Nantucket is an island just south of Cape Cod. It is not as popular as Martha’s Vineyard but it is a great place to visit. It has great beaches, good restaurants and eateries and shopping. It can be a day trip, a weekend away or a full length vacation. It can be fun for singles looking for light partying, couples who want to get away or family vacations. It has been a getaway for the rich and famous, as well as several political and business power brokers. It also has a history that goes back to the mid-17th century.
Traveling to Nantucket
Nantucket is about 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, just south of Hyannis, Massachusetts. It is accessible by ferry and scheduled air service, private plane or private boat. During the summer, there is fast ferry service by two companies (Hy-Line on Ocean Street and Steamship Authority on South Street) out of Hyannis. These take about one hour. One of those, the Steamship Authority, also has ferry service that also accommodates cars and trucks but is a 2 ¼ hour ride. If one is not in a hurry, the ‘slow boat’ can be a very relaxing time to unwind from your travels before you arrive on the island. There is also summer ferry service from Harwich, MA, New York City and New Bedford, MA.
The air service to Nantucket from Hyannis is a fifteen to twenty minute hop that is available year round. There is also year round service from Boston and New Bedford. During the summer, there is service from New York and Washington DC (Jet Blue, Delta) and Providence (Cape Air). There is also air service between Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard (Cape Air).
Accommodations
Accommodations include many B&B’s, some small inns and some larger inns. There are none of the usual chain hotels like Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Holiday Inn or Comfort Inn. That does not mean that there are no nice or luxury accommodations. The White Elephant and The Wauwinet can meet ones need for luxury. The Cottages at the Nantucket Boat Basin are nicely appointed cottages right on the wharf (my parents actually stayed in one when they came to the island for a high school graduation). Additionally, there are many homes available for one week or longer rentals. These vary from one bedroom cottages to multi-bed/multi-bath homes, some with pools, tennis courts and/or movie theater rooms. Over the years, I have stayed at several of the smaller inns and most were very nice.
The Beaches
The beaches vary from family friendly beaches to surfing beaches to expert swimming, open ocean beaches. So far, PARKING IS FREE at the beaches. Some beaches have very limited parking though. There is bus service to Jetties and Surfside Beaches. Bus service also brings one very close to ‘Sconset and Madaket Beaches.
Jetties Beach, both harbor side and Nantucket Sound side, is very family friendly with a large sandbar about 100 yards out. At low tide, the water gets to be about six feet deep just before the sandbar and the sandbar is about ankle deep. Steps Beach, just next to Jetties Beach is also pretty family friendly. There is also Children’s Beach that is a little closer to downtown Nantucket. It is more of a ‘bathing beach’ for children than a swimming beach. Jetties, Surfside and Children’s Beaches have a restaurant or snack bar to make your day at the beach a little more convenient.
Other beaches are more amenable to swimming and even surfing. There are a few ‘surf schools’ on the island that can teach you to surf and supplies appropriate equipment. One can even rent small sail boats, windsurfing equipment, ocean kayaks and stand up paddle boards to make your beach time even better.
Eats
Restaurants vary from casual to extravagant. There is casual dining with a bar at places like the Rose & Crown and Brotherhood of Thieves. Other casual eateries are Easy Street Cantina, Stubby’s, and Steamboat Pizza (all on Broad Street, just up from the Steamship Authority terminal on Nantucket). More upscale restaurants include Straight Wharf Restaurant (just before the Hy-Line terminal), Ventuno (on Federal Street) and Brant Point Grill at the White Elephant. Of course there is seafood. Cru and Sayles Seafood (Washington Street Extension), along with many others, will satisfy your hunger for fresh seafood.
The Juice Bar (Broad Street across from the Whaling Museum) is the place to get ice cream. There is frequently a very long line but it is worth the wait. If you don’t want to wait, Stars Ice Cream at the Hy-Line Wharf is very good too. If you want to just hang out at an outdoor bar, The Gazebo at the Hy-Line Wharf is the place. There is usually a sporting event on the many television monitors.
I am a chocolate fanatic therefore I have to mention one other place. Sweet Inspirations on India Street. They have a fine selection of hand-made chocolates. It is one of two places in New England that I buy good chocolate (the other is in Connecticut). The owners and candy makers do such a good job. I often go there for special gifts for friends and family. They do offer other items that are not chocolate but chocolate is my life and why waste the calories on something that is not chocolate or ice cream.
Other Activities
If tennis is your game, there are public courts at Jetties Beach. There also courts at the Nantucket Inn, if you are staying there. There are several vacation rental homes with tennis courts. If one is looking for equipment or tennis lessons, The Tennis Loft is the place to go. The owner, Tina Hoskins-Burney, was previously a professional tennis player. She and her teaching staff will give lessons at the Jetties Beach courts, the courts at your hotel or the court at your rental vacation home. Her shop sells tennis clothing, shoes, rackets, balls, etc. She will also custom string your racket.
If golf is your game, there are two public courses—Miacomet and Siasconset. Both have rental equipment. Miacomet has a full golf shop including clothing and shoes. Miacomet also has instruction available.
As Nantucket is part of New England, sometimes there is a rainy day. That can be a time to relax with a movie, first-run stuff, at The Dreamland Theater or Starlight Restaurant and Theater. The Dreamland is a 100+ year old theater that was fully renovated and re-opened in 2012. The Starlight is a very small, intimate theater inside a restaurant in-town. If it is on the menu, you can have it while watching the movie. That includes food and drinks, even alcoholic beverages.
Getting Around on Nantucket
Most everything that one needs is ‘in’-town or near town. Many places are within walking distance. During the summer, there is a bus service that reaches many areas of the island. If you like to bike, bring one or rent one. There are bike paths to Madaket, ‘Sconset, Surfside and to the Polpis area. One can also rent scooters or cars. Jeep Wranglers are very popular but come at a premium. If you plan ahead, you can also bring your car to the island on a Steamship Authority ferry. The car ferry takes about two hours and in the summer cost about $400 round-trip. On the weekends, in the summer, reservations are a must for the car ferry and are best made in January or February for weekends in July and August. Of course, there is always a taxi. Uber is also trying to make a beach head on the island.
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For me, a good summer day on the island is an early morning bike ride, about 6AM, to ‘Sconset Beach. Sit on the beach for a bit, watching the seals and listening to the waves. A bit of lunch at Oath Pizza on Hy-Line Wharf and then the afternoon at Jetties Beach. After the beach, ice cream from The Juice Bar, followed by a movie at the Dreamland.
Though Nantucket tends to be a place for the rich, famous, want to be famous, want to be important, it is also a great place for average people like me and probably you. This is by no means a complete listing of accommodations or restaurants or beaches. I did not even touch on the shopping.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can refer you to a GREAT real estate agency if you would like to rent a cottage or vacation home on the island.
the-wandering-doc
DrJ@the-wandering-doc.com