People ask me is Marthas Vineyard the playground for the rich and famous? Is this their hideaway for their summer escapes? Is this a place where they can be themselves away from the watchful eye of the media? The answer is simple — this part of New England is a fabulous bolt hole for peace and tranquility. It is understated but with dramatic sunsets. Come and see these beautiful places through my eyes.
First stop Martha’s Vineyard or as the locals call it ‘The Vineyard,’ located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. We drove from Boston out of town for 1.5hrs to the car ferry port at Wood’s Hole to ride over to the Vineyard. Our slight problem was that you are supposed to book your ferry ticket ahead of time otherwise you can fall foul of arriving with no place for you on the ferry. Thankfully the kind ticket people charmed by my English /mid-Atlantic accent decided to get us on board which they did with finesse. We waited near the truck loading area and as there super early we were the first car on a stand-by ticket which was allowed onto the midday ferry, phew!
Upon arrival to ‘The Vineyard’, we drove around a few small villages and took in Oaks Bluff as this was off season most places were closed for the fall. had plenty of time before our 4pm check-in so saw the most beautiful buildings with white boards looking very colonial and just as expected. We were booked into a beautiful hotel in Edgartown called the Kelly House Hotel, which is a picturesque long, gorgeous hotel. Designed with a white picket fence exterior and a beautiful interior fit for wealthy American’s retreating for the fall to kick-back.
We found a gorgeous little bar called The Wharf Restaurant and Pub where I left my husband to go and take some good sunset shots from the decking looking out to Chappaquiddick Island and you can see the one car ferry shuttle that comes across to Edgartown, renowned for ‘Ted’ Kennedy’s car incident in 1969 and a film by the same name. Later I rejoined him back at the Wharf for some New England Clam Chowder.
Upon leaving ‘The Vineyard’ it made me think of leaving a time from the golden movies where peaceful and tranquil beauty is captured everywhere. We caught the 10:45am ferry back then a further 1.5hrs drive over Cape Cod to the tip where we found Crowne Pointe Historic Inn, Spa & Restaurant in Provincetown. David one of the owners was flying their rainbow flag as were many other places we found there – it seems this is a heaven for inclusiveness – just my bag as an inclusive celebrant and we checked in for our friendly stay, albeit brief, but we managed to avail of a little down-time in the Himalayan Salt Room and relaxed in the spa. We had a beautiful time at the 5pm sundowner session which was a lavish cheese and wine feast held daily by the owners for their guests. We were able to meet some extremely interesting and eclectic guests; from regular visitors to the Inn to ex Naval commanders exploring the area, it was a treat.
With new friends we decided to do a little pub crawl and find a local dinner spot for some wonderful Italian. Following that we found an interesting drag show for locals. The following day we hired ebikes from a nearby bike hire shop and enjoyed cycling around the marsh lands and park lands and around the nearby harbour area. Before our drive back to Boston’s Logan International Airport. Next stop Washington DC.
Notes:
You must make a booking to get your car on the ferry: book here: https://www.steamshipauthority.com for one of the 12+ daily crossings, or by cal 508.477.8600.
The Wharf Restaurant and Pub, 3 Main Street, Edgartown, MA for bookings: https://wharfpubmv.com
This trip was taken before the first Covid lock-down.
Hold the Prosecco 
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