Where: Chincoteague Island, Virginia
When: summer
If you like: conservation
Why you should go: This summer marks the hundred-year anniversary of the Chincoteague Pony Swim, also known as Pony Penning Day, a beloved annual event popularized by the 1947 children’s novel Misty of Chincoteague. On the last Wednesday in July, close to two hundred feral ponies and foals swim the short distance from their home on Assateague Island to the tiny Eastern Shore fishing village of Chincoteague, guided by the skilled riders and volunteer firefighters known as Saltwater Cowboys. The ponies cross the channel during slack tide, typically between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and then rest for an hour before parading to Main Street, where crowds cheer their arrival.
The following morning, foals are auctioned off to raise money for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which organizes the event and cares for the ponies year-round. (The auction helps keep the island’s herd size in check, although a select few foals will remain wild.) Visitors should note that local accommodations fill up fast, so book early—the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce is a good resource—and if you miss the main event on Wednesday, you can watch the ponies return across the channel on Friday.
G&G tip: Head to the Museum of Chincoteague Island to pay homage to Misty herself in taxidermied form (it’s less terrifying than it sounds), learn more about the island’s culture and the tradition of pony penning, and even play some games. “The museum hosts Buckaroo Bingo on Tuesday afternoon, and we give away huge prizes,” says Cindy Faith, the museum’s assistant director. The historic Beebe Ranch—Misty’s home on Chincoteague for many years—was recently purchased by the museum and will open its doors this summer.
