Two Eastern Shore locations among Southern Living’s prettiest

By Linda Cicoira

Two Eastern Shore of Virginia locations were listed Friday among Southern Living Magazine’s 20 prettiest beach towns in the South.

Northampton’s Cape Charles and Accomack’s Assateague Island were included in the picks.

“Fronting the Chesapeake Bay,” Cape Charles, a “once-sleepy beach town with stately Victorian houses is transformed from its days as a former railroad hub to a small-town vacation destination,” the magazine said of the area named by English colonists who arrived in 1607.

The colonists chose a name to honor the younger son of King James I. Now “vacation-goers are sparking the economy” by visiting the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula’s white sandy beach. “Restaurants, breweries, and shops are popping up to meet this demand,” an article told its 24 million readers.

Cape Charles was also called one of “America’s Happiest Seaside Towns” by the magazine. While it is considered along the coast of the U.S., most residents consider it a bay-side town.

“Assateague Island National Seashore stretches 37 miles along the Atlantic and is home to a herd of roaming wild horses,” the article continued. “A favorite place for enjoying white-sand beaches overlooking the Atlantic, Tom’s Cove, and Assateague Bay, … the island is also home to (the) Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge,” where one can “find hiking trails, marshes, and the Assateague Lighthouse.”

Nearby Chincoteague Island is also referred to in the article as “the only resort island in Virginia.” In these coastal areas, visitors can lounge on the beaches, see magnificent sunsets, and glimpse members of the herd of wild ponies owned by the Chincoteague Fire Company.

     Other towns included in the Southern Living story were Fairhope in Alabama, Rehoboth and Bethany beaches in Delaware, Anna Maria Island and St. Augustine in Florida, St. Simons and Tybee islands in Georgia, Grand Isle and North Beach in Louisiana, St. Michaels in Maryland, Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis in Mississippi, Southport and Carolina Beach in North Carolina, Sullivan’s and Fripp’s islands in South Carolina, and Galveston and Port Aransas in Texas.