Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is a stretch of land plunked down off the coast of New England. Part of the charm of MV is that you can only reach the island by ferry. The rest is in the moments you spend there. As they say, God is in the details.

Photo from the website "www.destinationinsider.com"

The color of the water is blue and green and blue again. There are clay cliffs and wild roses. Gingerbread houses and window boxes. You'll hear the wind catch the sails of boats in the harbor, ferry boat whistles and jazz drifting out of a hotel window. You'll watch the sun set from a wharf and bike along the edge of the sea. You'll drink coffee from Mocha Motts. Mudslides from Lolas. And mugs of beer from Fishbones. You'll dance on the beach, walk Nantucket Sound, and drive through lush forests. You'll eat lobster and crab and quahog clam chowder. You'll shop and dine and people watch. You'll see Spike Lee, James Taylor and Carly Simon (if you're lucky). You'll quite simply have the time of your life.

Chowder

Chowda

Oh, my God, there's Spike Lee.

Nothing, but gesture wildly to whoever you're with.

Martha's Vineyard

The Vineyad

I have to catch the ferry.

I have to get a boat.

I'm driving to the north end of the island.

I'm driving up island.

Three distinct towns

Oak Bluffs - fun, artsy, victorian architecture, harbor and circuit avenue full of cool shops and bars.

Edgartown - Chi Chi crowd, Banana Republic kakis, beautiful homes, window boxes to die for, harbor, harbor view hotel. Sit on rocking chairs to watch the sunset. Take a 5-minute 2-car ferry ride over to Chappaquidick on bikes.

Vineyard Haven--Great shops, tiny parks, Black Dog Bakery, bike rentals, Steamship Authority.

Great Places to See

The clay cliffs of Gay Head

East and West Chop--chunky pieces of land that stick out into the ocean like two pork chops. The walk or drive along these chops is breathtaking.

Lucy Vincent Beach - dramatic cliffs and rolling waves

Lambert's Cove Beach - Gorgeous bluffs, surf and scenic view all along the coast. Bring a blanket, a book and bottle of wine.

Ocean View Drive - Bike, roller blade, or drive this route to Edgartown all along the edge of the ocean. Watch out for ocean spray!

Carousel Horses - The oldest carousel in the world. Stroll by and listen as the horses bob up and down to the tune of "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones. Laugh in disbelief.

Rent mopeds, Harleys or convertibles and do an entire island tour.

The Campground - Former meeting grounds of the Methodists, the campground holds a series of tiny Victorian gingerbread houses painted every color of the rainbow.

The Ritz - Local dive where Wayne and Connie met.