NatureGirls Marthas Vineyard Trip Report-Thanks To Your Help Our Trip Was GREAT! We thankfully just missed the nor'easter thats hit MV...
Oct 25th, 2005, 05:52 PM
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NatureGirls Marthas Vineyard Trip Report-Thanks To Your Help Our Trip Was GREAT! We thankfully just missed the nor'easter thats hit MV...
Good evening! Ahhh, I just returned late last night from our wonderful trip to Martha's Vineyard!
Martha’s Vineyard 10/20-10/24
Disclaimer: I do not have a single negative thing to say about my experience in Martha’s Vineyard-I was sincerely pleased with our lodging choice, every restaurant choice, and with all of our interactions with other folks on the island. We truly had a magnificent trip!! That said, Ive included some seemingly “negative” aspects in this post but please be aware that such information isnt intended to criticize but only to provide a factual representation for future travelers.
Ready to hear about my trip!?
The ride from Philadelphia, PA to Woods Hole, MA was to take 6.5 hours. Our ferry reservation was at 2:30. We were going to leave by 7 am to give ourselves an hour of cushion-time for traffic or whatever. The alarm went off early Thursday morning but I didnt get up-I just worked the sound of the alarm into my dream. So we overslept. We left about 2 hours later than expected so that wiped out our 1 hour cushion-time AND, likely, our ferry reservation. We sped through PA and into NJ totally prepared to take Tappan Zee Bridge when my husband and I must have read each others minds: Maybe we should risk taking the George Washington Bridge b/c its a more direct route and we need to make up time? We talked about it for like 45 seconds until we had to either stay to the right for GWB or continue to the left to ultimately take Tappan Zee. Cement median is approaching! What should we do what should we do!? We stayed to the right and risked it with GWB. Although Ive not seen so MUCH traffic in my life since rush hour on the capital beltway we actually moved along at a slow but steady pace.
In the end we did miss the 2:30 ferry but we were able to get across on the next one (3:45 I think). Our ferry was a smaller one (took a larger one home) and we were one of the last cars on, right behind a lady in a silver Honda. We looked around and everyone was sitting in their cars except for Honda lady. Where did she go? Were we allowed to get out of our cars?? If so, then why wasnt anyone else getting out? For about 10 minutes we all sat packed in our cars looking at each other. Finally my husband asked one of the crew members and he kindly informed us that we were allowed to get out of our cars-yeah!
We climbed the steps and looked out over the water-it was a GREAT day! I saw land ahead and I wasnt too proud to ask the nice gentlemen next to me if that was in fact Martha’s Vineyard before I started snapping pictures. They sensed that I hadnt been before so they told me about how I simply had to try some lobster while I was there and told me the best place to get it (Menemsha they said) and also stated that they were headed over there to enjoy some that afternoon! Very nice guys!
We arrived on the island in Vineyard Haven. I didnt have an “image” of what Martha’s Vineyard would look like other than I knew it would be beautiful-which it was. The houses in VH had grey shingles on them and were really neat looking. We didnt hang around too long though-I was so excited to check in that we headed straight for our bed and breakfast in Edgartown (the Sharon House). The directions provided by escargot were RIGHT ON! My husband drove and as I read the commentary she provided in her posts (beach on the left, lagoon on the right) it made me feel like we had our own personal tour guide in the car with us!
Edgartown has a different look than VH in that many of the houses were white w/ columns and black shutters. “Greek revival” they say-very pretty. The lady at the front desk for check in was very nice and she walked us to our room. I was quite pleased with our room-I had chosen the second room over from the left in the website pictures (top floor w/ cathedral ceiling-called Bellagio or something like that) and the room looked just like the picture! Everything was very nice and clean and as advertised (queen bed, gas fireplace, flat screen tv) and thats always a good thing. For some reason the tv only had volume on like 5 of the channels and the wireless internet was very weak at best. The bathroom was tiny and the tub was standard size-no frills there but, again, nice and clean! Between a dresser in the room and another in the closet drawer space was fine (at least for our 4 night stay). There was Chilmark chocolate candy and champagne in the room waiting for us and a note that said Happy Anniversary Chris and Carrie-how sweet! The website states that the champagne and candy are standard this time of year b/c breakfast is no longer served but the note was a nice personalized touch. There is a dorm-sized refrigerator on the bottom level for everyones use. There are four rooms total in the Sharon House and you can hear everything. Thankfully we didnt hear “that” but we did hear a super loud television and slamming doors from the one other occupied room. I didnt complain about the tv or the loud neighbors so I cant comment on how the Sharon House staff handle stuff like that. I will say that back in July I had reserved an 8:30 hot tub slot for our use that evening that we arrived (anniversary) but when we checked in was told that wasnt possible b/c the staff was leaving at six that day and we cant use the hot tub w/o staff present. I was disappointed but I didnt say anything.
