Martha's Vineyard Trip Report

We visited Martha%26#39;s Vineyard in October. (This trip report is long overdue!) Thank you for your help!

We were very glad that we took your suggestion and brought the car with us. I can understand why a car would be a hassle with huge summer crowds and narrow winding roads. Signs are also very small and easy to miss if you’re not used to them. (GPS came in handy on dark nights!) However, in the chilly off- season, I can’t imagine going without it.

The week that we went seemed unusually windy and cold--unless below freezing is normal for mid-October? The ride over was choppy--so choppy that the ferries stopped running not long after we arrived. (This Midwesterner was glad to have her fish crackers and ginger ale!) It was a little unnerving to see the huge mail truck parked a foot away on the ferry sway in our direction. (It also happened to block the sign that recommended that passengers go to the upper decks during the trip. The ride back was much more pleasant.)

We stayed in a lovely cottage in Edgartown that we rented through www.vrbo.com. We picked up some non-perishable groceries before coming to the island because we knew that everything usually costs more on an island. We bought fresh items at local markets including Larsen’s in Menemsha.

It seemed that most shops, restaurants and attractions were closed for the season, so that was disappointing. Even more were planning to close at the end of the month. A few interesting ones were still open. At a gift shop at Aquinnah Cliffs, I bought some very pretty jewelry made from Quahog shells by a member of the Wampanoag tribe. Had it been in the budget, I would have purchased some scrimshaw at the Edgartown Scrimshaw Gallery. Many of the Black Dog stores were open, so of course we ended up with several items by the end of the trip!

We did have lunch at the Black Dog Tavern as you suggested. We had a lovely view of the harbor which included one of the Black Dog tall ships.

We also went to Newes from America. The atmosphere was both friendly and rich in history. Thank you for suggesting it! We found ourselves there several evenings. The first night as the wind howled we had delicious clam chowder and ale. It was very easy to imagine the countless sailors who had consumed the same there on similar stormy nights.

I’m sure that the atmosphere of the island is quite different during the summer. On our visit, the wind and rain whipped through the darkened streets. As we passed the cemetery and the widow’s walks of the captain’s houses in Edgartown or the grand old Victorians and deserted summer cottages of Oak Bluffs, it was easy to see how it got the name “America’s Most Haunted Island.” After a few nights, we picked up a good book by Holly Nadler in the Edgartown Bookstore. (She gives ghost tours during the summer season.) That’s when we first discovered that the island had such a special honor!

During the day, however, there was sun. We saw the beautiful lighthouses, beaches and quaint fishing villages. Edgartown‘s historic white homes glistened, and many, many black dogs walked their owners.

It was a trip that we will always remember. Thank you for helping to make it special!

Martha's Vineyard Trip Report

Karrie - glad you enjoyed your trip to MV. It%26#39;s never too late to post about it. I hope someday you%26#39;ll be able to go back, maybe in Sept or June when more things are open and it%26#39;s not crowded.

Thanks for posting.

Martha's Vineyard Trip Report

Karrie - lovely trip report. Your descriptions are wonderful to read. Do come back sometime in mid June or September and see a bit more.

Thank you!

I hope we will get a chance to do that!

div myspace