Offsite Activities
On water, on land, in the air, & elsewhere. With so many great activities to experience with everyone in your family within Bay Creek, it’s hard to imagine you’d find the need or the time to go anywhere else. But just outside Bay Creek’s gates there exists such a world of historic, exciting and inviting activities and experiences, we’d be remiss not to share all they have to offer. In this brochure you’ll find many of our favorite things to do in the wonderful area around us that we know will add to the memories you and your family will enjoy for ages. We’d love to help you find just the right places to explore and things to do. Let us know how we can help. Now GO and have some fun!
On Water Ecotours The Eastern Shore has the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier islands in the global temperate zone. Visiting these pristine islands will expose you to breathtaking scenery, a boatload of wildlife, and a day you will never forget.
CHARTER BOATS Fishing Whether you want bayside or seaside, rock or specks, cast, sinker, or fly, we can get you on a boat with an experienced guide who will maximize your chances of catching a fish and having an overall enjoyable day. The pelicans, terns, and dolphins are free.
One the other side, we have the Chesapeake Bay. Its calm, its beauty, its setting for watersports is sublime. Tour the water on either side of our peninsula or see them both. Either way, you will not be disappointed!
Broadwater Bay Custom Ecotours
Eastern Shore Adventures
broadwaterbayecotour.com
easternshoreadventures.com 757-675-7723
Cape Charles Boat Tour Co. capecharlesboattours.com
Cape Charles Fishing Adventure Capt Ken Eshleman 717-572-7589 (no credit cards)
Wilson Crop capecharlescharters.com
Marsh Madness marshmadnesscharters.com 757-377-8261
Miss Jennifer missjennifercharter.com • 50 foot head boat • Half Day Fishing Trips • Sunset Cruise & Dolphin Search • Night Fishing Trips • Fireworks Cruises • Availability based on schedule, weather, and special events. • Minimum to Sail, 10 people • Bait, Rods & Reels furnished • You may bring your own tackle
Seaside Ecotours virginia.org/listings/Tours/SeasideEcotours Meriwether Payne 757-710-2454
Sho Nuf Charters facebook.com/Shonuffishing 757-710-0098
Tidewater Charters twcharters.com 443-553-0277
Top Dog Let us take you out to the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean in search of a big catch. topdogcharters.com 757-647-3017
Eastern Shore Boat Tours, LLC easternshoreboattour.com/about
On Water KAYAK TOURS (Offsite) Southeast Expeditions southeastexpeditions.com Chatham Vineyards Enjoy a relaxing 45 minute paddle through Church Creek on your way from the local Wharf of Bayford to Chatham Vineyards. Our guides will identify local wildlife and aquaculture along the way, and show you around the historic property once ashore. After your complementary wine tasting there’s always time to sit outside with a glass of wine and cheese tray to enjoy the vineyard before paddling back. $89 per paddler covers your guide, gear, boat, winery experience, AND a complementary bottle of Church Creek wine for every two paddlers! First time paddlers and kids welcome!
Aqua-Culture Clamming Most of us are familiar with the salty fresh taste of a steamed clam, but have you ever thought about the years of work that go into growing them? Uniquely local in all ways, this tour will give you a newfound appreciation for the hard and rewarding work that goes into raising clams and oysters in our creeks. Our guides will take you through beautiful Cherrystone Creek, explaining the various forms of aquaculture visible throughout the area. After a short paddle you will beach your boats and walk out to an active clam bed where you can harvest your own dinner! Seaside Barrier Islands Expedition For the first time the Nature Conservancy is allowing us to guide tours to Virginia’s Barrier Islands. The Islands are the The Shore’s least visited area for tourists and locals alike. However, once our guides have lead you to the islands you will not
want to leave. Upon landfall the islands will serve as our sanctuary for the next few hours. Paddlers can explore the oceanside of the island whose miles of sandy beaches are home to pieces of shipwreck and ghost forests or simply relax in the sun and enjoy being on island time. Laughing King Sunset Paddle Our adults-only sunset celebration has quickly become one of our guides’ favorite trips to lead. This festive outing begins
with an appetizer of steamed clams at the luxurious Laughing King Couples Retreat. With our belly’s full we will embark on a leisurely paddle from the Laughing King’s private beach to a nearby sandbar. There we will enjoy the soft cool sand and some liquid libations as we cast our gaze seaward and appreciate the pastel colorshow of an Eastern Shore sunset. One never knows what will be seen in the evening hours, perhaps a flock of low-flying pelicans or maybe even a kayak guide letting loose a bit more than normal. But, with limited capacity and limited outings this tour fills up fast so book early to ensure you get a spot on this exclusive jaw-dropping tour. E.S.V.A. National Wildlife Refuge Better known for its historic WWII bunkers and deep coastal birding trails, The Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge also has some of the finest sheltered coastal marsh in Virginia. On this tour guests will paddle through Raccoon Creek, home to local blue crabs, dozens of species of fish, and our famous seaside oysters. We will then guide you across the Virginia Inside Passage where you will enjoy breathtaking views of the Smith Island Lighthouse and Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. After a walk on the beaches of Raccoon Island we return through Raccoon Creek.
