Chincoteague Island to Princess Anne Day Trip
Directions:
Begin your Chincoteague Island to Berlin day trip by heading west 8.8 miles on VA-175 and then north on US-13 for 22 miles to Somerset Road. Turn left for 1.5 miles into Princess Anne. Your total travel time should be about 50 minutes.
Princess Anne History and Attractions:
Somerset County, Maryland, was created in 1666 by a proclamation of Lord Baltimore, and Princess Anne, at the headwaters of the Manokin River, has served as its county seat since 1733. The town was named for King George II's 24-year old daughter, and by the mid 1800s had become a major Eastern Shore market center.
A Chincoteague Island to Princess Anne day trip is ideal for all those interested in the development.of the Delmarva Peninsula, The self-guided walking tour of Princess Anne will immerse them in ten square blocks of historic buildings dating from the mid-18th to early 20th centuries.
The most significant of the thirty-six structures on the Princess Anne walking tour is the Teackle Mansion, built between 1802 and 1819. The magnificent five-section Neoclassical structure was the home of merchant Littleton Teackle, a member of the Maryland House of delegates and founder of the Somerset Bank. The mansion is currently being restored and nine of its rooms are open at certain times for public tours.
Another focal point or the Princess Anne walking tour is the Election House, located in Manokin River Park on Somerset Avenue where it was moved in the 1980s. The Manokin River Park is central to much of Princess Anne's community life.
If you plan your Chincoteague Island to Princess Anne day trip for a Saturday between early June and November 1, you can attend the Manokin River Park Farmer's Market. You'll find not only fresh local produce and flowers, but a variety of crafts, hand made jewelry, and homemade cakes to bring home. Bring along your fishing tackle, and you can fish for the rest of your dinner in the Manokin in the Park along the south bank of the river, as well as on the west side of the Manokin River Bridge. No license is required!
If you're interested in viewing the life of Chesapeake Bay watermen, head west from Princess Anne on MD-363 until you arrive at the bridge to Deal Island. Cross the bridge and leave your landlocked life behind as you visit an oyster hatchery, watch the amazingly nimble fingers of the island's crab pickers, or see the locals bringing in their catch from Tangier Sound.
On your way back from Deal Island, stop at the 13,000-acre Deal Island Wildlife Management Area on MD-363, for some of the best birding (and bird hunting) on the entire Easter Shore.
Waterfowl are the primary attraction for hunters at Deal Island. You can have your fill of saltwater fishing and crabbing there too, and if you'd prefer to capture the wildlife with your camera, use the hiking trail which runs around the marsh impoundment. If you're up to a longer stay, the Wildlife Management Area has a very rustic camping site.
The most comfortable accommodations in Princess Anne, however, are at its wonderful bed and breakfasts like the Haywood or Somerset Houses, or the Alexander House Booklovers' B & B, where you can stay in a room named for any one of several immortal literary figures! Turn your Chincoteague Island to Princess Anne day trip into an overnight excursion, and enjoy an unforgettable home-cooked breakfast to see you on your way!