MyOwnBalance Does Martha’s Vineyard
It seems like I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately what with Portland last week and Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard this week! Out of control! I’m so excited to share with you my day on MV. It was so amazing and fun!
This weekend, while on the Cape, we decided to take a day trip on the ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard, a small island off of Cape Cod. As a child, my family used to always vacation on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. I don’t think I could quite appreciate just how awesome these vacations were. As an adult re-visiting the island, I can now fully appreciate just how awesome and lucky my brother and I were to be able to spend an entire week or more on the islands.
I managed to grab a few photos (ok like 300, my travel buddies were ready to kill me!) so read on to find out all the info on what to do and where to go on Martha’s Vineyard.
We took the 9:30 am ferry out of Woods Hole on Friday. Parking is a bit tough so we had to park at the local high school and take the shuttle bus to the ferry terminal. All things considered though, we had no problem getting to the ferry and even got some prime seats on top of the boat for a leisurely 45 minute ride to the Vineyard.
We landed in Oaks Bluff and picked up a few hybrid bicycles to get us around the island for the day. The VTA, the Martha’s Vineyard, transport system can also get you around pretty easily and there are plenty of taxis but if you want to really experience the beauty of the island while getting your workout in for the day, I suggest renting bikes. We got ours from Martha’s Vineyard Bike Rental. Another option is renting mopeds, which also looked really fun!
We biked towards the south end of the island into Edgartown. It is about a six mile bike ride and it is one of the most picturesque rides I have ever done. The deep blue water contrasted against the lush greenery to create a scenic backdrop for our leisurely ride. Once we arrived in town, the quintessential cape houses bordered by seasonal blooms greeted us.
We sat down for lunch at the Seafood Shanty, which had a huge outdoor patio overlooking Edgartown harbor. As we munched on grilled mahi sandwiches and seared tuna, boats motored into dock. After Sam Summers for the guys and an unsweetened ice tea for me, we hit the road again to bike another few miles to South Beach.
The ride to South Beach was far more rustic with even a llama making a debut. The ride was well worth it though as the clear, sparkling waters of South Beach enticed us off our bikes and onto the hot, soft sand. I couldn’t wait to jump into the rolling waves and cool off!
After lounging on the beach, we decided it was time to jump back on our bikes and head back towards Oak Bluffs. A crowd huddled on the railing of a bridge along the way prompted us to stop. Beachgoers were jumping from the railing of the bridge into the green/blue water below. My brother and the Hubs were quick to hop up onto the railing and plunge into the water below. I, on the other hand, needed a little coaxing and, well, some hand holding. I have to say, despite my fear, I had good form!
After another quick swim in the calm waters on the beach between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown (which you may recognize from the movie Jaws!), we decided the promise of dinner in Oak Bluffs was calling us back to our bikes.
We dined at Ken & Beck’s The Red Cat Kitchen and the food and cocktails were amazing! We all had a round of mojitos, freshly muddled before our eyes.
I love the fresh mint and the mason jars!
We shared a brussel sprout appetizer that was beyond words.
I then had the fresh monkfish while others sampled fresh blue fin tuna (caught at 8 am that day) and scallops. The seafood was unbelievable. It was so fresh and so well cooked. Props to the chef!
I couldn’t resist a second cocktail after the bartender told me it was made from fresh muddled melon. So delicious!
Unfortunately, we had to head back to the ferry after dinner. Not before grabbing some doughnuts from Back Door Donuts. I tried a coconut cake doughnut. It hit my sweet spot just right!
We waved goodbye to Martha’s Vineyard just as the sun was setting over the water and the lights began flickering in the houses on land.
What a perfect day!