With the first successful excursion under our belts,
Assateague State Park - East Coast Maryland was next.
Assateague is a popular place, and for good reason.
Vacationers come for the beach, the water and the wild ponies.
The camp ground is very spacious between sites, which is at the top of the list for 2020.
Found a reasonably level area towards the back of the site.
Be careful walking around with bare feet, the little prickly burrs are everywhere.
My Nimbus 3000...
This year's Father's Day gift. I love it.
The stove and prep area are a nice height. It has a storage/pantry area underneath.
It has a spice rack, tool hanger,
towel dispenser, lantern hanger,
and a wash basin.
It folds-up neatly in a durable carry case.
Looking forward to breaking this in.
Quality addition to my gear inventory. #FunStuff #CampingGear
First night, burger night...
We arrived to the grounds around dinner time and had yet to make a fire.
No worries.
I put an iron griddle over my 2-burner unit and I was grilling in no time.
Turkey burgers with shredded Vermont cheddar cheese mixed in-- helps maintain the juiciness. I cook these to 165° internal.
Dessert?... Of course.
And, nothing beats a
good ole chocolate chip cookie.
Toll House pre-made pre-cut dough is a reliable and easy favorite.
Here, I used a pre-greased pie iron. I placed 4 pieces of cookie dough in it.
Using my infrared thermometer, I found the 350° zone over the fire pit.
Baked for 30-35 minutes; turning it over every 5 minutes.
Turned it out onto a paper plate to cool before adding an ice cream topper (naturally).
The wild ponies make it clear Assateague is their turf. They don't seem to mind the campers and park visitors too much. However, the ponies do operate as if rights of first refusal to your campsite eatables belongs to them. They can even be a bit rude and pushy about it. One little guy wanted to nose around our canopy area to check out our eats. I stood sound in his way and he just about head-butted me before deciding it probably wasn't worth the effort. Anyway,... the ponies are beautiful animals that add a tranquility and unique quality to Assateague making it a very special place.
Just a little past 5:30 am,
this is the view from my tent.
Totally breathtaking.
Better get a move on,
don't want to miss first light.
Made it to the beach in time.
Amazing. Stunning.
Gives such a larger than life feeling.
This beautiful peaceful promise of sunlight is enough to inspire anyone to do some good in the day.
Ahh... First Crack, it has begun.
Stop everything.
Quiet both the mind and body.
I am the only one on the beach.
I am the only witness here.
All the more personal and special
Deep breath in.
I think about the day ahead.
What actions will I take today.
How will I make an impact.
Slow outward release of breath.
I am going to have a great day.
Last look. Deeply grateful.
Super energized.
Okay, back to camp...
Off to the races...
Burnin day light...
Let's get to the gettin...
First up, some fresh cut
Applewood smoked bacon from the Amish market.
I scrambled 10 eggs on the griddle after the bacon.
Mmmm, bacon fat sure makes for some good eggs.
Off to the beach with Q & W.
Looks crowded today...
Oh, wait we have company.
Well, we almost had
the beach to ourselves...
Buried Treasure.
Guarding your territory from a pretty girl.
Ohh la la... Speaking of pretty girls.
I am totally attracted and fully intrigued.
These beauties are screaming to me,
"Hey, find out more!"
What a way to camp,...and year 'round, oh yeah.
HMMM,... total light bulb.
Spoiler Alert:
YES! We definitely rent one of these to see what it is all about.
RV camping blog next up; stay-tuned.
Back to Assateague.
Under Armor boyz, Q & W, getting sweet treats.
Tonight's dinner; Chicken Fajitas.
For this, I marinated Perdue chicken thighs with Adobo seasoning, smoked paprika and olive oil.
Char broil the thighs on both sides until 165° internally.
Chop chicken into chunks & grab a tortilla.
Top with the seared veggies and sour cream. Wrap and roll.
Dessert?
Banana Nutella Quesadillas.
Keeping with the tortilla theme.
Also good with a little bit of sour cream.
I highly recommend Assateague.
Overall a terrific camping experience for the whole family.
My favorite part, aside from campfire cooking, was soaking in
the amazing sunrises on the quiet beach.
So, I close this blog entry with one of my best shots.
Wishing all of you this same "peaceful easy feeling".
'Till next trip.
--Chef Chris
Wow Chef C that looks like an amazing experience. The pictures are amazing! And I am sure the food was just as spectacular as the sunset. And the Nimbus 3000? What can I say, other than I want one. Thanks for sharing Chef, looking forward to the RV post!!