Why Go?
From Barack Obama to Bill Clinton to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the islands to the south of Massachusetts’s Cape Cod is a siren even the most powerful people in the country cannot ignore. Martha’s Vineyard is the largest of the islands off the coast, with six distinctly different areas where anyone visiting can remain as anonymous as they want while enjoying a traditional summer vacation with their kids. This is where you will see families biking to the beach or town to have a lobster roll for dinner, eating local, fresh-made ice cream while spending the days in a comfortable chair as sea breezes keep the summer heat at bay. The Vineyard’s pace will take hold of you quickly, and may beckon you to return year after year, as many families have done for generations.
Where to Go
First, you need to pick which area of the island you want to stay, and although a small island, it is large enough that most choose to stay put in one area. Edgartown, the first settlement of the island in the 1600s, remains the most bustling and Vineyard Haven’s ferry drop off also makes it quite crowded. Oak Bluffs was the island’s first resort town yet remains dry to this day. Aquinnah is where those looking to hide away in large homes can find peace, and West Tisbury and Chilmark are other, quiet locations. Vacation rentals are the main accommodations for families, with houses ranging in all sizes to meet your needs. They often come equipped with beach chairs, bicycles, and other items to make sure you enjoy the island.
What to Do
Besides sprawling out on an expansive slice of beach, biking is a major draw to the island, with special bike paths extending more than 20 miles. Kayaking and canoeing in calm state beach bays, as well as dune buggy rides in the sands in Aquinnah, will keep the family active. Don’t miss the tribal nation of the Wampanoag’s in Aquinnah, and the oldest working carousel in the country in Oak Bluff!
Getting Around
Ferries take passengers from Cape Cod, Rhode Island and New York, although car-carrying ferries fill up quickly and require very advanced reservations. If you are staying in Edgartown, Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs, you can walk and bike easily and don’t need a vehicle. However, you will need one if staying in the more remote locations. A small airport services flights from American Airlines, Delta, Jet Blue and Cape Air.