The Sharon House is located in the heart of the shops in Edgartown so if you stay there you can walk and dont have to worry about fighting for a parking spot-which was happening even now in late October!
After check in I unpacked and my husband slept. And slept. Around 8:00 I woke him up and went to have dinner at Newes From America. I was excited to eat here b/c the décor sounded neat and right up our alley (fireplace, low lighting, wooden beamed ceiling). Although the fireplace wasnt on (not sure why) it was still neat. We split onion rings and he had a Portuguese sausage sandwich and a black and tan beer. I had a ceasar salad and water. Chris said the sausage thing was different but tasty but his beer wasnt anything great-my food was just ok and the service was pretty bad (unfriendly). Please remember, I chose NFA (and the other restaurants) based on décor, not food. I describe the quality of our food for those who are looking for a great food experience. I will further disclaim that its highly possible that any not-so-good food experienced was a complete fluke and/or that not-so-good service was b/c our server was having a bad day. Anyway, I got a migraine that evening that lasted through to the next day plus a really bad stomach ache the next morning (Im thinking grease from the onion rings, which Im not used to).
Due to my feeling icky, Fridays events didnt begin until lunchtime. We headed to Linda Jeans and there was no wait. Atmosphere was light and fun! Chris had a patty melt on rye and chips and soda and I had a veggie burger with fries and water. Our food was fine-pretty standard, like weve had better and weve had worse. The service was much friendlier!
This was the only day that wasnt calling for rain so in order to catch the Menemsha sunset we did our “up island itinerary.” We fruitlessly searched and searched for the Mayhew Chapel and Indian Burial Ground. We gave up and located the Aquinnah Spring. Now this was interesting: our Fodors book says cyclists quench their thirst with this water and locals come from all over the island to fill up their water bottles. When we arrived, however, there was a big sign posted that read something like: Non potable water Aquinnah Board of Health. So does anyone really drink the water? We filled our bottles with the water but never drank it.
Next we stopped at Chilmark Chocolates. Since the guys on the ferry told me I couldnt leave MV w/o trying the lobster, I ate an entire lobster from Chilmark Chocolates! Next we headed to the Cliffs but somehow ended up at a beach. We took some pictures then found our way to the Cliffs. We took the Moshup trial to the beach and the cliffs. The trail itself was cool b/c we got to see flora and fauna completely different from anything wed seen before. The Cliffs, of course, are neat to see as well!
It was around 4:30 and I DID NOT want to miss my Menemsha sunset-that was thee thing I wanted to make sure I saw (and like I said, the rest of the weekend was to be cloudy and rainy) so we headed over to the beach. We arrived at Menemsha Beach (turned out to be the very beach we stopped by earlier) and walked along some huge rocks to await the sunset. Clouds had already set in and it was getting cold. We tried to take our own picture (you know, the guy holds the camera out really far to try to get both of your faces in the camera shot) and a woman called out to us that shed take our picture. I had seen her earlier-she and what turned out to be 4 of her sorority member friends (all in their fifties) had huddled on a bench under a blanket with some wine! It turns out our camera battery had died so she took several shots of us w/ her own camera and promised to email them to us-how sweet! She and her friends poured us a glass of wine and toasted our anniversary-I felt so warm and fuzzy inside (from the friendliness, not the wine)! She saw the law school sweatshirt I had on and asked where we were from-it turns out she is also from the Philadelphia area! What a small world! THEN another woman that none of us knew had overheard our conversation and approached me and said her sister lives in my town as well! We all laughed at what a small world it is and how wonderful it is to meet new people in new places and how good karma always comes back to you…they were GREAT!
After the sunset we headed to Offshore Ale for dinner. The ambiance, again, was so cool. Same look as NFA so I wont describe again. The service was friendly. We got a tomato pizza w/ garlic-my half with no cheese. The pizza was actually not so good. And not that youd say this to criticize me, but for those of you who might say youre not surprised that pizza w/o cheese doesnt taste so good let me assure you that if cheeseless pizza is made correctly you dont even miss the cheese, seriously! Besides, Chris said even the side with cheese wasnt so good. Anyway, we chose restaurants based on the ambiance so even though the pizza sucked we didnt care-it filled us up and we moved on and we were happy!
