Summer in the city! Crowded subway cars, hot garbage smell, daring sword fights, a prince in disguise!! Okay I may have watched the new Beauty and the Beast trailer one too many times...looks like it's time for this writer to get the heck outta dodge!
And this summer, it's the island life for me! That's why I'm preaching the gospel of Martha's Vineyard.
Martha's Vineyard is a charming island off the coast of Massachusetts, rich in history and just about all the New England prep you can handle.
The island is divided up into six small towns, each with its own unique vibe.
Oak Bluffs is great for a day of touristy fun with activities like The Flying Horses Carousel (the oldest in America!), and Menemsha rules for a laid-back beach day with seafood straight off the boat! Literally: fishing vessels are docked right next to the pier!
Read on to see why you've got to make the Vineyard your next getaway!
1. Food!
I wasn't kidding when I said it came straight off the boat! We are talking game-changing lobsters, chowder, scallops, oysters, the list goes on! Stand out spots include Larsen's Fish Market of Menemsha and Lola's of Oak Bluffs.
Seafood not your thing? Not to worry! There are many great restaurants on MV that can cater to the fish-phobic that walk among us. The Port Hunter in Edgartown boasts an impressive menu helmed from local ingredients. And don't forget to leave room for ice cream at Ben & Bill's!
2. Drinks!
You're on vacay, you want to party, and MV's got you covered! The move here is to head to Donavon's Reef, pictured above. Donavon's Reef is the bar of famed seafood destination Nancy's, located in Oak Bluffs.
Donavon bartends every night and makes the most delicious frozen concoctions you will ever have. Each one is made from scratch by Donavon while you wait! And then you drink them. Outside. What more do you want from me?!!
Another favorite is Bad Martha Brewing Company. The brewery is located in Edgartown and offers daily tastings. Sip a beer while you relax in an adirondack chair and play game of chess! Or you know, just sip a beer. It's your world, we're just living in it man.
3. Beaches!
It's an island, so you know the beaches mean business. The question is: which beach do you want to collapse on with with a case of beer while your wireless speaker pumps out the JT??? BTW, over here that stands for James Taylor.
You can't go wrong with beach selection. You got your State Beach in in Edgartown where friggin' Jaws was filmed and fellow beach-goers can be spotted jumping off the bridge at high tide and swimming to the nearby jetty.
And if total isolation is your bag, hop on the Chappy Ferry to the small peninsula known as Chappaquiddick.
4. Sights!
Sure you could literally spend an entire weekend hopping from beach to beach and that would be...well that would be pretty awesome and I think you should definitely do that.
BUT you would be doing yourself a disservice if you missed out on some of the gorgeousness that is the town of Aquinnah.
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Aquinnah is known for it's red clay cliffs and nude beach (ooh la la!) and the fact that it is the home to the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah, federally acknowledged since 1987.
You've got to get your peepers on some of the lighthouses on MV - why not do so from a hotel porch with a drink in your hand? Enter The Harbor View Hotel.
5. Activities!
So once you've consumed everything on the island, what else is there to do, you might ask? Or you might not ask that - drinking rosé on the beach can last you for weeks, TRUST. But once you do feel like peeling yourself off the sand, here are some ideas!
There's a bike path that will take you across the entire island, which is a great way to see the the sights and get a good workout. It also goes by a Dairy Queen but you DIDN'T HEAR IT FROM ME.
As mentioned before there is The Flying Horses Carousel which a mean little girl with wheelies will say you are too big for but you are NOT too big for it because who is she anyway? Martha?!
And let's not forget there's always sailing, hiking, shopping, fishing and that relaxing trip aboard the ferry to take you home.
[Feature Image Courtesy Julie Burton/Flickr]