vsh

Jul 04 2009

kids-rain Considering the total amount of rainfall on the Vineyard this June, I’m hoping that the subject of this blog will soon be moot. However, my car mechanic tells me he remembers a Vineyard summer one year that never happened. So, just in case…

Imagine you are finally here, under the roof you paid for three months ago and looked forward to with such gleeful anticipation, but it is the third day of rain, and if you hear ”Mom, what can we do?” one more time, you are going to go jump off Big Bridge at the state beach and continue swimming out to sea. Or maybe you happen to have a little one who, for some reason, just doesn’t like sand between her toes. Do not despair. There is life beyond the beach for our younger visitors and peace of mind for their parents.

I’ll start right here in Edgartown. Have a real farm experience, complete with crops and livestock at the Farm Institute in Katama. Visit as a family or sign the kids up for one of the Children’s Programs, for ages 2 – 17.

Every week, the Edgartown Library on North Water Street has Toddler Time for ages 1 – 4, and Story Hour for 3 – 5 year olds. They also offer special events, such as learning the phases of the moon using Oreo cookies or the Bear’s Picnic, that you can bring your favorite stuffed pal to.

The Martha’s Vineyard Museum has Kid’s Arts and Crafts each week and also have special events, like Archaeology for Kids.

If the rain lets up a little in the evening, grab everyone and go on the MV Trustees of Reservations (Not-So-Creepy) Creatures of the Night Family Hike.

And that’s just Edgartown. Featherstone Gallery in Oak Bluffs has Children’s Artsweekdays from 2 to 5 PM. There is also Children’s Art daily at the Stone Gallery in West Tisbury. The Vineyard Playhouse’s Summer Stars Theater and Art Camp in Vineyard Haven is a favorite of 9 -14 year olds, and The Yard in Chilmark offers Creative Theater, Music and Movement. And don’t forget the MV Adventure Camp or tennis lessons at theVineyard Tennis Center. I could go on and on.

So don’t let a little drizzle put a damper on your family vacation. By the time the sun comes out again, you and the kids will be totally exhausted from all these activities and ready for a lazy day on the beach again.

THINGS TO DO | June 29, 2018

A Martha’s Vineyard Farmer’s Market Walkthrough: 7 Things To Expect

Farmer’s markets — once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right? To that we say, hogwash. Off in the […]

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The Vineyard Cup Regatta: A Shipshape Addition to Your Summer Itinerary

Sail. Eat. Party. Repeat. That just about sums up the three-day regatta weekend that hits our shores each summer. Whether […]

EDGARTOWN | May 13, 2018

Getting to Martha’s Vineyard: Fast Ferries and Flights

If you’re like us, you’ve been getting to Martha’s Vineyard on the Steamship Authority ferry for years. It’s an affordable, […]

EDGARTOWN | April 26, 2018

Plan a Girlfriend Getaway to Martha’s Vineyard in 5 Steps or Less

Friendships are like scoops of Mad Martha’s ice cream — you can never have just one, and you probably have […]

EDGARTOWN | March 25, 2018

From Sea to Reality: 5 Tips for Planning Your Beach-Themed Wedding

Love the beach as much as your beau? Clasping hands and sharing vows in front of sweeping ocean views is […]

THINGS TO DO | March 16, 2018

Martha’s Vineyard Retreat: A Vineyard Square Itinerary For Small Groups

All teams need a break from the great land of cubicles and water coolers once in a while, and if […]

THINGS TO DO | February 17, 2018

Headed To The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival? 5 Travel Tips Before You Go

Every March on the Vineyard, the stage is set for a film frenzy as we travel to the Wild West […]

THINGS TO DO | February 7, 2018

How to Spend Mother’s Day on Martha’s Vineyard: Edgartown’s Pink & Green Weekend

It’s okay to admit it: no amount of gifting ever feels like quite enough when it comes to showing Mom […]

« 1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 38 »

Jul 02 2009

4th-of-July-by-CitySteph — 4th of July by City Steph

You can’t come to Martha’s Vineyard without noticing the vast number of different accents you encounter in your day – the girl at the coffee shop is Russian, the guy who drives the cab is from Bulgaria, your housekeeper is Jamaican and thishotel manager is Scottish. To many, it’s part of what makes the Vineyard so special – almost everyone is from somewhere else and bring with them their own traditions and perspectives while adopting a good measure of the local culture.

This weekend will be my 11^th July 4^th celebration – 10^th on Martha’s Vineyard. In Scotland, holidays are still mostly the old Christian calendar holidays with a couple of ‘Bank Holidays’ thrown in (basically an administrative day off for the whole country), so I have come to love my American holidays – Memorial Day to celebrate those who protect and have protected, Labor Day for the workers, Thanksgiving reminds us all how lucky we are, but my favorite of all has to be 4^th of July!

