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Nantucket & Martha's
Vineyard
September 7 - 11 Standard Tour
Five Days and Four Nights for $1400
This tour location is a gem. Two gems, in fact. Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket are age-old island vacation destinations and for good reason. Saturated in nautical
history and modern luxury, they attract visitors (including the rich and famous) from all over the
world. Even better for us, they have a brand new system of outstanding bicycle paths, designed to
encourage less automobile traffic on the islands. Auto and bike traffic is generally low while we
are there because we visit before and after the heavy tourist months of July and August.
Consequently, we also have many of the picturesque, wind-swept beaches all to ourselves. We make
full use of the excellent inns and restaurants on this, our most luxurious, tour.
We start in Nantucket Town and spend two nights in the historic Ship's Inn, built in 1831 by
whaling captain Obed Starbuck and also the former home of abolitionist Lucretia Mott. The whaling
industry is what sustained the island for many years and the signs of this era are present
everywhere. The Cape Cod-style homes and buildings are quaint and abundant, although many of them
are priced in the millions of dollars, a far cry from the original purchase price of 30 British
Pounds and two beaver hats for the entire island! We skate in all four directions and roll nearly
everywhere on the small island, with frequent views of light houses, deserted beaches, gardens,
cranberry bogs, heaths, and moors. We also enjoy an historical night walking tour from a
12th-generation Nantucketer after one of our dinners.
On day three of the tour, we take the inter-island ferry to Martha's Vineyard, where our home
is the Colonial Inn, in the heart of picture-perfect Edgartown. Shopping makes a great after-skate
pastime here and our guides will help you arrange a therapeutic massage, if you so desire. Our
favorite skates are on the bike paths around the county forest, and we do take time to smell the
wild roses (which are so plentiful on our June tour) and make use of the fabulous beaches. We
explore several of the island’s towns, including funky Oak Bluffs, the birthplace of an old
Methodist Campground that has slowly evolved into a permanent and colorful “gingerbread”
neighborhood.
One of the highlights of the tour for many people is the food. We eat plenty of the local
seafood, including a lobster feast one evening and a clam bake on the beach the next. We also have
a Creole-style meal and dine in the Ship's Inn restaurant, considered one of the finest restaurants
on Nantucket. For those of you not interested in seafood, there are plenty of other choices.
Fantastic skating by day and superb multi-course dinners by night – with the option of
indulging in local seafood dishes – make this the perfect tour if you want a little pampering and
some great skating recreation.
See our Nantucket & MV
Frequently Asked Questions
page for more information. |
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