Let’s Take a Virtual Vegan Road Trip to Chincoteague, Virginia!

Let’s Take a Virtual Vegan Road Trip  to Chincoteague, Virginia!
Summer is fighting to stick around so let’s grab one last weekend 
of fun, nature, and tasty vegan food to last till next year! 
Let's take a road trip and if you can grab a few friends to use the same car you will not only save on gas but also help the environment!
Remember to pack your necessities
so you don't have to grab any single use items that cause waste
- here are some great travel items to have in your go bag! 
Sustainable and reusable water bottles and containers
not only help to make the trip less costly, but also go a long way
to reduce the waste you leave on your travels!
 
We're going to stay in a tent at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Chincoteague Island on this trip! They have a Safari Tent option that is just enough camping to feel like you’re one with the outdoors while giving you a few great parts of home life so you can rest properly and fully enjoy this trip!

 
There are so many things to do at the campground itself that includes a waterpark, pool, jumping pillow, themed weekend events, community campfire, bike ,kayak, and paddle board rentals. It is great that you can park and enjoy so many activities without having to drive all over town! You can also choose to just sit around your campsite catching up with your friends which is the best part of any trip. With so much to do, and always less time, no matter what we will make sure to pause to find some tasty vegan food around town! 
 
On Saturday morning, we will be first in line at the Chincoteague Farmers & Artisans Market that will be packed full of handmade and renewed items and fresh fruits, vegetables and baked goods to enjoy there and pack away for later. 
The islands have so many fun things to do, so we had to whittle our list down to a weekend’s worth. We will make sure to carve out time to enjoy the boat tours so we can feel the breeze coasting over the water and catch sightings of the wild ponies on the island. If we’re lucky we’ll see some dolphins swimming freely as well. There are different options for different energy levels, so you can do a group boat ride, or rent a kayak to get a front row seat, but either option is sure to fill your mental and digital camera's full of memories. 
 
 
After a full day of sightseeing around town, we’re grabbing a big helping of tasty cauliflower goodness from Pico Taqueria on Maddox. We’re starved so we’re going for The Deep Hole Taco Bowl filled with rice, beans, pico, cauliflower, onions, and cilantro. It is sure to hit the spot! If you are still munching on some of your market finds, make sure to stand in line to get the cauliflower taco because it is well worth the wait! This tasty dinner will fill you up so once your head hits the pillow you will dream all night long. 
 
(Images from https://picotaqueria.com/ )
 
Our first stop in the morning is to Sandy Pony Donut’s truck for some delicious Gluten-Free Donuts for later and an Acai Bowl to fill us with energy for our day! Located in a foodtruck on the corner of Maddox and Pension, this morning stop packs a punch that will get us (tastily) started for the day!
Last stop to prep for the day is Sea Star Cafe just a bit further down on Maddox. We’ll grab sandwiches and hummus platters from their menu full of tasty vegan options to fuel or bodies and last in our backpacks throughout the day. 
 
Once we have our packs stuffed with much needed snacks and water, we’ll head off for the day to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Is there ever a bad lighthouse to visit? We think not, so we’ll make sure to visit the Assateague Lighthouse while there and enjoy the time hiking on the trails only to stop and snack when we’re hungry so we can see as much of this beautiful park as possible before heading out with the sunset. How was that Sandy Pony Donut? As delicious as it looked? I think they taste even better after a good hike looking out over the water and enjoying this refuge of the most unique creatures. 
 
After a good night’s rest, the first one up has to put on the coffee, but we can all share in the last bits of our market goods before packing up and getting back in the car for the ride home. Make sure to take what you brought and this fun piece of nature will be here the next time you need a recharge. 
 
On the way out of town, we’ll grab vegan ice cream at Island Creamery on, you guessed it!, Maddox. With tasty sorbet and coconut based flavors like chocolate, mocha, and watermelon, everyone can pick what they want! Driver gets a shake so they can use one hand to drive and the other to thrive! 
 
So long to this beautiful island, we are sure to come back to visit soon!