On my 1^st July 4^th on Martha’s Vineyard I was lucky enough to be swept up by my American colleague, “Let me show you all the fun of a real July 4^th!” Well, I’m pretty game for an adventure, so I put myself in her hands and boy am I glad that I did!

The 1^st stop was the lawn of the Old Whaling Church for a good old fashioned BBQ. Burgers, dogs with all the fixins’, kids screaming and laughing, parents chasing, grandparents sitting back and enjoying – good old family fun!

Down to North Water Street next for ice cream from my favorite spot, Mad Martha’s – voted the Best of the Vineyard for several years, and in the Top 10 in the USA Today a few years ago – it really is a fantastic place – cones, cups, sundaes, toppings – everything a dessert lover could wish for.

So, ice cream in one hand and flag in the other, we found a perch on the steps of theColonial Inn courtyard to watch the parade – and oh, what a parade it is! Having never seen a big city parade, my frame of reference is limited, but I am assured it is small town Americana at its best. The parade starts at 5ish (remember – you’re on Vineyard Time) and confuses many by looping through town in the opposite direction to the usual traffic flow. It starts at Edgartown Elementary School, takes a Left at Pease Point Way and loops behind the town center to head along North Water Street in the ‘opposite’ direction and then UP Main Street.

The Selectmen from all the towns lead off in antique vehicles, many local businesses decorate floats with many varied themes, lots of kids sports teams and other non-profits have tons of fun entertaining the crowds – skaters, dancers, musicians, gymnasts and many others besides. The towns’ fire trucks are decked out, the Island Veterans always get a huge cheer and imagine my surprise when a group of men in kilts and ladies in tartan processed by followed by a Bagpipe Band – did they do this just to make me feel a part of the fun? Alas no, it’s the local Scottish Society (although it sure did make it all feel a bit more familiar).

After the fun of the parade we took a break, enjoyed the great atmosphere in town and then headed up to Lighthouse Beach to stake out our spot for the fireworks. They are set off from a barge just off-shore of the Lighthouse, in the outer harbor, so the beach is really the best vantage point, although you can see them from other locations a bit farther out. They usually start around 8.30 – 9pm (once it’s dark enough) and the show never disappoints.

Who wouldn’t love this holiday!! The events continue this year, in the same way they did on my 1^st year here – will we see you? What are you doing for the 4^th?

THINGS TO DO | June 29, 2018

A Martha’s Vineyard Farmer’s Market Walkthrough: 7 Things To Expect

Farmer’s markets — once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right? To that we say, hogwash. Off in the […]

THINGS TO DO | June 18, 2018

The Vineyard Cup Regatta: A Shipshape Addition to Your Summer Itinerary

Sail. Eat. Party. Repeat. That just about sums up the three-day regatta weekend that hits our shores each summer. Whether […]

EDGARTOWN | May 13, 2018

Getting to Martha’s Vineyard: Fast Ferries and Flights

If you’re like us, you’ve been getting to Martha’s Vineyard on the Steamship Authority ferry for years. It’s an affordable, […]

EDGARTOWN | April 26, 2018

Plan a Girlfriend Getaway to Martha’s Vineyard in 5 Steps or Less

Friendships are like scoops of Mad Martha’s ice cream — you can never have just one, and you probably have […]

EDGARTOWN | March 25, 2018

From Sea to Reality: 5 Tips for Planning Your Beach-Themed Wedding

Love the beach as much as your beau? Clasping hands and sharing vows in front of sweeping ocean views is […]

THINGS TO DO | March 16, 2018

Martha’s Vineyard Retreat: A Vineyard Square Itinerary For Small Groups

All teams need a break from the great land of cubicles and water coolers once in a while, and if […]

THINGS TO DO | February 17, 2018

Headed To The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival? 5 Travel Tips Before You Go

Every March on the Vineyard, the stage is set for a film frenzy as we travel to the Wild West […]

THINGS TO DO | February 7, 2018

How to Spend Mother’s Day on Martha’s Vineyard: Edgartown’s Pink & Green Weekend

It’s okay to admit it: no amount of gifting ever feels like quite enough when it comes to showing Mom […]

« 1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 38 »

Jun 29 2009

There have been discussions around the Colonial Inn since we started posting blog articles. Several of us have realized that…our hotel guests often see more of the Island than we, who live here, do!

Now, in our defense, hotel guests are here to visit. They have the freedom to meander and see the sights during their time of leisure. A large part of my job is to send them to lovely places. I have been to many places on the Island that are lovely, but I may not have been there recently.