Saturday it rained. We ate breakfast at Among the Flowers. We ate outside on the heated porch which was neat! Service was pretty good and food was standard: Chris had tomato and broccoli quiche and I had a walnut and cinnamon waffle. Food was served on paper plates w/ plastic forks and knives but our tea was served in china cups. Anyway, it was a cute experience! We stopped into Good Dog Goods and bought some goodies for the furry friends in our lives! Very cute shop, by the way.
Then we headed over to Chappaquidick! You drive your car onto this ramp thing and sit there for about a minute until you reach the other side. We first headed to Wasque and drove until sign read: sand vehicles only. We walked the rest of the way to the beach which was so cool b/c I felt like we were the only people on the planet! I couldnt get over the beauty of the land there (all of MV)…Next we headed to Mytoi which would end up being one of our favorite activities. Until the last few minutes we were the only ones in the garden so we got to take our time, take some pictures, and enjoy the truly peaceful atmosphere.
When we got back to Edgartown we ate lunch at the Black Dog. Service was friendly but a little slow (we needed drink refills but nobody was around). Like I said, it was rainy and grey and we wanted some comfort food! Our food was YUMMY! Chris got a bacon cheeseburger w/ bbq sauce (he thinks it was called smokehouse burger) and I got a grilled cheese on sourdough bread. I havent had a grilled cheese (w/ real cheese) in a looooooong time but I promise you this was the best grilled cheese on the planet! After lunch we aimlessly checked out some of the gift shops, just enjoying the rainy day and each others company. We talked to lots of the shop employees who were all very friendly! I didnt feel good after eating cheese so we headed home and hung out in our Sharon-House-provided robes and watched a movie wed rented from home (called Scottsdale, PA w/ the lady from ER and Christopher Walken-pretty good). Chris fell asleep and I watched Friday the 13th part 1 on tv. When we headed out to get dinner it was about 9 pm. I know, I know-you all told me this would happen: NOTHING was opened for dinner expect for a few bars. We drove back and forth b/w the towns so many times that even the Stop and Shop closed and we were forced to pick something from Cumbies (Cumberland Farms) which stayed opened until midnight. Note to ourselves: stock up on snacks b/c you cant find any past 9 pm! So, no dinner that night-we munched on the Chilmark Chocolates provided by Sharon House.
Sunday, our last day, we shared an apple fritter from some bakery (next to the post office in Oak Bluffs). It was good-tasted just like Wawa fritters. We headed out determined to find the Mayhew Chapel. We drove all the way into Cedar Tree Neck Park (which means we traveled down many unpaved roads but, as escargot predicted, had no problem in Volvo) b/c according to the Fodors map the chapel was right near, if not IN, the park. When we arrived at trail head another couple approached and I asked them about the chapel. They didnt know either. When I planned our trip I thought Chris and I would take the trail in Cedar Tree Neck but we ended up changing our mind so I offered my printed research material to this couple (tells you how to follow the trail and explains various markers along the trail so you know what youre looking at). They were happy to receive this and I felt good sharing-the whole karma thing you know. They pulled out their maps and tried to help us find the Chapel but to no avail. By this time Chris was sort of annoyed b/c a few things didnt seem accurate to him on the Fodors map. He took matters into his own hands and got us there in like 5 minutes. This is true-the Fodors map is truly inaccurate as far as location of the Mayhew Chapel and Indian Burial Ground. Im totally not slamming Fodors b/c the books and website have been so valuable to me. I just want to clear this up for future travelers to hopefully save them some time (and sanity)! To find the chapel while using the Fodors up-island map, the chapel/burial ground is actually located at the “a” in “at” in the words “Winery at Chicama Vineyards.” This chapel and burial ground turned out to be our second, or perhaps tying for first, favorite thing on MV. I saw something I wonder if anyone is familiar with-pure white rocks and shells had been placed on a shelf off the church…We then checked out the old oak tree which is neat.