On Water Burnham Guides burnhamguides.com/virginia-multiday-trips
Machipongo River Float 9 am - 3 pm. Daily guided kayak trip includes lunch. Other meals and lodging are on your own. Prices include kayaks and gear. 10% discount if you bring your own. Schooner Bay Four hour kayak tour. Prices include kayaks and gear. 10% discount if you bring your own.
Virginia Coast Ecotours
Chincoteague Paddle with the Ponies 9 am - 3 pm. Daily guided kayak trip includes lunch. Other meals and lodging are on your own. Prices include kayaks and gear. 10% discount if you bring your own. Onancock Creek The 2-hour Onancock Creek Tour is available every day from spring to fall at 10 am and 1 pm. Sunset trips can be arranged but the time depends on the sunset. Prices include kayaks and gear. 10% discount if you bring your own. Seaside Islands 9 am - 3 pm. Daily guided kayak trip includes lunch. Other meals and lodging are on your own. Prices include kayaks and gear. 10% discount if you bring your own.
virginiacoastecotours.com/trip-options/ kayak-trips virginiacoastecotours@gmail.com 757-350-1499
JET SKI RENTAL & TOURS Poseidon Watersports poseidonwatersportsva.com 757-902-0400 Cape Charles Harbor
HUMPBACK WHALE WATCHING CRUISE December through early February is primetime for spotting humpback whales in the mouth of the Bay. Talk to the concierge staff and we will help you schedule your tour and give you some great family-friendly suggestions for things to do before and after in Virginia Beach!
On Land CAPE CHARLES capecharlesvirginiascape.com/category/ shop-in-cape-charles By car or by cart, come explore the charming town of Cape Charles. Discover why it is referred to as a “Norman Rockwell painting come to life” and “Mayberry by the Bay”.
TRAIL RIDING ON HORSEBACK Tour the woodlands and shoreline of the Eastern Shore with the vantage of our forefathers.
Esperanza Riding Company esperanzaridingcompany.com 757-695-0550
Cape Charles Cab, Cart & Carriage cape-charles-cabscarts-and-carraiges. business.site 757-695-0954 Horse carriage rides through historic downtown Cape Charles.
On Land ROCKET LAUNCH Wallops Flight Facility nasa.gov/content/nasa-wallops-visitorcenter-2 If you’re lucky, your visit will coincide with a NASA rocket launch. Walk outside and look north to get a far away glimpse or travel north to Wallops Island to watch a rocket launch from NASA Wallops Fight Facility. Warning: launches often get scrubbed but there is still plenty of sightseeing to be done a little north.
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM virginiaaquarium.com Travel on an aquatic journey from the shore to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and experience coastal habitats from around the world. Thousands of animals representing over 300 species, displayed in entertaining and educational exhibits, are ready to enchant, entertain and inspire you!
GUIDED HUNTING TRIPS Want to hunt for ducks or clapper rail (aka marsh hens) or deer? Let us connect you with one of our local guides to put you where the hunting is good.
SELF CARE Spend some time getting pampered. Massage, facial, pedicure, haircut, reiki, GIM (Guided Imagery and Music), Deep Healing.
CULINARY Private Dinner oldtowneats.com www.amyb.org/moreau Let us connect you with a local chef to schedule a private dinner party at their kitchen or in your home.