Yesterday I took a very looong walk with my daughter. It started out as a quick trip to the library but as we exited, my toddler hung a hard left and strode with Purpose down Water Street. She was a trooper. She walked on her own until a half block from the end of the street and then said “Dada, up, please” which of course is my only task on this journey. (Sherpa…a father’s job anywhere on the planet!)

Here’s what I found: I have worked on North Water Street for five and a half years now and I hardly SEE it anymore. I scamper about the property during the summer trying to keep all the bells and whistles running, all the hula-hoops turning that a hotel requires. (Curse Bob Newhart, with his sweater vest and coffee mug. He makes running an Inn look so easy!)

Well, at full toddler speed, which alternates between full sprint and spiraling drift, I was able to look more closely at Water Street than I have in years. It truly is lovely. The old whaling captain’s houses, some of which are dated from as early as 1850, are in various states of disrepair and undergoing repair as we pass. The white picket fences are overwhelmed with greenery and blooms from all the rain. I was afraid to let Kate lean too heavily on some as there were several that may not have supported her, but we did stop to smell the roses.

There are tiny gates on many of the fences with thick green lawn behind. Some of those have paths that run back into trellises, dark little tunnels that look magical. We could not venture back there, although with a toddler I could have explained away the trespassing with ease.

My Little Adventurer rallied when we reached the path to the lighthouse. (There is nothing better than a crushed shell path to regain the energy in little legs…and the flowers are spectacular. We liberated a black-eyed Susan, which sadly was too well loved to finish the journey with us.) Boats and waves, gulls and shells, with Kate so fascinated with them all, I found myself viewing them with new wonder myself.

In an area that gets so busy with tourism and keeps me hopping during the summer months, I appreciate the time walking with my little one and looking at things in a fresh way.

By the time I carried her all the way back to the Colonial Inn, I needed a nap myself, but what a way to spend a rare sunny afternoon. She charted a course and swept me along. It was not the white edges of the map where there ‘be dragons’, but it was a good start for an 18 month old.

I want to teach her to love adventure, but it seems I’ll learn from her too. That’s a fair trade!

THINGS TO DO | June 29, 2018

A Martha’s Vineyard Farmer’s Market Walkthrough: 7 Things To Expect

Farmer’s markets — once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right? To that we say, hogwash. Off in the […]

THINGS TO DO | June 18, 2018

The Vineyard Cup Regatta: A Shipshape Addition to Your Summer Itinerary

Sail. Eat. Party. Repeat. That just about sums up the three-day regatta weekend that hits our shores each summer. Whether […]

EDGARTOWN | May 13, 2018

Getting to Martha’s Vineyard: Fast Ferries and Flights

If you’re like us, you’ve been getting to Martha’s Vineyard on the Steamship Authority ferry for years. It’s an affordable, […]

EDGARTOWN | April 26, 2018

Plan a Girlfriend Getaway to Martha’s Vineyard in 5 Steps or Less

Friendships are like scoops of Mad Martha’s ice cream — you can never have just one, and you probably have […]

EDGARTOWN | March 25, 2018

From Sea to Reality: 5 Tips for Planning Your Beach-Themed Wedding

Love the beach as much as your beau? Clasping hands and sharing vows in front of sweeping ocean views is […]

THINGS TO DO | March 16, 2018

Martha’s Vineyard Retreat: A Vineyard Square Itinerary For Small Groups

All teams need a break from the great land of cubicles and water coolers once in a while, and if […]

THINGS TO DO | February 17, 2018

Headed To The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival? 5 Travel Tips Before You Go

Every March on the Vineyard, the stage is set for a film frenzy as we travel to the Wild West […]

THINGS TO DO | February 7, 2018

How to Spend Mother’s Day on Martha’s Vineyard: Edgartown’s Pink & Green Weekend

It’s okay to admit it: no amount of gifting ever feels like quite enough when it comes to showing Mom […]

« 1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 38 »

Jun 27 2009

Ferry-by-takomabibelot — Photo by takomabibelot

Over the past 10 years in the hotel industry on Martha’s Vineyard I have noticed a strange phenomenon. Many, and I mean lots and lots and lots, of 1^st time visitors coming to Martha’s Vineyard book their accommodations and THEN ask ‘How do I get there?’

The first few times I gave all the travel options (there are also lots and lots of these – I’ll get to them in a minute, bear with me), didn’t think about the question too much and went about my day, but after a while I began to wonder – why book a hotel room if you don’t know how you are getting there? The answer is now totally obvious to me…because Martha’s Vineyard is such an awesome place to visit, that most folks are sooo excited about coming here, they’ll work on the details later. Also, lots of people forget that we are an Island. AND we don’t have a bridge.

So, I hear you say, How DO we get there?

