Virginia
Chincoteague: Lighthouses, Wild Ponies and Pirates
Program No. 2005RJ
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Chincoteague: Lighthouses, Wild Ponies and Pirates
Chincoteague: Lighthouses, Wild Ponies and Pirates
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Participant Reviews
Based on 77 Reviews
SHOWING
Beth, Cindy and staff made me feel like I'm a friend visiting them. Chincoteague is a magical place and these ladies brought it to life
— Review left November 3, 2025
Chincoteague, with its fascinating history, unique culture, and interesting wildlife management, is an ideal setting for a week of exploration, and this program makes excellent use of outstanding local personnel, including musicians, a noted artist, wildlife experts and museum personnel to make a varied and enjoyable program come to life. If you like seafood, or have read "Misty of Chincoteague" as a child, you can't miss it!
— Review left October 27, 2025
The leader and instructors were excellent.
— Review left October 26, 2025
I learned more about Chincoteague and its people than I imagined there was to learn. It is certainly an awfully lot more than just swimming ponies.
— Review left October 26, 2025
Chincoteague is an exceptionally positive venue. Hearing and experiencing its history and culture, especially from our Group Leader Beth and museum speaker Cindy, made this Road Scholar program one of our favorites! The live music by the Salts trio was a grand finale. As always the programs attracted an engaging group of participants from nearly every section of the United States.
— Review left October 25, 2025
The Chincoteague Island tour was superb! We were well-fed with excellent food, fascinating lectures, and interesting trips around the island. We learned about the history, the economy, the struggles, the people. In a word, I was charmed. I'm now searching for my next Road Scholar adventure.
— Review left October 21, 2025
I greatly enjoyed my time on Chincoteague Island! It was exciting to view the famous ponies and the abundant wildlife that is found on the island. The activities were well planned and interesting. I would highly recommend this trip to others!
— Review left October 20, 2025
The Chincoteague tour will make you long to be part of this community that is united for the good of the people who live here, and infect you with their love of wild ponies.
— Review left October 14, 2025
Met expectations.
— Review left October 11, 2025
This trip was my favorite of the three trips to which I have traveled. The instructor, Bethany, was outstanding. She was so organized and knowledgeable about the island. Her suggestions on what to do during free time were very well thought out. She was always bubbly and friendly and looked out for those who needed additional assistance.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Chincoteague Island.
— Review left June 26, 2025
What a wonderfull experience!
— Review left May 19, 2025
Just returned from Chincoteague Island. The program was a wonderful mix of visits to local places, informative lectures and activities as well as so much delicious food. If you’re interested in ponies or seafood this is the your for you!
— Review left May 18, 2025
If you love animals and are fascinated by the Chincoteague ponies, this is the program for you! These presenters are really passionate about the ponies. You will learn that the ponies are loved and taken good care of! Beth, our leader, was super organized and always worked hard to be sure that we had the best experiences. Kenny, our bus driver was always pleasant and made us feel safe. BTW he sings too!
— Review left May 17, 2025
Our program was well organized and very immersive in the community of Chincoteague. the boat excursions allowed us to see the wild ponies up close for extended periods of time. The leaders and speakers gave us an in depth look at the history and culture of the area.
— Review left May 13, 2025
Experienced a step back in time. Calming. Felt well taken care of and totally relaxed all week. Happy learning through great interaction.
— Review left May 13, 2025
A great tour and the right activity level for a handicapped person like me.
— Review left May 13, 2025
Our first Road Scholar trip and it did not disappoint! Beth, our leader, was extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful and fun and each presenter was an expert in their field, giving us detailed information, but not overwhelming us. A good mix of locations and activities and all in group seemed to be accommodated.
— Review left May 11, 2025
There isn’t enough space to tell about all the great memories we have of an amazing island, its history, culture, resilience, and of course, ponies! … we can’t wait to return for another dose of this wonderful place (and its ice cream!!)
Randy and LuAnn Cogliser
— Review left May 4, 2025
Wonderful experience and educational excursion. Accurate description of the program and I will definitely recommend a trip to everyone. I found it hard to leave.
— Review left May 3, 2025
I have wanted to visit this area for years and I was not disappointed by the beauty of the area, the friendly people there, or the horses! The staff and the program presenters were
very knowledgeable and entertaining and always willing to help in any way to make our trip even better.
— Review left November 11, 2024
This is a fantastic program!
— Review left October 20, 2024
A wonderful experience of a rich culture and friendly residents, as well as the ponies, seafood, shorebirds, history and aquaculture lore.
