TIDBITS SAGA:

TANGIER ISLAND, VIRGINIA

We landed after an hour's boat trip and found it immediately interesting. 

You go by these Crab Shanties where Watermen take their crab catch and sort them. There are no cars on Tangier Island. All transportation is by golf carts or bicycles—charming! 

Beautiful scenes, 

interesting views 

and people 

but a dying way of life. They speak in a dialect that is Old English from Cornwall with many words undecipherable—frustrating but intriguing.

Our B & B was in an interesting, pretty old house. 

However, they had 60s style motel-like housing in the back with lots of kitschy ornamentation. What a disappointment.

The Island's population is fewer than 500 and they lose ground area every year. In the 1600s, Tangier Island was over 2000 acres. Now it's around 950 and they lose about 9 acres a year to erosion and rising water levels. They are desperate for help and solutions but none are forthcoming.

Island hours start early and end early. For dinner we found out we had to be there by 5pm! It was in another neat, old house and they served dinner family style: clam fritters, excellent crab cakes, ham, beets, green beans, yeast bread, potato salad, cole slaw and the best corn-bread pudding I've ever tasted.


The island is very serene, to the point of boredom. 

Many residents leave the island in the winter because it's so bleak and nothing is happening.

It was all together an interesting but boring visit. We're glad we did it but certainly won't repeat it. We came home half-a-day early to a hearty welcome.