If you’re like me, the word “Chincoteague” is synonymous with “ponies.” Specifically, a pony named Misty; I grew up on the Misty of Chincoteague books by Marguerite Henry.

Actually visiting Chincoteague, and the neighboring Assateague Island Wildlife Refuge, could have been a disappointment. After all, the books paint a pretty bucolic picture of ponies roaming freely. It couldn’t possibly still be like that, I thought, especially not 70 years after the Misty books added to the island’s fame. Read more at Book Riot.