For dinner on out last night we headed to David Ryans. You can probably guess the décor I ordered a banana-chocolate alcoholic drink which was waaaaaaaay strong to the point I couldnt even drink it. It sat there through appetizer, entrée, and dessert. The waiter didnt ask about it or offer to remake one for me and I didnt say anything either. Other than that the service was great! Just when Id think I had taken my last sip of water the waiter would refill my glass. And he was cool, too! The bar music played a weird version of gin and juice and Chris and I were like, “country version of Snoop Dog!??” We asked the waiter about this and he assured us that Snoops version was the original. Whew! About the food: We split nachos which were only ok. Chris got another smokehouse type burger which he said was good and I got a salad called orange sliced salad I think. It was ok-the oranges and tomatoes were strongly tangy. We made complete pigs of ourselves and ordered dessert each: he got banana crepes with a caramel sauce which he says were very good. I got cheesecake which was good as well.
We rolled ourselves out the door to just MAYBE catch a glimpse of some stars. No chance. Other than the first night I didnt see a single star (serious cloud cover). And I didnt focus on them so much the first night b/c we were tired and we figured wed have the other nights to enjoy them. For the future though, on the road b/w Edgartown and Oak Bluffs there are pull offs and parking spots and its pitch black near many of them. This would be an awesome place to see stars! The only downside are the cars whizzing by-sort of detracts from the peacefulness of star gazing but still…Also, Im sure those of you who are more familiar with the island have better places to see stars, Im just stating the place I found during my short stay. I guess you could also go to the beaches and lay on the sand and watch the stars-how dreamy!!! It was pretty cold while we were there so this just wasnt an option.
Monday, our day to return home (and back to school). We had ferry reservations for 6 am b/c Chris was supposed to take an exam that evening. He got it rescheduled so we had no time restraints. We arrived at the ferry around 9:30 and were in “standboy” and didnt actually board the ferry until around noon. Yeah, he had to wait but we knew this was a possibility so we were ok with it. While our car held our spot in line we walked over to Beetlebung. I got a hot chocolate and scone and Chris got blueberry muffin and hot tea. Both the muffin and the scone were completely tasteless. Its not like we were expecting Nordy bars or anything but in all honesty they tasted pretty bad. Again, not a big deal. Chris does want me to add that our stuff cost $16.00-not a problem if food is yummy but…We ate until we were full and threw the rest away. The ferry ride back was pleasant enough-we sat in the car this time and read.
Our drive back to PA was a bit rough. It was raining which always makes traffic ten times worse than normal. We did opt for Tappan Zee this time and had no problems. The Merrit Parkway was a beautiful drive-tree lined with changing leaves!! We hit some serious traffic on Garden State Parkway but who knows why: rush hour, rain, both, I dont know. We both like road trips but were both pretty loopy by the time we hit the final stretch at the Commodore Barry Bridge.
Random comments: Very few places on MV accept Discover credit card. The radio and tv stations are inundated with furniture commercials (“leatha sofas”). Nothings wrong with either-Im just saying its something we both noticed. Also, Edgartown Seafood Shanty seemed to be pretty hopping each night. Gas station is full service-not sure if youre supposed to tip the guy so we did just in case. OH! Based on the great stuff you all had said I was totally prepared to go to Chescas but it was closed until April 2006!
AND, it looks like we just, by the skin of our teeth, missed the nor’easter. We heard about it this evening on NPR that much of the power has gone out on MV. In an interview with a Steamship Authority Captain he said they had to stop running the ferry b/c some waves were over 15 feet high (most 8-12). Wow, thats scary…
Quick run down:
Favorite Food: Black Dog
Favorite Sight: Mytoi and Mayhew Chapel/Indian Burial Ground
Its taken me 3.5 hours to type this, Im serious! I just know Im leaving something out…I hope youve enjoyed my narration of our first (but hopefully not last) trip to Martha’s Vineyard!
Whew! I wonder if anyone is really going to read this entire post! I VERY
SINCERELY thank you all again for your wonderful input in helping me plan such a wonderful and memorable MV anniversary trip (especially you escargot)!!!
Martha’s Vineyard 10/20-10/24
Disclaimer: I do not have a single negative thing to say about my experience in Martha’s Vineyard-I was sincerely pleased with our lodging choice, every restaurant choice, and with all of our interactions with other folks on the island. We truly had a magnificent trip!! That said, Ive included some seemingly “negative” aspects in this post but please be aware that such information isnt intended to criticize but only to provide a factual representation for future travelers.
Ready to hear about my trip!?