— Review left October 13, 2024
As with so many of the Road Scholar trips, the knowledge and personable nature of the group leader, Beth, herself a native of the island, added to the perspective of all of the presentations.
— Review left October 6, 2024
This was an enjoyable learning experience in a lovely area. I learned many new things and the food was great.
— Review left September 28, 2024
This program exemplifies the Road Scholar mission, offering educational experiences for seniors of all levels of physical abilities provided by knowledgeable, vibrant, passionate presenters who have personal involvement in the topics of the adventures.
— Review left September 27, 2024
Great way to see the beautiful Virginia seashore, with waterfront view accommodations, wild ponies, boat ride, seafood, interesting nautical history. Great for solo travelers.
— Review left June 3, 2024
Everyone from the admin coordinator, Pankey, to our fantastic guide, Beth, to the amazing museum director, Cindy, to the individual experts in their field were so helpful and amazing in their expertise. Beth is a lifelong resident of the island. Her passion for this little island showed in everything that she did. Each expert had a love of Chincoteague that surfaced in their stories, their paintings, or their photos. It was very easy to fall in love with their vision of Chincoteague Island life.
— Review left May 30, 2024
The week on beautiful & historic Chincoteague for me was full of interesting history, fascinating topics, & a well-rounded schedule of activities.
— Review left May 27, 2024
It is a great opportunity to see wild ponies, enjoy island life, experience the Atlantic Ocean & protected passages, view beautiful sunsets and nature, and learn about an intriguing history and traditions.
— Review left May 26, 2024
A fun and entertaining trip. Learned things about the history of the area that interested me.
— Review left May 24, 2024
This was my first Roads Scholar program and it exceeded my expectations. Chincoteague is an Island with a heart and that was evident in each person who contributed to the tour. It opened a new world so close but so very unique and beautiful!
— Review left April 28, 2024
This was a wonderful trip - seeing the wild ponies up close, learning about the shipwrecks along eastern shore of VA, meeting other Road Scholars who are "bird nerds" like me - it was another great Road Scholar experience!
— Review left April 28, 2024
This was an exceptional opportunity to see a beautiful barrier island and we would recommend this trip. April was a good time to go.
— Review left April 21, 2024
This was my first Road Scholar trip, but it won't be my last. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The program was excellent. What impressed me the most about Chincoteague, besides the wild ponies of course, was the passion each presenter showed for their community.
— Review left November 9, 2023
Wonderful Program! Very enjoyable! Great accomadations!
— Review left October 25, 2023
This was a great trip. I met so many new friends, and learned about other Road Scholar programs. Lots of places to see, so little time to do it all.
— Review left October 13, 2023
Assateague is stunningly beautiful and I loved the balance of organized program activity there and the time and ease to explore it on my own.
— Review left September 17, 2023
this program exceeded my expectations...which were moderately high to begin with
— Review left September 16, 2023
Strongly recommend the Chincoteague program. Mix of free time and lectures were just about right and overall found the experience most enjoyable.
— Review left May 22, 2023
The Chincoteague Lighthouses, Wild Ponies and Pirates program is a good way to learn about early American life on a barrier island. Speakers were mostly lifelong residents who were enthusiastic about their little remote community and it's rewards and trials. Good food is available as part of the tour or on your own. Nature and beach walks on your own are available (free with a Senior Park Pass) on Assateague Island. There is apparently a visitor center for the nearby Wallops Island space center. A car will give you the ability to add on a few days in Norfolk's waterfront for a more modern look at coastal Virginia. Keep in mind that Chincoteague is a 2-hour drive from Norfolk when making your flight decisions.
— Review left May 14, 2023
Had a wonderful time on the Road Scholar tour to Chincoteague Island in Virginia. We found all the bands of wild ponies over on Assateague Island during the "Safari" and pontoon boat ride and had great views of the lighthouse from land and sea! The beach was amazing. There was fantastic food daily with local seafood options and there also was a really nice wine tasting paired with small plates! Low energy required for the program but free time gave enough time to hike or beach. Had a great time!
— Review left May 14, 2023
Pony up and get on board with this adventure.
— Review left May 12, 2023
Great trip, fun, entertaining, and educating. Our Hosts Beth and Pankey did a wonderful job.
— Review left May 1, 2023
Unique and interesting insights into the history and traditions of Chincoteague Island. Enjoyable and fun. Peg Urban
— Review left April 24, 2023
This program included nature, history, culture, art, music, and current practices in an entertaining and informative manner!