Well, the 1^st, and most frequently used option, is the Steamship Authority ferry service. This service is the ONLY car ferry (although we suggest leaving it behind – gridlock on vacation isn’t fun !) and makes the 45 minute trip about 14 times a day. It takes some really bad weather before these ferries are cancelled, so they are also the most reliable option and gives them their well deserved tag line of “The Lifeline to the Islands”. More about them in another post.

There are also a number of other passenger only ferry services from New Bedford has year round service and there is seasonal service from Falmouth (to Oak Bluffs orEdgartown), Hyannis and Quonset Point, RI.

Another option is to fly directly to the island. You can do this year round on Cape Air, or seasonally on US Airways.

So, you can see why it took a while to go through all these options with people on the phone – and with so many travel options, I can see why they didn’t plan their travel before they booked their rooms!

THINGS TO DO | June 29, 2018

A Martha’s Vineyard Farmer’s Market Walkthrough: 7 Things To Expect

Farmer’s markets — once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right? To that we say, hogwash. Off in the […]

THINGS TO DO | June 18, 2018

The Vineyard Cup Regatta: A Shipshape Addition to Your Summer Itinerary

Sail. Eat. Party. Repeat. That just about sums up the three-day regatta weekend that hits our shores each summer. Whether […]

EDGARTOWN | May 13, 2018

Getting to Martha’s Vineyard: Fast Ferries and Flights

If you’re like us, you’ve been getting to Martha’s Vineyard on the Steamship Authority ferry for years. It’s an affordable, […]

EDGARTOWN | April 26, 2018

Plan a Girlfriend Getaway to Martha’s Vineyard in 5 Steps or Less

Friendships are like scoops of Mad Martha’s ice cream — you can never have just one, and you probably have […]

EDGARTOWN | March 25, 2018

From Sea to Reality: 5 Tips for Planning Your Beach-Themed Wedding

Love the beach as much as your beau? Clasping hands and sharing vows in front of sweeping ocean views is […]

THINGS TO DO | March 16, 2018

Martha’s Vineyard Retreat: A Vineyard Square Itinerary For Small Groups

All teams need a break from the great land of cubicles and water coolers once in a while, and if […]

THINGS TO DO | February 17, 2018

Headed To The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival? 5 Travel Tips Before You Go

Every March on the Vineyard, the stage is set for a film frenzy as we travel to the Wild West […]

THINGS TO DO | February 7, 2018

How to Spend Mother’s Day on Martha’s Vineyard: Edgartown’s Pink & Green Weekend

It’s okay to admit it: no amount of gifting ever feels like quite enough when it comes to showing Mom […]

« 1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 38 »

Jun 22 2009

Fed up with the rain? Me too! I am hard-pressed to remember a spring so chilly and dank. Looking in my closet for yet another sweater to wear, I wonder if the sundresses and sandals will see the light of day this year. But then I gaze out my windows, and if I can force myself to focus beyond the moss growing on the deck railing, I can’t help but notice that the yard has rarely looked so lush and healthy. And so it is all over Martha’s Vineyard. So instead of moping around indoors, letting mildew accumulate behind your ears, pull on your wellingtons, grab an umbrella, spit back in Mother Nature’s face, and treat yourself to a Vineyard getaway to admire just what she has brought us.

Although I’d be flattered to have you drive by my modest plot of land and comment on how lovely the peonies and roses are, many more satisfying vistas are available to you. First, put yourself in nature’s beauty at the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury. Feeling gloomy while surrounded by 20 acres of magical plants, trees, and shrubs is nearly impossible. They are open daily from 9:30 AM to 4 PM, and offer tours at 2 PM.

For a peaceful afternoon, hop aboard the On Time Ferry in Edgartown and head to Chappaquiddick, where you will find Mytoi, a delightful Japanese-style garden nestled within an open pine forest. I guarantee you’ll feel your blood pressure drop while strolling around this gem of tranquility. It is open daily, sunrise to sunset.

And since you are already enjoying Chappy’s gifts, linger a little longer and visit the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge or Wasque, both havens of indigenous seashore growths of the northeast. Just driving place to place, you will notice the extra lushness and height of the seagrass and bountiful white and magenta blooms weighing down the rosa rugosa.

By this time, you’ll be pretty damp and ready for a mug of hot cocoa or, better yet, a hot toddy. Park the car back in Edgartown, and on your stroll to the nearest pub, notice the profusion of cottage roses beginning to pop and the abundant, heavy buds on the hydrangeas that will follow close behind. Yes, it is going to be a gorgeous summer (eventually), and you will not only have cheered yourself up, but also have gotten a very special preview of what’s right around some dryer corner.

Image courtesy of The Trustees of Reservations

THINGS TO DO | June 29, 2018

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