With just under 350 acres of land, about 380 residents, one operating restaurant, and more golf carts than cars, one might think Tangier Island can be explored in just a matter of an hour or two.
However, the one of a kind eroding island is filled with so much natural and untapped beauty, a distinct heritage, yummy crabs and a tight-knit community like no other, the island takes much more than just a couple of hours and a golf cart tour to experience all that it has to offer.
When assigned to take on 24 hours on Tangier, I knew I wanted to share the experience. I called up my former college roommate I hadn’t seen in a while knowing she’d be up for an adventure. We set out on a beautiful Wednesday morning from Buzzard’s Point Marina in Reedville aboard the Chesapeake Breeze for a near two hour cruise 20 miles east into the Chesapeake Bay to the remote island. After seeing several pods of dolphin, chatting with other tourists on board and catching up, Camryn and I arrived on Tangier where we were met by Star, a manager at the Brigadune Inn where we would be staying the night.
Star picked us up in her golf cart and took us to the other end of the island to the beach front inn where we were given the keys to our beautiful, nautically decorated room. It was about noon when we arrived and the sun was shining so bright we had to immediately hit the beach.
After a short walk from our room to the sand, we were met with a clean and quiet bayside beach surrounded by inlets filled with crab pot buoys and waterfowl. Standing from the inlets we could see the entire town ahead of us—the water tower is the most notable landmark in the island skyline.
While walking along the pristine, white sandy beach, we stumbled across Sam Parks, an 18-year-old Tangier native. He had just graduated from the combined school on the island and said he is joining the Air Force.
He told us he loved growing up on the island despite missing out on traditional teenage activities like going to movie theaters. However, he said the skills he’s picked up while living and working on the island his entire life are something he knows are special and will take him far.
He said as he grows older, he plans on visiting Tangier often but probably won’t live on the island as an adult. As he begins his own life and starts his own family, he wants to live somewhere offering a wider variety of opportunities. He is looking forward to exploring what else is out there and wants his future kids to have more experiences than he had.
After chatting with Sam, we headed back to the inn, sun kissed and salty from the sea, and got ready for a shanty tour with Tangier mayor James “Ooker” Eskridge.
Ooker got his nickname from an old pet rooster. He told us he used to sound like his rooster when he’d impersonate him, and the name just stuck.
Ooker told us after a trip to Florida with his wife not too long ago she was inspired to have his shanty “pop” a bit more, so he painted it a bright yellow.
A crab shanty is a small structure on pilings in the water where watermen sort and keep much of their catch and get them prepared for shipment. After being picked up by the mayor in his skiff, we headed up through a canal to get to the shanties.
Ooker described the operation within his shanty, saying sea water is pumped through the holding containers to help circulate oxygen through the water. When the shells on the crabs begin to crack, they’re moved to the shedding tank.
Ooker, who’s been mayor for 14 years, said he has about nine or 10 dozen soft shell crabs circulating a morning.
In his tanks he also had several turtles he plans to release. They had moseyed their way into his pots. He also told us during the fall he fishes quite a bit of eel which he sends to New York.
Along with Camryn and me, visitors to the island from Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska were on the tour. Many of them had never seen shellfish and its industrial production in any manner remotely similar to what we were experiencing in one of the more premier crabbing industries on the bay.
Ooker said he sends his soft shells primarily to Chrisfield, Md., and New York for market.
“Most of Maryland’s soft crabs are really Virginia crabs,” he said.
He and most of the watermen begin the morning when the moon is still high at 2:30 a.m. to begin fishing their crab pots. Ooker said he fishes roughly 210 pots per day.
While the women of the island don’t work on the crab boats themselves, Ooker said plenty of the wives diligently help in the shanties to prep the product for market.
Once we got off of the shanty and back on the skiff, Ooker took us on a ride through Tangier Sound and along the shoreline.
During the boat ride, he shared how much he has seen the island change due to erosion and storms. As a point of reference, he said in 1850 the island encompassed over 2,000 acres. In 1997, the island was 739 acres, which all but 83 were marshland. Now, it’s estimated the island loses approximately 9 acres of land a year.
Heading back to the bridge, the sun was beginning to set. As we got closer to the shanties we started trailing behind a smaller skiff.
“That’s Tyler. He’s about 12 years old. That’s about the age I started out,” Ooker said.
Tyler was coming in for the night from fishing his own pots. It’s pretty standard on the island for boys to get a hand-me-down boat or skiff to start learning their own way on the water.
“You start just paddlin’ out, then eventually you get a motor,” Ooker said.
He asked if I wanted to get a picture of Tyler from the front angle of his boat. When we got in front of the boy and I began snapping photographs, with the summer sky in the background, it was evident just how heritage-rich the people of the island are. Through the lens of the camera I saw a still frame of the current generation leading the way for the next in line.
“Any peeler crabs he catches he sells to me. I’m a big customer,” Ooker said.
