I grew up in Connecticut pretty close to Martha’s Vineyard, but never actually visited before this past summer. Rob & I debated where to take the girls and landed on the Vineyard. It was a first time visit for both of us and we thought a casual beach vacation would work best with our kids during this crazy time.
How To Get There
After not taking a car to Nantucket, we knew this summer we would be taking a car to the Vineyard. We booked a car reservation through Steamship Authority months in advance. The Steamship Authority ferries leave from Woods Hole, MA and drops you off in Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven. The ferry ride is only 45 minutes and it was so convenient leaving all our luggage in the car while we rode the boat. Similar to getting a car to Nantucket, the car reservations book up far in advance so check the schedule early! The schedules are usually released in January fo the upcoming summer season. If you’re not taking a car, there is also an option to take the Seastreak from New Bedford, MA (or NJ/NYC).
What To Do
There are so many pockets of Martha’s Vineyard and so many different areas to experience. Each section of the Vineyard has its own distinct personality. We stayed in an Airbnb right outside Edgartown. We stuck to a lot of kid friendly activities – relaxing beach days, seeing the sights, and strolling through town. Here are my favorites:
(1) Edgartown: Quintessential New England! Edgartown was my favorite section of the Vineyard to walk around in. All the streets are lined with the most beautiful white and gray homes with hydrangeas in the front yard. I snapped about 1,000 pictures walking down these streets! The center of the town is filled with stores and restaurants, including some of the best ice cream shops. At the end of North Water Street, sits a sandy beach out to the Edgartown Lighthouse. We were even able to go up to the very top! After walking around the beach, we headed to dinner at the Seafood Shanty. There is a top deck perfect for dinner & a view. And oh the sushi was amazing!
(2) Aquinnah Cliffs: On the western side of the island sits the stunning Aquinnah cliffs. There are several viewing points and a few little shops. The views alone are worth a trip out there. We also checked out the Gay Head Lighthouse and you can head up to the top during the summer season.
(3) Oak Bluffs: There was a lot of family fun to be had in Oak Bluffs! There is the famous Flying Horses Carousel that the girls loved riding on, an arcade, and restaurants galore. We loved strolling through Ocean Park and grabbing an early dinner across from the Church’s Pier at The Lookout Tavern. This area is super family friendly and beach casual.
We also enjoyed touring the Gingerbread Cottages, which originally started out as a Methodist camp meeting place many years ago. There are over 300 victorian cottages all located together with gingerbread home details, like bright colors and speciality lace trim. The kids got a kick out of these doll-like homes. At the entrance to this little village there is a Cottage Museum where you can learn more about the homes unique history. There are even opportunities to tour these cute little homes.
(4) Island Alpaca Company: We had a fun morning visiting the Alpaca Farm! The farm started out in 2004 and now is home to over 50 Alpacas. We did a self guided walking tour, visited with the alpacas, and shopped at the Island Alpaca Company store.
(5) Nomans: I felt like Nomans needed it’s own spot on this list because we visited twice over our vacation week! Noman’s is a restaurant with a lot of entertainment. There are picnic tables, lawn games, live music, and fresh food and cocktails! It was one of those places where both kids and parents will have a ton of fun. It was probably my favorite spot on the island.
(6) Menemsha Sunset: We always make a point on these island vacations to search out the best spot to catch a sunset and Menemsha Beach came highly recommended. We grabbed dinner at Larsen’s Fish Market (I would highly recommend either going early or picking something else up on the way. It was super busy and we waited a long time for food!) and set up a picnic once the food was ready. The views of the sunset were perfection and it was the best we saw all vacation.
(7) Beaches : This is an obvious one, but we spent a lot of the week lounging on the beaches and having fun in the water. On one day we went to the Long Point Wildlife Refuge (there is a small entrance fee) and had fun playing in the bay area. With small kids, the ocean can get a little rough, so it was nice to have a shallow spot that that the kids could enjoy calm water.
Where to Eat
We rented an AIRBNB and mainly enjoyed breakfast (and sometimes lunch) at the house. However, we did try a few spots and really loved: Among the Flowers, Backdoor Donuts, and Toccopuro Coffee (in downtown Edgartown).
We also enjoyed Nomans, The Seafood Shanty, and Bad Marthas Brewery (for pizza). We kept dining options pretty casual with the little ones.
Overall, it was a relaxing beach week full of island adventures. We look forward to visiting again!