Day Trips in Delmarva by Alan Fisher
Fall is a perfect time to go exploring on Delmarva. The hot, humid days of summer have cooled just a bit but there is still plenty of sunshine. Hop in the car on a Saturday or Sunday for a road trip through previously undiscovered territory. If you’re not sure where to go, grab a copy of Day Trips in Delmarva by Alan Fisher.
The Baltimore Sun calls Day Trips in Delmarva “The best organized, best written, most comprehensive and practical guide to the Delmarva Peninsula.” The guide emphasizes the region’s historic towns, scenic back roads, wildlife refuges, parks undeveloped beaches and routes for car touring, hiking and bicycling.
Fisher has divided the book into 20 different ‘drives,’ some of which could be expanded to weekend trips depending on how long you spend in each location. Each drive includes a map with the routes clearly marked as well as a brief description and/or history of the location. Many combine a car tour with a walking tour so you can plan your trip based on the amount of time you have to spend. Easy to follow directions to the starting point for each drive are provided from both the north and the south to accommodate day trippers from either end of the peninsula. In most locations, Fisher includes directions to the local Visitor Center and encourages a stop to gather specific information about local events, tour schedules, restaurants, etc.
The tour for Chincoteague includes the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore (southern section). Fisher provides a great overview of the available car and hiking routes on the Refuge and Seashore, with maps and estimated mileages for each.
The current (3rd) edition of Day Trips in Delmarva was published in June 2009, an indication that the information is as up-to-date as possible. To learn more, click here.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Ira D. Hudson and Family: Chincoteague Carvers
Ira D. Hudson and Family: Chincoteague Carvers by Henry Stansbury
If you are curious about the local decoy carvers on Chincoteague Island, Henry H. Stansbury’s Ira D. Hudson and Family is a good place to start your quest for information. First published in 2002 by Decoy Magazine, the book provides a history of the Hudson family of carvers as well as wonderful photographs of many of Hudson’s carvings. In his preface, Stansbury notes “The extraordinary body of work produced by the Hudson family of Chincoteague, Virginia in the first half of the 20th century will capture the attention of all who appreciate the finest of American Folk Art.”
Stansbury is a decoy collector as well as an historian, having received his first Hudson decoy as a Christmas gift in 1980. He immediately became enamored with Hudson’s work and, over the years, has become a recognized expert on Hudson’s carvings. He begins his biography of Hudson with his final Christmas, in December 1948, and works backward, with Hudson’s life story intertwined with stories about life on Chincoteague Island and about duck carving as craft and art. One section includes a price list for Hudson’s decoys from 1928, with many listed at $10-15 per dozen; in recent years, one of his Goose carvings sold for over $75,000! Although Ira D. Hudson is Chincoteague’s most famous carver, other members of the Hudson family have carried on the tradition and Stansbury includes short biographies of many members of the extended family and includes examples of their work.
Ira D. Hudson and Family is an interesting and entertaining introduction to the life of Chincoteague carvers. Their love of working with wood and of making something both useful and beautiful is a theme that runs throughout the book. For more information, click here.
If you are curious about the local decoy carvers on Chincoteague Island, Henry H. Stansbury’s Ira D. Hudson and Family is a good place to start your quest for information. First published in 2002 by Decoy Magazine, the book provides a history of the Hudson family of carvers as well as wonderful photographs of many of Hudson’s carvings. In his preface, Stansbury notes “The extraordinary body of work produced by the Hudson family of Chincoteague, Virginia in the first half of the 20th century will capture the attention of all who appreciate the finest of American Folk Art.”
Stansbury is a decoy collector as well as an historian, having received his first Hudson decoy as a Christmas gift in 1980. He immediately became enamored with Hudson’s work and, over the years, has become a recognized expert on Hudson’s carvings. He begins his biography of Hudson with his final Christmas, in December 1948, and works backward, with Hudson’s life story intertwined with stories about life on Chincoteague Island and about duck carving as craft and art. One section includes a price list for Hudson’s decoys from 1928, with many listed at $10-15 per dozen; in recent years, one of his Goose carvings sold for over $75,000! Although Ira D. Hudson is Chincoteague’s most famous carver, other members of the Hudson family have carried on the tradition and Stansbury includes short biographies of many members of the extended family and includes examples of their work.
Ira D. Hudson and Family is an interesting and entertaining introduction to the life of Chincoteague carvers. Their love of working with wood and of making something both useful and beautiful is a theme that runs throughout the book. For more information, click here.
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