? a tunnel? a bridge? a tunnel?
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
We do live in a beautiful area. But yes, it has changed greatly...not always for the best either..(property values running up taxes, over development..)
Next time you're this way, go to Lewes, Delaware. Lewes is a very lovely old town. It was the first settlement in Delaware. It's filled with little shops and wonderful resturants... Then there's Rehoboth...and Dewey Beach, and Bethany... All are far superior to the tourist trap that Ocean City has become.
We were up and packed at around 8. Sadly, we were leaving Chincoteague, but we still had adventures ahead of us. We went down to our last delicious breakfast:
Then it was time to hit the road and say goodbye to Sam and Lin. I hate goodbyes, so we made plans to return to the area in the near future!
Me, Lin, Sam and Steve:
Lin and Sam:
And we were on the road.
Garmin told us we had about an 11 hour ride to Hilton Head, which was without any stops. We knew it was a long drive, but we were ready.
Our journey south was going to take us through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I was totally thrilled by this! I had been through the CBBT when I was a little girl, and I remember how excited my parents were. It truly is an engineering marvel. The last time I was on it, it was only one lane in both directions. Now it had been upgraded to two lanes in each direction, and was more of a highway. I tried to share my unbridled enthusiasm with Steve.
He was...lets say, less than thrilled.
His first response: "I've been through this already" Oh yeah, when? "When I came to Baltimore." Um...honey, if you went through the CBBT on your way from Pennsylvania to Baltimore, boy were you lost.
His second response: "It's just a tunnel, anyway." Umm...no...it's a bridge...then a tunnel...then a bridge....then a tunnel...
His third response: "Will we lose our Sirius radio signal in it?" Sigh. He's come a long way, but I guess I still have some work to do.
I was driving. We fueled up right before the tunnel and used our EZ Pass to pay the... $12 toll!! I hadn't replenished our EZ Pass before we left,,,,I would need to check that (more on that coming in a later installment! ). We went through the toll, and I did actually get him to film it. I snapped some pictures from the driver's seat:
Well, Steve might not have been too impressed, but I thought it was waaaaaay cool!
We drove another few hours and stopped in North Carolina for lunch at a Cracker Barrel. I didn't take any pictures. Our waitress was BettiAnne and she sounded just like a BettiAnne fro North Carolina should sound! What a sweetheart! We both got the Campfire Chicken, and were soon back on the road.
Our little stop added about an hour, and garmin now had us arriving at Hilton Head at about 8:30. I took a few pictures from the road:
...but most of the trip was spent listening to the radio, putting the top up and down as we drove through rainstorm after rainstorm and doing some videotaping. We got off of 95 at about 7:30 and took the road towards Hilton Head Island. We needed to make a grocery stop. I told Steve I would run out in the morning if he was tired, but we found a Publix and I ran in and filled my list in about 20 minutes flat! A few more miles down the road and Garmin announced we were "Arriving at destination on right!"
I took some outdoor pictures that night, and believe me, I took alot more during the next few days. (I know, you're shocked.)
We are definitely in a Disney resort:
Disney's Hilton Head resort is sort of like Wilderness Lodge meets Old Key West. It has an earthy, woodsy feel to it, while encompassing all the amenities of a beachside resort. It is beautiful, and we had several days to really fall in love with this place!
I had done online check in, so the check in process was a breeze:
We got our key cards, and drove to where our room was. We needed to park under the building and take the elevator to our villa. This was the only issue we had the entire time. There was no parking, and I do mean, none. We had a car full of stuff, no valet (it's self serve) and no place even remotely near our villa to park. And why, you may ask? Because one of the spots was being used by an EMPTY boat trailer, and another two that said "compact car only" (which we would have easily fit in...the convertible is small) was being taken up by ONE mini-van. So what did this ex-New Yorker and her street-savvy DH do? We made our own spot! Along the wall was a place big enough for our car and small enough that we weren't blocking anyone else in. Park, top up, trunk uloaded, locked, we're golden! We would have to move it in the morning, but that was another day!
We hauled our stuf up to our villa, and opened the door. Our last villa had been very nice, albeit a studio, and we were not disappointed at our 1 bedroom accomodation! :
Kitchen:
Dining area:
Living room:
Bedroom, complete with towel critter:
Bathroom:
I unpacked the groceries while Steve ordered a pizza. He also figured out how to turn the icemaker on so we would have ice for the frozen drinks we had brought! the pizza was there in no time at all, and we were soon sitting on our dining room table, eating pizza, drinking wine coolers and relaxing. I hooked up his laptop and tried the internet code they had given us, and lo and behold, it worked!
Steve watched some TV but soon, I was ready for bed. It had been a long drive today, and we had alot more adventures coming tomorrow. He came to bed not too long after, and we were both asleep quickly. No street noise in our villa, just cool quiet air conditioning and a big comfy king size bed!
Next...we really fall in love with this resort (and take alot of pictures, too! )
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
About This Page: 
PassPorter Guide Author
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Your pictures are amazing, love the sunset pictures that you took after dinner, they were so beautiful. Can't get over all the horses just grazing along the road...
I hate goodbyes, so we made plans to return to the area in the near future! 
Um...honey, if you went through the CBBT on your way from Pennsylvania to Baltimore, boy were you lost.
I hadn't replenished our EZ Pass before we left,,,,I would need to check that (more on that coming in a later installment! 
and doing some videotaping. We got off of 95 at about 7:30 and took the road towards Hilton Head Island. We needed to make a grocery stop. I told Steve I would run out in the morning if he was tired, but we found a Publix and I ran in and filled my list in about 20 minutes flat! 
:
)
Linear Mode
