BEST SMALL TOWN
VIRGINIA’S CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND seems to glow during the magic hour—that bit of the day just before the sun begins its dramatic descent into the bay and its rays skate across the water like sequins. This is the time when the spartina grasses that flourish in the brackish marshes glimmer like spun gold and silhouettes of shorebirds glide along the horizon.
“The best way to experience this place is to get a waterman’s outlook,” says Scott Landolt, captain and manager of Daisey’s Island Cruises, which operates scenic trips around Chincoteague, giving passengers up-close-and-personal views of the abundant animals that make this area a tourist destination. “This island has been home to generations of watermen—people who make their living off the sea. I’m what the natives call a ‘come-over’ because I didn’t grow up here. But I was drawn to Chincoteague because of its natural beauty and the incredible wildlife you can see all around you—from bald eagles and egrets to dolphins to, of course, the wild ponies.”
Chincoteague (pronounced SHIN-kuh-teeg) is nestled between Assateague Island and Wallops Island on the northeastern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore—a 70-mile peninsula that separates the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The island draws tourists who traverse it by bike, car, kayak, and boat in hopes of encountering the renowned Chincoteague ponies, which reside on Assateague in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
“They say once you fall in love with our little island, you get the marsh mud between your toes and keep coming back over and over again,” says Renata de Ris Murphy, owner of Miss Molly’s Inn on Main Street, where author Marguerite Henry began writing the book Misty of Chincoteague in 1946. Such was the case for Murphy’s own family, who vacationed here for decades before she and her husband, Dave, bought the inn in September 2020. “The small-town charm and unspoiled beach hooked me 30 years ago— not to mention the ice cream from Island Creamery,” she says.
At the end of the road in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge—a 14,000-acre preservationist’s paradise full of wooded walking trails and bike paths—lies the pristine beach where the sunrises match the splendor of the sunsets on the bay. Beach- combers find delight in the bounty of shells here, where dramatic dunes descend into a wide, flat, mile-long beach and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean are a playground of their own in warm months.
One of the most visited refuges in the country, it is ringed with oyster beds and clam shoals that have buoyed this area’s economy and provided a steady source of income for residents for generations. It’s difficult to find a menu in town that isn’t heavy on the freshly caught seafood, particularly Chincoteague oysters (often called “salts” by locals), which find their way into some of New York’s finest restaurants. Briny with a mellow flavor, they are an everyday delicacy here.
At AJ’s on the Creek, for example, it’s tough to choose between the oysters Rockefeller and those on the half shell, so many patrons order both. Chef Jeffrey Landry, who moved to Virginia from Maine, says the endless array of seafood inspires him daily. His menu is elevated, but the vibe at AJ’s is relaxed, much like everything else on the island. “I fell for Chincoteague because coming here feels like a step back in time,” says Landry. “It’s not trying to be fancy or to become a hot tourist destination. It’s a simple place where nature is the main attraction and the people are as down-to-earth as they come.”
—Paige Porter Fischer
BEST HISTORIC SITE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG BEFORE IT FOUND a home at Colonial Williamsburg, the little cottage on William & Mary’s campus was a residence, the military science department, and an ROTC- program office. About 20 years ago, Terry L. Meyers, chancellor professor emeritus of English, thought it might be from the 18th century and began investigating. Experts tried to pinpoint its age and original purpose, and in 2020, a sample of wood solved the mystery. It was the Williamsburg Bray School, one of the country’s first schools for free and enslaved African American children. From 1760 to 1774, a white teacher named Ann Wager instructed over 300 pupils from ages 3 to 10 on reading and writing as well as skills like sewing. “Two free students, Mary and Elisha Jones, returned to their community and taught them how to read and write, becoming the first Black teachers in Virginia,” says Tonia Cansler Merideth, an oral historian for the William & Mary Bray School Lab. After careful restorations, it will open at Colonial Williamsburg this fall. Matt Webster, the museum’s executive director of architectural preservation and research, calls the building a rare instance of survival, saying, “The marks left behind like fingerprints in bricks, saw marks on framing, and worn floor-boards and handrails return some humanity to those whose stories have been historically overlooked.” —Lisa Cericola
BEST BBQ JOINT
Tucked behind the big orange-and-yellow Williamsburg restaurant is a metal-walled cookhouse with tall chimneys rising above. Inside, they’re still making ribs, chicken, and beef on cinder block pits, just like Julius C. “Doc” Pierce did when he opened Pierce’s Pitt in 1971. Smoky pork is dressed in Doc’s original sauce, a unique sweet and tangy blend of tomato and vinegar. Thick red-glazed ribs, smoky pulled chicken, and thin-sliced brisket round out the offerings along with crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, and hush puppies.
—Robert Moss
3. ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque Richmond 4. Southside BBQ & Catering Chesapeake 5. Texas Jack’s Barbecue Arlington
6. Ace Biscuit & Barbecue Charlottesville 7. Allman’s BBQ Fredericksburg 8. Monk’s BBQ Purcellville 9. The Barbeque Exchange Gordonsville 10. Mission BBQ Multiple Locations