We were tying up next to the bridge when Camryn and I decided it was time for some supper. We went to the only restaurant open, and a customer of Ooker’s soft shells.
The restaurant, Lorraine’s, was established in the early 1980s and is probably best known for their crab cakes and crab dip. Naturally, we had to order a bit of both.
Since the island is dry—no alcohol is sold anywhere on the island—we hydrated with some water and started with some hot crab dip. I’ve always said my mom’s crab dip is the best anyone will ever find, but I think Lorraine’s recipe might just beat Nancy’s. It was perfectly creamy with the most delectable hefty lumps of fresh crab meat.
Camryn got Lorraine’s platter as her meal, which consisted of fried shrimp, flounder, clam strips and soft shells. I opted for a bit lighter and went with the crab cake dinner.
When seafood is as fresh as it comes on the island, it simply just cannot be beat. As much as we enjoyed our meals, the portions were large enough we needed some to-go boxes.
When guests travel to Tangier for just a couple of hours through the cruise boats, Lorraine’s is the spot everyone hits, and for very good reason. Especially now as the only restaurant open, reservations are often suggested during lunch hours, particularly during weekends and holidays. Since we were there later in the evening when very few guests are still around, we practically had the place to ourselves.
After we were stuffed with some of the best seafood we had ever had, we rode around the island in our rental golf cart a bit until sunset.
The ride was peaceful and relaxing. Neighbors were chatting on their porches, kids were playing tag in the street and racing each other on bicycles, teenagers were hanging out on various piers.
Everywhere we went, we were met by smiles and waves and several brief conversations through passing. Life on the island seems simple and sweet. Tangier is very much a village rich with community values, trust and love.
As the sky started to turn darker hues of pink, Camryn and I decided to catch the sunset from the beach. We watched the sun set over a perfect day on the bay. When the stars came up, we stayed on the sand and just talked about life, the past, present and future, and felt so fortunate to have that time together in such an amazing place.
After a very comfortable stay at the inn, we spent the morning going up and down the island, down every alley and back street seeing every inch of the island. Before we departed at 2 p.m., we wanted to check out the museum, gift shops and get a snack at Lorraine’s before heading back to the main land.
While we were driving around we realized nowhere would be open until the cruise boats started to come in. We stopped by the grocery store just to check out the supply. Because groceries really only come in once or twice a week, pickings were slim. As of Thursday morning, there were some water bottles, some Sam’s Colas, hot dogs, jello and that was about it.
Seeing how sparse the grocery selection was and how little produce is available on the island puts a very different perspective in mind. Planning is key on the island, and not everything is just available at the drop of the hat.
While we waited for the hours to pass for the other spots to open, we took one final walk on the beach and went for a refreshing swim in the bay before checking out of the inn.
As we checked out, we talked with Star about life on the island. Unlike most folks on the island, Star Rima moved to Tangier just nine years ago from Virginia Beach.
“I just wanted a simple life and Tangier is it. It’s so stress-free and peaceful. If you’re a beach person like me, you can’t ask for more,” she said.
Star spoke about how the community is so special and unlike anywhere else. Everyone helps everyone, and everyone is family.
She said the island has undergone its challenges but the residents stay very resilient.
“COVID knocked a lot of businesses out, at least for a while. The streets used to be filled with tourists and really you could hardly move,” she said.
They still have big weekends and holidays, though, and the island is really looking forward to July 4. The celebration will include a big pig roast with fireworks and music and just a time for everyone to come together.
Around 11 a.m., we decided we’d head to the museum. Glenna Crockett who helps operate the museum said they get very busy during the tourist season.
“About two-thirds of the people from the three cruise boats visit the museum,” she said.
Displays throughout the museum, established in 2007, describe the founding history of the island, its impact on the seafood industry, local artists and musicians, news coverage over the years, and overall heritage of the community.
A lot of the displays have hand-written descriptions and accounts of events, much of which Glenna said is passed down and word-of-mouth.
After about an hour in the museum we checked out two gift stores which each sell clothing, souvenirs, books about the island, paintings, photographs, decor and other memorabilia.
We wrapped up our time on the island at Lorraine’s for a light lunch before returning to Reedville aboard the Chesapeake Breeze. This time we just split some spicy shrimp dip—also to die for.
By the time we had finished up at Lorraine’s it was time to get back on the boat and make the trek back to the mainland. It was such a nice change of pace to be somewhere where the entire population is honest and kind. Camryn, who lives in Virginia Beach, was shocked at every turn on the island just by how vastly different the way of life is compared to the hustle and bustle of the city.
I originally had to coerce her into tagging along with me, but she actually ended up loving every bit of the trip.
The essence of community, sincerity, values and heritage simply cannot be absorbed in just a couple of hours on the special island of Tangier. To only take a day trip is to cut yourself short of the beauty of the island and the incredible way of life in the middle of the bay. Twenty four hours on Tangier Island is just what we needed.
