By Cindy Wallis
There are several ways you can get to Nantucket: a one hour plane ride, a 6-hour “party” ferry from New York City, a 2 hour high speed ferry from New Bedford, MA or a 1-hour high speed ferry from Hyannis in Cape Cod. We opted for the latter as there are a few places we wanted to eat at the Cape on the way back from our journey. We reserved our parking for Hyannis and bought our tickets well in advance for the ferry which was quick and a pleasant trip.
When you arrive on Nantucket, you are right in “town” with excellent shopping and restaurants. The ferry docks right in the harbor so it was very picturesque upon our arrival. The island itself has no traffic lights and is very easy to navigate via car, bike or their own bus system. Luckily we stayed at my brother’s house so no need for a hotel, and we had access to his red Jeep – the perfect island car, so we were all set!!
There are so many beaches to choose from as the entire island is surrounded by beaches – so bring your own chairs and umbrellas. Day one, we went to the eastern part of the island to Siasconset Beach where it felt like you were on your own private beach (seals included), with calmer waters and white sand. This beach is about one block from the scenic village of Sconset where there is a delicious sandwich shop called Claudettes. All sandwiches are freshly prepared. I would highly recommend the seafood salad sandwich (shrimp, scallops, pollack), prepared with their homemade house sauce, where you can eat outdoors at the shop or bring the food back to the beach.
The first night that we were there, we ate at Toppers at the Wauwinet Inn. Reservations required and get there early and have drinks on the lawn that overlooks the harbor where you can view a beautiful sunset. The food was exquisite, a favorite foodie destination set alongside the waters of Nantucket Bay.
Day two, we went out on my brother’s boat from a private harbor in Wauwinet where he navigated the waters to take us into the main harbor in town where we were able to see magnificent beach front homes, yachts and other interesting boats. We then went shopping through the cobblestone streets in town where there were beautiful clothing boutiques and lovely restaurants. We had lunch at B-ACK Yard BBQ – and the highlight for my boys was the lunch that had the mac ‘n cheese topped with ground cheddar goldfish!!
No day would be complete without my boys playing tennis, and we were able to book a court (hard-tru clay) at the Nantucket Inn. There are a few places including red clay courts that are available to the public as well as private clubs where you need to wear whites.
Day three, we went to Surfside Beach on the southern part of the island which is known for its large waves and lots of boogie boarders. For lunch, the Surfside Grill had many options: lobster rolls, amazing grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers and salads. There is also a gourmet taco truck (4p-8p only) for those wanting something different.
At night we hit Lola Burger (which is like Shack Shake x 4) – great burgers, fries (in truffle oil if you like), milkshakes, and Nantucket’s own Cisco’s Brewer’s classic Whale Tale Pale Ale beer amongst others. And of course afterwards we stopped for ice cream (big discussion amongst my family who makes the better ice cream – Island Kitchen vs Juice Bar).
These were some of the few highlights of our trip …. ACK we will be back!!
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