The ride from Philadelphia, PA to Woods Hole, MA was to take 6.5 hours. Our ferry reservation was at 2:30. We were going to leave by 7 am to give ourselves an hour of cushion-time for traffic or whatever. The alarm went off early Thursday morning but I didnt get up-I just worked the sound of the alarm into my dream. So we overslept. We left about 2 hours later than expected so that wiped out our 1 hour cushion-time AND, likely, our ferry reservation. We sped through PA and into NJ totally prepared to take Tappan Zee Bridge when my husband and I must have read each others minds: Maybe we should risk taking the George Washington Bridge b/c its a more direct route and we need to make up time? We talked about it for like 45 seconds until we had to either stay to the right for GWB or continue to the left to ultimately take Tappan Zee. Cement median is approaching! What should we do what should we do!? We stayed to the right and risked it with GWB. Although Ive not seen so MUCH traffic in my life since rush hour on the capital beltway we actually moved along at a slow but steady pace.
In the end we did miss the 2:30 ferry but we were able to get across on the next one (3:45 I think). Our ferry was a smaller one (took a larger one home) and we were one of the last cars on, right behind a lady in a silver Honda. We looked around and everyone was sitting in their cars except for Honda lady. Where did she go? Were we allowed to get out of our cars?? If so, then why wasnt anyone else getting out? For about 10 minutes we all sat packed in our cars looking at each other. Finally my husband asked one of the crew members and he kindly informed us that we were allowed to get out of our cars-yeah!
We climbed the steps and looked out over the water-it was a GREAT day! I saw land ahead and I wasnt too proud to ask the nice gentlemen next to me if that was in fact Martha’s Vineyard before I started snapping pictures. They sensed that I hadnt been before so they told me about how I simply had to try some lobster while I was there and told me the best place to get it (Menemsha they said) and also stated that they were headed over there to enjoy some that afternoon! Very nice guys!
We arrived on the island in Vineyard Haven. I didnt have an “image” of what Martha’s Vineyard would look like other than I knew it would be beautiful-which it was. The houses in VH had grey shingles on them and were really neat looking. We didnt hang around too long though-I was so excited to check in that we headed straight for our bed and breakfast in Edgartown (the Sharon House). The directions provided by escargot were RIGHT ON! My husband drove and as I read the commentary she provided in her posts (beach on the left, lagoon on the right) it made me feel like we had our own personal tour guide in the car with us!
Edgartown has a different look than VH in that many of the houses were white w/ columns and black shutters. “Greek revival” they say-very pretty. The lady at the front desk for check in was very nice and she walked us to our room. I was quite pleased with our room-I had chosen the second room over from the left in the website pictures (top floor w/ cathedral ceiling-called Bellagio or something like that) and the room looked just like the picture! Everything was very nice and clean and as advertised (queen bed, gas fireplace, flat screen tv) and thats always a good thing. For some reason the tv only had volume on like 5 of the channels and the wireless internet was very weak at best. The bathroom was tiny and the tub was standard size-no frills there but, again, nice and clean! Between a dresser in the room and another in the closet drawer space was fine (at least for our 4 night stay). There was Chilmark chocolate candy and champagne in the room waiting for us and a note that said Happy Anniversary Chris and Carrie-how sweet! The website states that the champagne and candy are standard this time of year b/c breakfast is no longer served but the note was a nice personalized touch. There is a dorm-sized refrigerator on the bottom level for everyones use. There are four rooms total in the Sharon House and you can hear everything. Thankfully we didnt hear “that” but we did hear a super loud television and slamming doors from the one other occupied room. I didnt complain about the tv or the loud neighbors so I cant comment on how the Sharon House staff handle stuff like that. I will say that back in July I had reserved an 8:30 hot tub slot for our use that evening that we arrived (anniversary) but when we checked in was told that wasnt possible b/c the staff was leaving at six that day and we cant use the hot tub w/o staff present. I was disappointed but I didnt say anything.
The Sharon House is located in the heart of the shops in Edgartown so if you stay there you can walk and dont have to worry about fighting for a parking spot-which was happening even now in late October!