— Review left April 21, 2023
The staff, instructors, and activities were delightful and engaging and they were very generous with their stories and knowledge. The islands were peaceful and quiet this time of year. Lovely small town charm, and a beautiful, quiet rural setting. I will definitely travel with Road Scholar again-so many interesting people and I made new friends that I hope to travel with again!
— Review left April 10, 2023
Overall very educational. Beautiful area. I learned a lot, such as the lives of wild horses, the truth about pirates, and how to raise clams! Great leader who was very approachable and entertaining. She arranged super guest speakers, most natives like herself. The singers were a blast-good to laugh! Meals were very good. Hotel well located but heat at night a problem. Great views of sunsets and marshes however.
Wish we had chosen a later date, however. Still cold end of March and bird migration barely under way. Boat trip was very chilly and windy but they provided blankets. Also many shops not yet opened.
— Review left April 7, 2023
We learned a lot about an area of the country of which we knew little. We only heard about the pony swim, but little else. It was very informative.
— Review left April 2, 2023
The best domestic program I've been on so far! Group leader, Beth, is beyond awesome!
— Review left November 9, 2022
If you like horses and seafood take this program.
— Review left October 15, 2022
This is one of the best programs I have attended. from Resort to program to food - all superior.
— Review left October 3, 2022
This was the best Roadscholar program I've experienced.
— Review left September 24, 2022
Darcy Cole did a great job talking about and describing the wild ponies.
— Review left September 8, 2022
The staff was just great!
— Review left August 22, 2022
Super trip learned so much about area's history. This was my first Road Scholar Trip but it won't be my last.
— Review left June 21, 2022
The lectures were excellent.
— Review left June 16, 2022
Somewhat disappointing. A lot of that was weather related: gale force winds and rain most of the time we were there in early May. Too windy to go near the water. The bus broke down half way through the trip, and never reappeared. Luckily, we all had cars. There was scrambling to rearrange activities when all the above occurred, with limited success, because so many things weren’t open. Understandably, there was no boat trip. The shops in town weren’t open during the week when we were there, and had time on our hands. I would recommend the 3 day trip instead of the 5 day, because there just isn’t that much to do if the weather is bad.
A high point was the small plates dinner and wine tasting! I have a shellfish allergy, and that vendor really put an effort into ensuring my plates were just as nice as the rest.
The tour on the service road on Assateague to see the ponies was wonderful! My friend and I went back to the island another day and saw many more, along with the foals.
This was my 6th Road Scholar trip, and probably my least favorite.
— Review left June 6, 2022
Navigation of the evaluation site is clunky. Almost gave up.
— Review left May 31, 2022
The hotel was beautiful with beautiful views. The ponies and the stories behind them and the annual roundup were very interesting.
— Review left May 29, 2022
Terrible weather – ALL week! Fortunately, everyone endured.
Still, Beth did a masterful job working in all the activities on our itinerary. Except the canceled boat trip, which was the only wise choice.
A suggestion: Please include in your pre-trip instructions a reminder to bring your National Parks pass, if you have one. It would have been useful to be able to get near the pony area during free time.
Favorite thing was the band, 3 sheets - great fun! We also enjoyed both talks by Cindy Faith and the safari.
Biggest disappointment was the chicken parmigiana meal at the Village; chicken and sauce seemed like warmed-up institutional food. Yucky canned peas as a veggie for everyone would have been better not included. Also, the loooooong wait for the crab cake meal would have been better with a green salad for the first course like every other meal instead of coleslaw served with the main course. Very awkward. They just didn’t seem to be able to handle our group. Perhaps choose a different restaurant?
Accommodations at the Island Resort Inn were good. Very pleased. A microwave in the room would have been nice but not really needed. Breakfast food in the café was adequate, but there was not enough seating inside considering the awful weather. Hopefully that doesn’t happen often.
High marks for making special dietary requests a priority. Thanks so much!
This was our first trip with Road Scholar. Overall, it was well-organized and interesting. We hope to go again, as health and finances permit.
— Review left May 15, 2022
It's difficult to leave Chincoteague Island without at least having absorbed even an itty bit of the islanders' passions and love for their environment. In an age of bustle, I found the islanders mentality and their love of their island and its resources quite refreshing. Our speakers were top notch and one could not have asked for a better group leader. I left the island with a nagging sense of that, someday, I'll be back.
