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Virginia

A Hands-On, Sea-to-Table Extravaganza on Chincoteague Island

Program No. 23441RJ

Learn about the aquaculture industry of Chincoteague as you harvest clams and catch crab and work with an expert local chef.

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Food & Wine Small Group

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6 days

5 nights

13 meals

5B 4L 4D

Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation, History

Chincoteague , Va.

Boat Cruise, Island Creamery Tour

Chincoteague , Va.

Clamming, History Tour, Free evening

Chincoteague , Va.

Aquaculture, Crabbing with local experts.

Chincoteague , Va.

Beer & Wine tasting, Cooking with the Chef, Seafood Feast

Chincoteague , Va.

Program Concludes

Chincoteague , Va.

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At a Glance

A new aquaculture industry is emerging in the coastal waters surrounding Chincoteague Island off Virginia’s Atlantic coast as the famous salty oysters known as the “Chincoteague Salts” make a comeback. These local waters also offer excellent grounds for clamming and crabbing, and sea-to-table restaurants abound for enjoying these bountiful harvests. During this hands-on seafood extravaganza, get your feet wet as you join local watermen to hunt for clams, learn about oysters and catch the famous blue crab and work with experienced chefs to make historic and modern Chincoteague dishes. Along the way, learn about the re-emerging aquaculture industry from those who live it, and find out about the challenges faced by those who work on the water.

Activity Level

Keep the Pace

Harvesting in knee-deep water.

Small Group

Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

Enjoy a hands-on clam-harvesting experience and learn about oysters and aquaculture with local experts.
Learn about beer and wine during a private tasting event with a local expert.
Work with an expert local chef to create historic and modern Chincoteague dishes.

General Notes

All rooms at Channel Bass Inn have one bed, and some include a sleeper sofa or space for a rollaway bed. Roommate matching is unavailable for solo travelers on this program. If you do not have anyone to share a room with you must book as a single room option for the additional cost.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Cindy Faith

Cindy Faith has been a Group Leader and lecturer at the Museum of Chincoteague Island’s Road Scholar programs for many years. Raised on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, her knowledge of the region’s natural and local history is encyclopedic. Her expertise runs the gamut from horseshoe crabs and wild ponies to pirates and the Civil War’s impact on the Chincoteague region. Combined with her warm sense of humor, Cindy’s vast knowledge assures Road Scholar participants of an informative and interesting experience.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Cindy Faith View biography

Hunter Leonard View biography

Hunter Leonard has extensive knowledge in so many different aspects of Chincoteague. He is one of many generations of Saltwater Cowboys in his family, a member of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, a boat captain, owns a duck hunting business and has a bachelor’s in marine biology and a minor in environmental science from The College of William and Mary. Hunter prides himself in being able to answer any and all questions related to Chincoteague Ponies..

Beth Scheeley View biography

Beth Scheeley was born and raised on Chincoteague Island. She has many family ties to the island, which makes her a true "teaguer." Beth has an extensive knowledge for Chincoteague's history. Her childhood memories of Chincoteague's past looks, restaurants and people will call for endless conversations and stories during your time with her. Her go-getter personality and friendliness will surely make you feel right at home on Chincoteague Island.

Suggested Reading List (5 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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A Hands-On, Sea-to-Table Extravaganza on Chincoteague Island

Program Number: 23441

Slave and Free on Virginia's Eastern Shore

by Kirk Mariner

The Eastern Shore of Virginia has been home to English-Speaking people for almost four hundred years, and for more than half that time it was legal for some of its residents to own other residents who live on the peninsula with them, to buy and sell, use and abuse them for their own purposes and profit. What was it like to live in that day when human bondage was accepted, its mindset and practices firmly embedded in the everyday affairs of ordinary people? Solidly researched, Slave and Free is a good place to begin the study that no one wants to talk about. It will be found accessible and readable by both the scholar and the general reader; as well as by all who know and love Virginia's Eastern Shore. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

Once Upon an Island: The History of Chincoteague

by Kirk Mariner

Settled for more than 300 years, surrounded by waters which have for centuries provided both livelihood and recreation, known for ponies and wildfowl, seafood and seashore, "old salts" and decoys. Chincoteague Island, Virginia is both colorful and storied. And never until now has its complete history been told. This book chronicles the often surprising story of a place named for Native Americans who never really lived there, settled not by fishermen but by cattlemen, so individual that it refused to follow the rest of the state into the Confederacy during the Civil War. Here is a full account of how the famous pony penning came to be, of the boom and bust of the seafood industry, and of a hardy people who survived fire, flood and isolation to build a community that has now been visited by millions. It is the story not of one island but of several - Chincoteague, Assateague, Wallops, and of their interplay with both the nearby Eastern Shore and with more distant places familiar to islander who "went to sea" at an early age. Once Upon an Island is both good, sound history and a "fun read" for anyone who is fascinated by colorful, celebrated Chincoteague Island. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

Chincoteague and Assateague Islands (MD and VA) (images of America)

by Nan Devincent-Hays

This book provides a short pictorial and narrative description of these two barrier islands, their history and relationship. One is a small town community catering to thousands of tourists who come almost year-round to enjoy the beach and view the wildlife on the other. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

The Watermen and Wild Ponies: A Chincoteague Waterman Remembers Life on Chincoteague and Assateague

by Robert H. Mears

Share the experiences of surviving on Chincoteague and Assateague from the people who have lived them. In 1912, Chincoteague was emerging as a thriving seaside community. It was the only outside contact for the small village on Assateague Island. The watermen were tough and courageous. They worked long days dredging oysters or tonging clams and return to the island to cull their catch for shucking. They labored building large ocean "pound" traps to catch a wide variety of fish from their local waters. The seafood industry was the focal point of the island economy. Mother Nature played her part in making life hard on the islands. The hurricanes and floods could be brutal. The relentless changing ocean currents and tidal surges threatened the fragile island home of the famous wild ponies. The great fires of the 1920s were devastating to the community on Chincoteague. Yet the people rebuilt from the ashes each time with new hope. The creation of the causeway to the mainland and the building of the bridge to Assateague Island were massive undertakings for these persevering people. They are what makes Chincoteague and Assateague unique. This is their story. The isolation, the struggles, their compassion and courage as told by a Chincoteague waterman. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

Misty of Chincoteague

by Marguerite Henry

A Newberry Honor book, for children 8 - 12 years old. This is the story of Paul and Maureen Beebe and their quest to buy the elusive Phantom, a wild Chincoteague pony. On Pony Penning Day, they not only bring in the Phantom, but also her colt, Misty. It is a wonderful heart-warming tale of the efforts of two children to achieve their dream. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

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A Hands-On, Sea-to-Table Extravaganza on Chincoteague Island

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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