Brewery Tour capecharlesbrewing.com Get a look behind the scenes at Cape Charles Brewery.
In theAir south and Chincoteague to the north. You can float peacefully or opt for heartpounding aerobatics and then land softly and slowly back at Painter Field on the glider’s own landing gear. You can ‘float through the sky like a bird in the way you might have imagined but never dreamed was really possible’.
Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium
Virginia Hang Gliding virginiahanggliding.info See the Shore from an exhilarating bird’s eye view. • We fly ages 8 to 108 • Our glider is rated for passengers up to 225 pounds From our own 25-acre facility, we use a specially designed light-sport airplane called a Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly to tow the tandem glider to altitudes between 2000 and 5300 feet. The Dragonfly climbs at only 30 mph, so your powered ascent is both peaceful and breathtaking. At your selected altitude, the glider with you and your pilot releases and soars above the Eastern Shore, with Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Hampton Roads to the
myadventurepark.com The Adventure Park provides climbing and zip lining fun for adventure-seekers of all ages (5 and up). The Park’s two attractions – the Adventure Forest and the Labyrinth – are a network of treetop bridges, swings, and zip lines in the maritime forest between the Aquarium’s Marsh Pavilion and Bay & Ocean Pavilion.
And Elsewhere... SELF-GUIDED TRIPS Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge fws.gov/refuge/fisherman_island/ The Virginia barrier island chain, including Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, is one of only 17 sites in the United States classified as a “Wetland of International Importance.” The Refuge is the southernmost barrier island, located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and separated from the Eastern Shore of Virginia by about one-half mile of water. The Refuge is designated at an Important Bird Area and has been growing!! In the late 1800’s it was only 25 acres, compared to today at 2,000 acres!! Because of the critical nature of its habitats for wildlife, Fisherman Island is closed to the public. Guided tours are offered on Saturdays from October through February of each year, and during special events. To schedule a tour or inquire about Fisherman Island, contact the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge at 757-331-2760. The tour introduces visitors to the unique variety of wildlife found on the island. As you pass through several habitats, you
will learn about wildlife management on refuges, explore the diversity of wildlife, and discover the rich history of Fisherman Island and the role it played during World War II.
Mockhorn Wildlife Management Area dgif.virginia.gov/wma/mockhorn-island
Mockhorn Wildlife Management Area consists of two tracts, Mockhorn Island and the GATR Tract, both on the seaside of the Eastern Shore. Combined, these tracts give users the opportunity to hunt or to view wildlife and plant species common to both marshland and upland in this unique region of Virginia. Now you see it. Now you don’t. Mockhorn Island, the larger of the area’s two tracts, is an Atlantic coastal island of over 7,000 acres of tidal marshland. Visible during low tide, much of the island is under
water when the tide is full. The major vegetation is saltmarsh cordgrass. On the hummocks that remain above water, loblolly pine, red cedar, wax myrtle, green brier, honeysuckle and poison ivy are the major plant species. The focus of the management on Mockhorn Island is the conservation of its natural state. Wind and waves make most attempts at habitat manipulations impossible. The 356 acre GATR Tract, nearby on the mainland, is an area of mixed upland and marsh habitats. Both tracts are in Northampton County only a few minutes north of Cape Charles.
Virginia’s Eastern Shore Artisan Trail artisantrailnetwork.org/index.php/trail/ virginias-eastern-shore-artisan-trail/artisanstudios
Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/naturalarea-preserves/savage This 298-acre preserve contains outstanding Chesapeake Bay beach, dune, and maritime forest communities, migratory songbird habitat, and an exemplary population of northeastern beach tiger beetles (Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis). VISITATION: The preserve is open daily to the public, but has no restroom facilities, trash receptacles, access to drinking water or onsite staff. Be aware that the Savage Neck Dunes parking lot is small, with space for only eight (8) vehicles.
For a small peninsula we have a wealth of artistic talent. If you want to explore beyond the wonderful galleries of Cape Charles, you can jump in the car and visit some artisan’s at their workshops. Talk to the concierge team and we can get you connected with some artisans outside the boundaries of town. Also, if your visit falls outside the week of Thanksgiving, consider coming back the weekend after Thanksgiving for the annual Artisan’s Guild Tour. It’s a wonderful opportunity to visit our local creators, see some of their newest work, and buy some unique items for yourself or for others on your holiday lists!
