Chincoteague Island suggestions wanted (way off topic)

[Pizzabrewer]

My wife and I haven't taken a proper vacation together in years.  We've just decided to spend a week in mid-April at Chincoteague.  We've never been.

I'm posting this in the hopes that someone has familiarity as a local and/or tourist.  What hotels/B&Bs/guest inns/etc offer the best value? 

Priorities:
Our interest is in the horses and nature rather than the beach.  If there's a warm day or 2 we'd be happy to lounge in the sand but that's not guaranteed in April.  So waterfront/beachfront, although nice, probably wouldn't be worth the cost?
Quiet and secluded is preferred to loud and boisterous.
The ability to do some meal prep would be good (eating every meal in a restaurant would be a budget killer). 

I've been doing some googling and will continue but any first-hand advice would be terrific.

Any guidance is appreciated.  My apologies to the forum if this is too narrow of a topic.

[Dave1442397]

I can't help out with places to stay, as we always camped at Assateague. We were there in July/August, and we camped at the beach sites to avoid Greenheads. I don't think they'll be a problem in April, though.

https://www.facebook.com/AssateagueNPS/posts/greenhead-the-very-name-strikes-fear-in-the-hearts-of-beach-goers-from-nova-scot/1780912481923119/

If you want to see wildlife and ponies, this tour company was recommended by a lot of people -

http://www.captaindanstours.com/

The ponies were not bothered by being around people at all. We saw three ponies shred a tent to get at the food they could smell inside it. They wandered around the campsite at will, so we didn't have to travel to see them :)

[marion10]

We stayed using Marriott points at the Fairfield Inn in Chincoteague. We had wonderful views of the water and breakfast is included. I don’t remember if there was a microwave or not. We only stayed one night. We arrived in a downpour but had a great day at the beach and seeing the ponies. Always been a dream of mine.

[Tick-Tock]

We were there for three days at the beginning of October.

We stayed at Miss Molly's Inn, a historic b&b-type small inn (it's where Marguerite Henry stayed when she came to Chincoteague to research for her Misty books).  Even though it's close to a tiki-bar-type place, we heard nothing when inside the inn. 

We really liked Pico Taqueria and Sea Star Cafe (and the Island Creamery).

For seeing the ponies, our best experience was with a kayak tour.  We were able to get very close to them, and it was so nice and quiet.  Also saw many gorgeous birds. We used Assateague Explorer.  We also did their boat ride, but that wasn't nearly the wildlife experience and we probably wouldn't do it again. 

[Tick-Tock]

Also, if you're interested in space at all, check out the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center right next to Chincoteague.  Free, with some interesting exhibits.

[englishteacheralex]

My favorite vacation destination of all time. My parents owned a vacation rental there in the 90's. It's long-since been sold. No suggestions, but posting to follow because I want to take my kids there one of these days.

[draco44]

Have fun on your vacation! I've also only camped in the area, so don't have hotel suggestions to offer, but do have a quick reminder for enjoying your time out on the beach with the ponies: keep a close watch on your food and leave it in your car if you decide to walk along the beach for a while. Most of the ponies are fearless of humans and will grab your food if you aren't paying attention. I saw one pony break into a cooler at our neighbors' campsite and make off with an entire loaf of bread.  The pony encounters make for great photos; just don't go hungry because of them!

[Pizzabrewer]

Just a quick follow up. We’ve been here the last week and have loved it. We spent a lot of time in the refuge and saw a LOT of ponies. Including ones right up on the road, showing off. I think they know they’re rock stars.

HIGHLY recommended for a relaxing vacation.