On The Road With Zuma: Berlin and Chincoteague

Berlin and Chincoteague

Monday, December 14th. Berlin, MD (population 4,563) won the prestigious title of America's Coolest Small Town In America in 2014 and, after visiting there today, they get my vote. Berlin is indeed cool. They have to meet a variety of categories: size of town, population, types of shops, events, etc. From the farmer's market to the noticeable lack of chain stores, this town has everything in small town style with privately owned businesses and great pride taken in property maintenance. No wonder films like Tuck Everlasting and The Runaway Bride were filmed here. I have to find out how to vote for them.

Zuma and I went for a walk about town and were delighted to see that two shops offered a bowl of water and a dish of doggie cookies on their steps. People are friendly to both man and beast in a Mayberry fashion. Zuma met two dogs and their owners and several shop owners (who stepped out into the sunshine to meet her). The overall feel of Berlin is sleepy, sunny and warm. When Doug returns here, we'll go and browse the antique shops and restaurants. One restaurant, The Globe is situated in an old movie theater!

The coolest stuffed llama outside a shop selling woolen items. He and Zuma ignored each other.

Our destination of the day was Chincoteague, VA so we headed out to the highway. We swung by Pocomoke and did a quick drive around as the sign said it is "The Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore". Blanca's "check engine" light came on. I stopped at a garage and we met some friendly people. They said it was nothing to worry about so we continued on to VA. I was very surprised to see cherry trees in bloom. they must be "tricked" by the mild temperatures.

Chincoteague is a small, humble fishing town at the end of a narrow sandy peninsula; it thrives on the summer population when thousands and thousands of people visit. It is especially populated the third week of July, when the wild ponies are herded across the channel from Assateague to Chincoteague in what is known as the annual "Pony Swim". The Chincoteague Volunteer Firemen hold an auction and the herd is thinned out, with the proceeds going to the Fire Department. Not far from the firehall, I saw a large group of young ponies nibbling on very short grass behind a chain link enclosure. They were a pretty motley crew, scruffy with winter coats coming in and not as plump as the ponies we saw on Assateague. I suspect these are youngsters who are spending the winter in town.

I thought I'd be really brave and go and see stuffed Misty again so I located the museum which houses her (and her son, Stormy) but the museum was closed. I was kinduv glad, to be honest. Taxidermied animals really bother me. To make a long story short, Ocean City may be 50% closed but it still functions really well with all the malls near the area we are in. Chincoteague, however is 90% closed. I found one restaurant that was open. This is the place I was interested in going to for lunch, I looked it up on FB and they said they were open today but they were closed.