And Elsewhere... Oyster, Willis Wharf, Wachapreague Visit one or all of our seaside hamlets. They are all beautiful, quiet, working waterfront communities. Take a self-driving tour using your gps or talk to our concierge staff about details. Either way, exploring the backroads on the Shore is a great way to get off the highway and get a better sense of place.
Eastville History Tour eastville.esva.net The Old Courthouse was constructed about 1731 and the oldest continuous court records in the nation (dating from 1632) are preserved here and can be viewed by the visitor. The Declaration of Independence was publicly read from the steps of the courthouse on August 13, 1776. A charming courthouse green invites the visitor to explore the surrounding historical buildings.
Eyre Hall baycreek.net/something-special-in-theeyre-a-historic-eastern-shore-jewel-quietlyawaits-spring The property is one of the state’s best-preserved colonial homes with gardens among the oldest in the United States. The plantation was placed on the National Register on November 12, 1969. It was designated a National Historic
Landmark on March 2, 2012. The garden is open to the public year-round and the property is on the Garden Tour annually.
Machipongo Day Trip & Barrier Island Center barrierislandscenter.org A tiny town with a whole lot of culture going on… Start with a trip to the Barrier Islands Center to learn about the history and culture of the Eastern Shore of Virginia and the Barrier Islands (of course). Head to lunch at the Machipongo Trading Company followed by either a trip by land or by sea to Chatham Winery to taste some of their delicious Church Creek brand of wine. We are so lucky such talented growers and winemakers chose the Shore as home. After this, you can head back to Cape Charles or go to The Great Machipongo Clam Shack to see what is on the specials board for the day. If it is a Wednesday, you can enjoy their open mic night. Other nights also have live music—check with your concierge and we will find out for you!
Tangier Trip tangierferry@gmail.com (757) 891-2505 Travel to a different time. Tangier is an island on the Chesapeake Bay where everyone knows one another, and the accent still harkens back to Elizabethan times. Enjoy a boat ride to an island where bikes and golf carts are used for transportation and the crab cakes are served family style. This will be a trip you will never forget.
that call the adjacent island of Assateague home. With a seaside beach, lighthouse, a water park, and a delicious assortment of dining options (including some of the BEST ice cream around), you will be certain to find something for everyone to enjoy.
Culture of the Week in Hampton Roads sevenvenues.com visitvirginiabeach.com/explore/beachesdistricts/vibe-creative-district Ask the concierge staff about museums, plays, concerts, airshows, and other exciting happenings are on the “other side of the puddle” this week.
Chincoteague (pronounced sheen-co-tig) and Assateague assateagueisland.com/chincoteague/ chincoteague_homepage.htm Spend the day visiting the seaside town of Chincoteague. Visit the Museum of Chincoteague to learn more about the island and it’s connection to the herd of wild horses
Saxis Day Trip visitesva.com/eastern-shore-map/saxis-island Visit the tiny town on the Bayside for great kayaking, the authentic feel of a fishing hamlet, schedule a visit at the tiny Saxis museum, and eat some good seafood at Martha’s Kitchen or Capt E’s Hurricane Grill and Tiki Bar.
And Elsewhere... Onancock Day Trip baydreaming.com/destinations/ onancock-virgnia/onancock-attractions Spend a couple hours or a whole day visiting another beautiful bayside town. Onancock has the best donuts around (Corner Bakery) famous for their cream puffs and cinnamon twists, which you will want to follow with some exercise! Rent a kayak, schedule a tour, walk the town. The shops are sure to keep you entertained. Ask our staff for good lunch and dinner options.
Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, Virginia Beach awhm.org | watermans.com Sitting quietly on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk you will find the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum. If you like decoys, this is the place to visit! Allow yourself 30-45 minutes to look around and watch some videos. This couples beautifully with a walk or ride on the boardwalk, whale or dolphinwatching, and maybe an Orange Crush at Watermen’s.
An unparalleled getaway on Virginia’ s Cape 2 miles of private beach. 27 holes of golf. 1,720 acres to isolate in nature. And a world of hsitoric, coastal wonder just outside the gate.
Contact us to inquire about details of our special Vacation Packages Toll Free
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