Feature Article: Chincoteague, Virginia - A Peaceful Island - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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Feature Article: Chincoteague, Virginia - A Peaceful Island
Chincoteague, Virginia - A Peaceful Island by Sue Kulick
This summer, we had the good fortune to spend a few days on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Our adventure began with the decision to visit Assateague Island, home of the wild ponies and the fulfillment of a childhood dream for me. Chincoteague, the central area in Marguerite Henry's beloved book "Misty of Chincoteague" was the natural place to stay. We knew we would enjoy our time there. What we didn't realize is how much we would come to love the area!
Chincoteague Island is a peaceful, quaint island off the Virginia coastline. As soon as you get close to the island, you know you are in for something special. The causeway leading to the island takes you through beautiful marsh country. You cross a drawbridge spanning the Chincoteague Canal, and you land squarely in the center of town. This is where your adventure truly begins.
There are many wonderful places to stay on the island. There are hotels with waterfront views, and townhouse villas for rent. You can camp, or stay in a lovely cottage. And the area abounds with bed and breakfasts. We chose Miss Molly's, a bed and breakfast located on Main Street, and lovingly restored to its original glory by Innkeepers Sam and Lin Mazza. Miss Molly's was the house where Ms. Henry actually wrote "Misty," and we stayed in the room where the book was penned! Once you make your decision about where to stay, you will need to decide what you would like to do. Naturally, the theme of the island centers around the ponies, but Chincoteague is so much more! For shoppers, the island is a funky little town of eclectic shops and souvenir emporiums. You can purchase everything from a hand drawn map of the island, to a coffee mug with Misty on it, to a hand baked treat for your four-legged friend back home. And don't overlook the purchase of a native conch shell or driftwood. These are available on tables outside of resident's homes, left there to be purchased on the honor system.
Chincoteague naturally has a big maritime business. You can charter a fishing boat, or go clamming or crabbing. You can fish either the Atlantic Ocean or the inland waterways, and you can surf fish on Assateague Island!
If fishing is not your style, relax on one of the many island scenic cruises. We chose to take a pony cruise on the Assateague Explorer. There are many other cruises available, including sunset cruises and dolphin cruises. All take you up close and personal with the abundant wildlife of Chincoteague and Assateague Island.
You can get a glimpse into Chincoteague history by visiting one of the local museums. The Beebe Ranch is the home of the original Misty, and houses many items from that wonderful book. The Oyster and Maritime Museum highlights local fishing history and culture, while just down the road, the NASA Wallops Island Flight Center showcases NASA's test flight facility.
If all that activity has made you hungry, you are in luck! Chincoteague has some wonderful choices. Of course, the seafood is fresh and abundant. Try AJ's on the Creek, Etta's Channel Side Restaurant, or Steamer's. We had incredible prime rib at Don's Seafood. For quick sandwiches, try the Sea Shell Cafe. And top it off with ice cream from Muller's. Don't be surprised if you see some Pennsylvania touches at Muller's...the family that owns it are transplanted from Philadelphia!
If you are lucky enough to be here in July, you will see the annual pony penning hosted by the Chincoteague Fire Company. Each year, the wild ponies are rounded up on the Island of Assateague and swim over to the island of Chincoteague. There, the fire company hosts the annual pony sale, where the foals are sold at auction. After the week, the adults and some of the foals swim back to Assateague Island. The money raised supports the totally volunteer fire company, and also goes for the horses' upkeep.
One of our favorite things to do in a small local town is just to walk around and enjoy the sights. We strolled down to Memorial Park, where we listened to a local musician play. We walked over to the Chincoteague Pony Center, where we got to see some of Misty's descendants. We shopped at several local stores, including Egret Moon Artworks and the Chincoteague Pet Boutique. We picked up some 45's in a little used record store. And we had a nightcap at Chattie's Lounge.
Chincoteague Island is a wonderful way to spend a weekend, or a week! There is so much to see and do, you will not run out of ideas. And you will take home a lifetime full of memories!
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
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