We decided to take a long weekend trip to Martha’s Vineyard to see what it's all about. There were a few things driving us to go including wanting to check it out as a potential sailing destination, encouragement from not one but TWO people in Laura’s yoga teacher training who spend their summers working there, and a general curiosity and eagerness to experience it.
Getting there was fairly easy. An Air Canada flight to Boston and then a sixteen-minute Jet Blue flight to Martha’s Vineyard. We had expected a small commuter flight to MV but it turned out to be a full size regional jet.
Once on the island, we hopped in our taxi van and headed over to The Hob Knob Inn. The inn came highly recommended and occupies a classic 19th-century Gothic Revival building on Upper Main Street in Edgartown, a short walk from the heart of the downtown village. We could write a whole blog post just on how great this place is but I will keep it short and just say the room, the breakfasts, the leisurely wrap around porch and gardens, and most of all, the attentive service are all phenomenal. Such an absolutely great place to stay on Martha’s Vineyard.
Day One
Lunch at the Atlantic, right on the harbour in Edgartown. Great seafood and cocktails. We liked it so much we went back two more times during our four days on MV! Then we shopped a bit on Main Street which is a great spot for just about anything you can think of from beach gear to vintage jewelry.
Dinner that night was at L’Etoile. This gem of a French inspired restaurant served up an étuvée of Mememsha Lobster that was insanely delicious as well the self-described, and absolutely true “The Best Lemon Bar” for dessert. All served on a stone patio inside a large, permanent white tent strung with white lights, attached to the Sydney, another classic Edgartown hotel. The entire experience was exceptional.
Day Two
Eggs and local-made yogurt parfaits for breakfast at the Hob Knob followed by a trip to a fishing village named Menemsha on the other side of the island (see lobster dish reference above). True to its description, Menemsha really is an old-school fishing village with a fleet of lobster and fishing boats, a few shops, very unpretentious takeout seafood shacks and a beach.
We bought a couple of lobster rolls and a cup of lobster bisque at Menemsha Fish Market and ate out back at a rickety wooden table (an old cable spool to be exact) overlooking the marina.
We finished the afternoon with some chocolate-dipped soft-serve ice cream and headed back to Edgartown.
Dinner was at The Terrace, a relatively formal, quirky place attached to the very classic Charlotte Inn. Food, service and champagne were all excellent and meeting the owner Paula and her golden retriever on our way into the inn was a joy. Apparently, she and her husband spend the off season in the UK collecting antiques for the inn and the place definitely has a museum vibe that is meticulous and makes it worth lingering to explore.
Day Three
In spite of the fact it was going to be cool and rainy all day, we hopped on a ferry to Nantucket. After a relatively easy hour and fifteen-minute ride over, we disembarked onto the main drag in Nantucket. Brick and cobblestone streets, shopping, restaurants and art galleries cram every square inch of several square blocks around the marina and it is a really fun spot even when it is pouring rain! Laura found a wine and vintage clothing shop called Current Vintage. They had us at "Wine, Beer, Cheese, Dresses" which was simply posted on the door. This gem was worth a trip to Nantucket all by itself.
Eventually, we hopped in a cab and went to Galley Beach for lunch. While it was raining off and on too much for us to fully enjoy the beach, the restaurant was good and the view was beautiful. Eventually, it did dry out enough for us to stroll the beach and snap a few photos.
Eventually we headed back to Martha’s Vineyard on the 5:00 ferry and met Laura’s yoga friend, Dakota, at the restaurant she works in, Beach Road. Great food including the BEST OYSTERS I HAVE EVER HAD! “Cottage City” are small batch, local oysters curated by a high school friend of the Beach Road raw bar chef. We also tried Katama, Honeysuckle and Memensha Spearpoints, all of which were exceptional.
Day Four
We started the day with great massages in the spa at the Hob Knob, followed by renting bicycles to explore more of the island. We started with a ride over to Morning Glory Farm to pick up picnic lunch supplies. From there, we stopped at Bad Martha craft brewery for a cold pint of local beer.
Then we rode along the beach road which follows a sandy stretch separating the eastern shore of the island from a small sound called Sengekontacket Pond.
Halfway up we stopped and ate our picnic lunch on the beach, watching the throng of crazy New Englanders swimming in the cold water and basking in the clouds and cool breeze on the beach! If you think Canadians are okay with cold weather, you have never seen a New England beach on a 17 degree Celsius, cloudy day in June.
After lunch, we rode the rest of the way up to Oak Bluffs where we had a drink at a beach bar and then wandered around the famous gingerbread houses that make up the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association from the mid 1800s.
From there, we rode back to Edgardown, got cleaned up and joined Laura’s yoga teacher training friends for dinner at a great, primarily vegetarian restaurant called The Covington.
Final Day
We only had a half day before flying back to the real world but we started the morning with a yoga class and then hit the Atlantic again for lunch and drinks. The sun was finally out, the drinks were cold and the food was delicious so it was a great way to wind down an amazing trip.
We loved Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and are already thinking about trips back with friends and family. It is a beautiful area with exceptional food and a fun old-school resort town summer vibe.
Matt & Laura