After check in I unpacked and my husband slept. And slept. Around 8:00 I woke him up and went to have dinner at Newes From America. I was excited to eat here b/c the décor sounded neat and right up our alley (fireplace, low lighting, wooden beamed ceiling). Although the fireplace wasnt on (not sure why) it was still neat. We split onion rings and he had a Portuguese sausage sandwich and a black and tan beer. I had a ceasar salad and water. Chris said the sausage thing was different but tasty but his beer wasnt anything great-my food was just ok and the service was pretty bad (unfriendly). Please remember, I chose NFA (and the other restaurants) based on décor, not food. I describe the quality of our food for those who are looking for a great food experience. I will further disclaim that its highly possible that any not-so-good food experienced was a complete fluke and/or that not-so-good service was b/c our server was having a bad day. Anyway, I got a migraine that evening that lasted through to the next day plus a really bad stomach ache the next morning (Im thinking grease from the onion rings, which Im not used to).
Due to my feeling icky, Fridays events didnt begin until lunchtime. We headed to Linda Jeans and there was no wait. Atmosphere was light and fun! Chris had a patty melt on rye and chips and soda and I had a veggie burger with fries and water. Our food was fine-pretty standard, like weve had better and weve had worse. The service was much friendlier!
This was the only day that wasnt calling for rain so in order to catch the Menemsha sunset we did our “up island itinerary.” We fruitlessly searched and searched for the Mayhew Chapel and Indian Burial Ground. We gave up and located the Aquinnah Spring. Now this was interesting: our Fodors book says cyclists quench their thirst with this water and locals come from all over the island to fill up their water bottles. When we arrived, however, there was a big sign posted that read something like: Non potable water Aquinnah Board of Health. So does anyone really drink the water? We filled our bottles with the water but never drank it.
Next we stopped at Chilmark Chocolates. Since the guys on the ferry told me I couldnt leave MV w/o trying the lobster, I ate an entire lobster from Chilmark Chocolates! Next we headed to the Cliffs but somehow ended up at a beach. We took some pictures then found our way to the Cliffs. We took the Moshup trial to the beach and the cliffs. The trail itself was cool b/c we got to see flora and fauna completely different from anything wed seen before. The Cliffs, of course, are neat to see as well!
It was around 4:30 and I DID NOT want to miss my Menemsha sunset-that was thee thing I wanted to make sure I saw (and like I said, the rest of the weekend was to be cloudy and rainy) so we headed over to the beach. We arrived at Menemsha Beach (turned out to be the very beach we stopped by earlier) and walked along some huge rocks to await the sunset. Clouds had already set in and it was getting cold. We tried to take our own picture (you know, the guy holds the camera out really far to try to get both of your faces in the camera shot) and a woman called out to us that shed take our picture. I had seen her earlier-she and what turned out to be 4 of her sorority member friends (all in their fifties) had huddled on a bench under a blanket with some wine! It turns out our camera battery had died so she took several shots of us w/ her own camera and promised to email them to us-how sweet! She and her friends poured us a glass of wine and toasted our anniversary-I felt so warm and fuzzy inside (from the friendliness, not the wine)! She saw the law school sweatshirt I had on and asked where we were from-it turns out she is also from the Philadelphia area! What a small world! THEN another woman that none of us knew had overheard our conversation and approached me and said her sister lives in my town as well! We all laughed at what a small world it is and how wonderful it is to meet new people in new places and how good karma always comes back to you…they were GREAT!
After the sunset we headed to Offshore Ale for dinner. The ambiance, again, was so cool. Same look as NFA so I wont describe again. The service was friendly. We got a tomato pizza w/ garlic-my half with no cheese. The pizza was actually not so good. And not that youd say this to criticize me, but for those of you who might say youre not surprised that pizza w/o cheese doesnt taste so good let me assure you that if cheeseless pizza is made correctly you dont even miss the cheese, seriously! Besides, Chris said even the side with cheese wasnt so good. Anyway, we chose restaurants based on the ambiance so even though the pizza sucked we didnt care-it filled us up and we moved on and we were happy!
Saturday it rained. We ate breakfast at Among the Flowers. We ate outside on the heated porch which was neat! Service was pretty good and food was standard: Chris had tomato and broccoli quiche and I had a walnut and cinnamon waffle. Food was served on paper plates w/ plastic forks and knives but our tea was served in china cups. Anyway, it was a cute experience! We stopped into Good Dog Goods and bought some goodies for the furry friends in our lives! Very cute shop, by the way.
Then we headed over to Chappaquidick! You drive your car onto this ramp thing and sit there for about a minute until you reach the other side. We first headed to Wasque and drove until sign read: sand vehicles only. We walked the rest of the way to the beach which was so cool b/c I felt like we were the only people on the planet! I couldnt get over the beauty of the land there (all of MV)…Next we headed to Mytoi which would end up being one of our favorite activities. Until the last few minutes we were the only ones in the garden so we got to take our time, take some pictures, and enjoy the truly peaceful atmosphere.