— Review left May 15, 2022
Great program. Very good blend of field trips and lectures. The highlight was getting to see the ponies, at one point up close as several, including a mare with a foal, came up to the side of the road as we passed. However, it included a nice blend of other presentations (lighthouses, aquaculture, pirates!) that really contributed to a well-rounded look at Chincoteague and Assateague. Definitely recommend.
— Review left May 9, 2022
This Chincotoeague Road Scholar Adventure was just what I needed after two years with COVID restrictions. Being in such a beautiful place, with friendly road scholars, having excellent programming and tour guidess was all uplifting. I learned a lot, was so grateful to be on an island and walk along the ocean and see ponies. I will look for other opportunities such as this one. Thank You Road Scholar and all that made this a joyful experience.
— Review left May 9, 2022
I love Road Scholar. I plan to rely on it for all of my travel experiences.
— Review left May 6, 2022
Chincoteague: Lighthouses, Wild Ponies and Pirates is an outstanding program. It is well-organized and administered. The wealth of speakers and local resources shared their passion for the area and culture. A true gem!!
— Review left May 6, 2022
An easy going program with a nice mix of activities and lectures. The "Teaguers" we met were friendly, welcoming, and very informative. Food was varied and good. Wine pairing dinner was fabulous. Accommodations, though basic and somewhat dated, were clean and hotel waterfront location on the Chincoteague channel was picture perfect. Overall, a very good and inexpensive tour. Highly recommend.
— Review left November 1, 2021
This program was fabulous. We enjoyed the pontoon boat rides with dolphins all around us. The wild ponies were the highlight- traveling with Darcy (who knows the names of all the ponies and told us what they were when we saw them). The ponies, bald eagles, dolphins, egrets, deer, Delmarva squirrels, osprey and many other birds and wildlife were so amazing. The lectures were informative and the presenters were knowledgeable. Our guide (Beth) had contagious energy, and joy. She was great and knows the islands well. The food was very tasty and we even got to go to the Island Creamery to have the best ice cream I have ever had. The hotel was fine with beautiful views from each room. Highly recommend this program!
— Review left October 24, 2021
We were made to feel like residents of Chincoteague. We heard from locals and transplants and came to see why they love the island so much. I want to return on a service project or my own escape from the world that is Chincoteague.
— Review left November 9, 2019
We moved to Maryland's Eastern Shore last year and were interested in learning more about our new home. The program's pace was relaxing and the presenters were both knowledgeable and personable. Overall an excellent experience!
— Review left October 24, 2019
I believe this program should be known in the future as a "favorite". It certainly was one of mine.
— Review left June 13, 2019
Wonderful people, wonderful activities,wonderful time.
— Review left June 12, 2019
Great program, well presented and thought out to provide ample education opportunities as well as learning experiences and outdoor activities for all. Great group leader with ample knowledge of the Island.
— Review left June 12, 2019
We thoroughly enjoyed this informative and relaxing program. All of the instructors were interesting and entertaining, especially Cindy. Our group leader, Beth, handled the program very well from both a organizational and personal standpoint. We had two great opportunities to see the ponies for an extended time. The accommodations were excellent. The meals were very good, especially the small plated dinner. I thought that there might have been a bit too much free time based on the overall length of the program. I found the school bus that was used for transportation to be very uncomfortable and lacking in leg room for a tall person. However, the bus driver, John, was a very personable and a real delight to deal with. The island itself is charming and very relaxing, at least in the off season peak when we visited. The sunsets were magnificent as advertised. This is a place that we may choose to visit again based on our Road Scholar experience.
— Review left May 22, 2019
As a solo traveler, I enjoyed this trip beyond my expectations. I believe Beth, our Instructor and John, our Bus Driver were the best there is. Everything was organized for us and most enjoyable. Fellow travelers were very accepting of everyone else and I believe I have made some friendships that will continue on.
— Review left May 19, 2019
The program provides a wonderful overview of the history and natural environment of Chincoteague and Assateague, as well as the diverse skills and pursuits of those living on the islands through the present day.
— Review left April 18, 2019
This was my 1st trip and I really enjoyed Virginia. The talks were perfect. People and tour guides were very kind and nice to each other.
As a single traveler I felt very safe and taken care of during the this trip.
I have signed up for a new trip in November going to Florida for 6 days with 2 other women from this trip.
I came back refreshed and educated.
Becki Kvitrud
— Review left April 18, 2019
A fun, well-rounded introduction to this fascinating area of the Virginia Eastern Seashore. I went primarily to see the ponies, but learned a great deal about other aspects of the ecological viability of Chincoteague and Assateague. Enjoyed every minute! Highly recommend.
— Review left April 15, 2019