While visiting the Eastern Shore of Virginia we had signed up to paddle the Barrier Islands. A few days ahead of our scheduled tour the outfitter, Burnham Guides Paddling Adventures, advised us that high winds might be an issue and they suggested an alternate tour, paddling on Onancock Creek where we would have some protection from the wind.
With that in mind we made our way to the outfitters facility in Onancock.
Onancock Creek is a tidal estuary that drains into Chesapeake Bay. As we left the dock we passed a tug boat and a barge loaded with gravel. It seems that with most of the eastern shore being sand, there is a need for aggregate. Our guide, Bill, explained how the the business of importing gravel was an important part of the local economy.
Our track led us along the shore and up into a tributary, passing a number of houses and estates. Many of the homeowners have docks and we noted that it was common to store boats on boat lifts with the boats out of the water.
When we reached a little beach near Bailey Point we landed and Bill broke out lunch. We ate lunch and explored the local beach and marsh with periwinkle snails and fiddler crabs scurrying away as we approached. Over the course of the day we saw a number of birds including eagles, osprey, and a number of other shore birds.
On the return trip we passed some oyster castles, structures made from interlocking concrete blocks. These structures are designed to provide a substrate for oysters and to protect the shoreline from erosion. We did have a bit of wind on our return trip so we where happy to be on protected waters rather than out on the outer banks. We logged seven miles.
More photos are available in an online gallery.
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