When we got back to Edgartown we ate lunch at the Black Dog. Service was friendly but a little slow (we needed drink refills but nobody was around). Like I said, it was rainy and grey and we wanted some comfort food! Our food was YUMMY! Chris got a bacon cheeseburger w/ bbq sauce (he thinks it was called smokehouse burger) and I got a grilled cheese on sourdough bread. I havent had a grilled cheese (w/ real cheese) in a looooooong time but I promise you this was the best grilled cheese on the planet! After lunch we aimlessly checked out some of the gift shops, just enjoying the rainy day and each others company. We talked to lots of the shop employees who were all very friendly! I didnt feel good after eating cheese so we headed home and hung out in our Sharon-House-provided robes and watched a movie wed rented from home (called Scottsdale, PA w/ the lady from ER and Christopher Walken-pretty good). Chris fell asleep and I watched Friday the 13th part 1 on tv. When we headed out to get dinner it was about 9 pm. I know, I know-you all told me this would happen: NOTHING was opened for dinner expect for a few bars. We drove back and forth b/w the towns so many times that even the Stop and Shop closed and we were forced to pick something from Cumbies (Cumberland Farms) which stayed opened until midnight. Note to ourselves: stock up on snacks b/c you cant find any past 9 pm! So, no dinner that night-we munched on the Chilmark Chocolates provided by Sharon House.
Sunday, our last day, we shared an apple fritter from some bakery (next to the post office in Oak Bluffs). It was good-tasted just like Wawa fritters. We headed out determined to find the Mayhew Chapel. We drove all the way into Cedar Tree Neck Park (which means we traveled down many unpaved roads but, as escargot predicted, had no problem in Volvo) b/c according to the Fodors map the chapel was right near, if not IN, the park. When we arrived at trail head another couple approached and I asked them about the chapel. They didnt know either. When I planned our trip I thought Chris and I would take the trail in Cedar Tree Neck but we ended up changing our mind so I offered my printed research material to this couple (tells you how to follow the trail and explains various markers along the trail so you know what youre looking at). They were happy to receive this and I felt good sharing-the whole karma thing you know. They pulled out their maps and tried to help us find the Chapel but to no avail. By this time Chris was sort of annoyed b/c a few things didnt seem accurate to him on the Fodors map. He took matters into his own hands and got us there in like 5 minutes. This is true-the Fodors map is truly inaccurate as far as location of the Mayhew Chapel and Indian Burial Ground. Im totally not slamming Fodors b/c the books and website have been so valuable to me. I just want to clear this up for future travelers to hopefully save them some time (and sanity)! To find the chapel while using the Fodors up-island map, the chapel/burial ground is actually located at the “a” in “at” in the words “Winery at Chicama Vineyards.” This chapel and burial ground turned out to be our second, or perhaps tying for first, favorite thing on MV. I saw something I wonder if anyone is familiar with-pure white rocks and shells had been placed on a shelf off the church…We then checked out the old oak tree which is neat.
For dinner on out last night we headed to David Ryans. You can probably guess the décor I ordered a banana-chocolate alcoholic drink which was waaaaaaaay strong to the point I couldnt even drink it. It sat there through appetizer, entrée, and dessert. The waiter didnt ask about it or offer to remake one for me and I didnt say anything either. Other than that the service was great! Just when Id think I had taken my last sip of water the waiter would refill my glass. And he was cool, too! The bar music played a weird version of gin and juice and Chris and I were like, “country version of Snoop Dog!??” We asked the waiter about this and he assured us that Snoops version was the original. Whew! About the food: We split nachos which were only ok. Chris got another smokehouse type burger which he said was good and I got a salad called orange sliced salad I think. It was ok-the oranges and tomatoes were strongly tangy. We made complete pigs of ourselves and ordered dessert each: he got banana crepes with a caramel sauce which he says were very good. I got cheesecake which was good as well.
