Chincoteague Island to Parksley Day Trip
Direction:
Begin your Chincoteague Island to Parksley day trip by following VA-175 south to Atlantic Avenue, then go west 2.7 miles to VA-695. Continue west 2.1 miles to US-13. Go south for 5.8 miles and then head west on VA-187 to Shoremain Drive. Go .4 miles to Hopeton Road, and continue 2.4 miles to Parksley. Your total traveling time should be about 45 minutes.
Parksley History and Attractions:
A curious blend of Opposites, the town of Parksley Virginia was once the most modern of all the Eastern Shore railroad hamlets, and the first to have electric lighting. Today, however, Parksley is known for its turn-of-the-20th century charms. Many of its gracious old 19th century homes, with their bright gardens, deep porches, and whimsical gingerbread trim, stand within sight of its railroad depot.
The depot opened in 1885 and put Parksley squarely in the path of 20th century progress. Early Parksley was built on 560 acres of land as a model community, with areas set aside for parks, churches, and schools. Its street were laid out as broad, well-planned avenues with all its businesses concentrated at the town's center by the railroad station. And the town square and railroad station and the town square and railroad station are the best places to head on your day trip to Parksley.
The railroad depot has been restored to its 1906 charm and now houses the Eastern Shore Railway Museum, Complete with coal-burning stoves, the Museum has both a turn-of-the-century railroad guard's shanty and maintenance shed full of the tools which kept America's trains moving. But its highlights are its railcars.
Stationed along the sidings by the Museum, they are being restored to their former glory as observation, dining and luxury cars. There are also two cabooses, a Post Office car, and a 1913 wooden boxcar. Competing for your attention with those classic railcars is a collection of antique automobiles in the Accomack-Northampton Antique car Museum.
If your visit to the Railway Museum awakens your taste for nostalgia, indulge yourself with a visit to Jaxon's, Parksley's intimate idea of a department store with its own Five and Dime area. Fill a bag with penny candy, and chat for a while with store help who are as friendly as any you will meet anywhere. Grab a little bite at the Lunch Box, where the locals have been gathering for good food and conversation for over forty years!
Plan your Chincoteague Island to Parksley day trip for the first Saturday in June, and you can join the fun at the Parksley Spring Festival. Participate, if you dare, in the cream puff eating contest, or test yourself at rockwall climbing. Or just sit back with a cold one in the beer garden and enjoy the summer breezes of Eastern Shore!