All good things must come to an end! We made one final trip to Assateague before we hit the road for home. Stormy had finished her booklet, and was eager to turn it in to the rangers at the visitor center. We left my hubby teleworking from the beach house, and headed out.
Once we arrived at the visitor center, I was beyond impressed with the ranger on the information desk! Stormy was nervous, but she handed her booklet over. The ranger paged through it, and asked her questions about her adventures on the island. She then had Stormy raise her right hand, and say an oath to always help protect Assateague in her role as a junior ranger. Stormy went mute at first, but started mouthing the oath along with the ranger. After saying the oath, the ranger gave Stormy a pin to show she was now a junior ranger at Assateague. Folks, if you have kiddos around Stormy’s age and up, I highly recommend doing the junior ranger programs at the various national parks. It really does immerse kids in these parks, and Stormy was beyond excited to collect her first badge!
Once we were done at the visitor center, we crossed the bridge to the island one last time. After passing the entrance booths, we made the right turn and went over to bay side. Unlike Saturday night, Assawoman Bay was still and calm. We were able to wade out quite a ways, and the water was never deeper than my knees. FYI, there are no lifeguards on the bay, only ocean side.
Initially, the footing underneath as you walk out was a bit tricky. Lots of broken shells and stones, and you have to step carefully to avoid a sore foot. Only a few feet from shore, though, the footing becomes smooth, soft sand. We could see minnows darting through the water. Rainbow and her bestie attempted to catch these minnows in nets, with a lot of success!
At the time of our visit, jellies were also in the bay. The water was clear enough for us to spot several large ones and avoid them. Unfortunately, we saw one child get stung. Definitely pack first aid to treat jellyfish stings when visiting in the summer!
After wading a while, we returned to shore to play in the sand and hunt for shells. Pebble loved the oyster shells with their pearlescent interiors, and more than a few came home with us.
The morning passed quickly, and proved to be a wonderful ending to our weekend away. We were all sad to return to the beach house, clean up, pack up, and head home. Fingers are crossed, it won’t be long until we can visit again! We were blessed to have such amazing friends host us, and show us the wonders of Assateague. Happy trails!
Assateague Island National Seashore