We rolled ourselves out the door to just MAYBE catch a glimpse of some stars. No chance. Other than the first night I didnt see a single star (serious cloud cover). And I didnt focus on them so much the first night b/c we were tired and we figured wed have the other nights to enjoy them. For the future though, on the road b/w Edgartown and Oak Bluffs there are pull offs and parking spots and its pitch black near many of them. This would be an awesome place to see stars! The only downside are the cars whizzing by-sort of detracts from the peacefulness of star gazing but still…Also, Im sure those of you who are more familiar with the island have better places to see stars, Im just stating the place I found during my short stay. I guess you could also go to the beaches and lay on the sand and watch the stars-how dreamy!!! It was pretty cold while we were there so this just wasnt an option.
Monday, our day to return home (and back to school). We had ferry reservations for 6 am b/c Chris was supposed to take an exam that evening. He got it rescheduled so we had no time restraints. We arrived at the ferry around 9:30 and were in “standboy” and didnt actually board the ferry until around noon. Yeah, he had to wait but we knew this was a possibility so we were ok with it. While our car held our spot in line we walked over to Beetlebung. I got a hot chocolate and scone and Chris got blueberry muffin and hot tea. Both the muffin and the scone were completely tasteless. Its not like we were expecting Nordy bars or anything but in all honesty they tasted pretty bad. Again, not a big deal. Chris does want me to add that our stuff cost $16.00-not a problem if food is yummy but…We ate until we were full and threw the rest away. The ferry ride back was pleasant enough-we sat in the car this time and read.
Our drive back to PA was a bit rough. It was raining which always makes traffic ten times worse than normal. We did opt for Tappan Zee this time and had no problems. The Merrit Parkway was a beautiful drive-tree lined with changing leaves!! We hit some serious traffic on Garden State Parkway but who knows why: rush hour, rain, both, I dont know. We both like road trips but were both pretty loopy by the time we hit the final stretch at the Commodore Barry Bridge.
Random comments: Very few places on MV accept Discover credit card. The radio and tv stations are inundated with furniture commercials (“leatha sofas”). Nothings wrong with either-Im just saying its something we both noticed. Also, Edgartown Seafood Shanty seemed to be pretty hopping each night. Gas station is full service-not sure if youre supposed to tip the guy so we did just in case. OH! Based on the great stuff you all had said I was totally prepared to go to Chescas but it was closed until April 2006!
AND, it looks like we just, by the skin of our teeth, missed the nor’easter. We heard about it this evening on NPR that much of the power has gone out on MV. In an interview with a Steamship Authority Captain he said they had to stop running the ferry b/c some waves were over 15 feet high (most 8-12). Wow, thats scary…
Quick run down:
Favorite Food: Black Dog
Favorite Sight: Mytoi and Mayhew Chapel/Indian Burial Ground
Its taken me 3.5 hours to type this, Im serious! I just know Im leaving something out…I hope youve enjoyed my narration of our first (but hopefully not last) trip to Martha’s Vineyard!
Whew! I wonder if anyone is really going to read this entire post! I VERY
SINCERELY thank you all again for your wonderful input in helping me plan such a wonderful and memorable MV anniversary trip (especially you escargot)!!!
Oct 25th, 2005, 06:33 PM
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Great trip report, Naturegirl, and thanks for sharing. The negative aspects of your trip don't come across very critical at all. It's too bad about the hot tub at the Sharon House. I was curious to find out how it was. When we were there we didn't use it because it was under 2 feet of snow!
I'm glad you liked the Black Dog. A lot of folks complain about it being a tourist trap and all. But I've always had very good food there. And the service is usually pretty good in the offseason.
sounds like a lovely weekend!
I'm glad you liked the Black Dog. A lot of folks complain about it being a tourist trap and all. But I've always had very good food there. And the service is usually pretty good in the offseason.
sounds like a lovely weekend!
Oct 25th, 2005, 08:49 PM
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NatureGirl; well even with your ups and downs it sounds like you had a great time all around. I am glad you liked the vineyard- it is a special island. I hope you will get to go back sometime when the weather will be better (and more things open) and your stomach too! I'm so glad the directions, etc worked out for you and most of all, even though you did some driving back and forth on island and had some cloudy days, you seem to have seen the important things you wanted to find. Mytoi is so special isn't it? Return some day !! And here's to many more happy anniversaries for you! I can appreciate the ferry story, our last wknd trip over in Sept, our usual 2 hr ride from home to ferry took 7 hours b/c both bridges were closed w/ sudden rain and flooding! So instead of a 3:30 ferry we took a 7:30 ferry....ah, the joys of ocean travel! Thanks for the trip report - and so glad you met friendly people - another reason the vineyard can be so special. Best always.
