Horses gone wild

This morning we were able to see our campsite at Allaire State Campground.  We were in a thick oak forest.  It let very little light in and was very pretty.  We went to the office to pay for the night and someone had posted a “closed today” sign on the door, which had not been there the night before.  So, one on the state of New Jersey.  Thank you, New Jersey!

It was sunny and the drive down the coast to Maryland was quite pleasant.  The beaches in Delaware are beautiful.  Maryland seems to have more relaxed zoning because the scenery became more commercial immediately after we crossed into it—dinosaurs, water parks, mini-golf, and high density housing.  But Assateague Island is glorious.  There is both a state and national park here and we are in the state park.  We are a sand dune away from the water.  

Sheila, Kindle (thanks AKUSA), Don, and too much fill flash.

We can hear the waves and enjoyed a really lovely afternoon on the beach.  

Assateague is known for its wild horses and we saw several of them.   I also saw a deer.

It is really beautiful and one of our favorite stops on this trip.

We took a bike ride to the federal park and saw a group of horses together in the parking lot.

It was very obvious that one was playing the role of sentry.  I guess they will bite if you venture too close.  This lady doesn't believe that.

This evening is also lovely—it is clear

and the stars are all out.    We tried to stay another night here, but sadly, it is completely booked.

16 second exposure with Orion's belt and dagger at the top.

Extreme blowup reveals that the middle star of the dagger is a nebula.

212 miles, Assateague Island, Maryland, N 38°12.966’ W075°08.866 5’