Why Go?
Just an hour off the coast of Cape Cod, Nantucket has become a family playground during the summer months. Step off the ferry in Nantucket Town and you are immediately stepping into a vacation destination of yesteryear: families biking along sand-strewn streets, kids building sand castles, hydrangea-lined streets where stately homes rest quietly hosting families inside playing board games and cards or reading a book. Time seems to have stopped in Nantucket, and you’ll feel as if you may truly relax. That is, when you’re not indulging at one of the fine restaurants operating with celebrity chefs and expansive wine lists.
Where to Go
If looking to stay at a resort in which every whim is catered, you’ll want to stay in town. Just steps from the ferries, resorts like White Elephant and Nantucket Hotel offer vacation home-like décor with suites and cottages for families, all with the amenities one expects from a hotel. However, many families choose to rent vacation homes, especially when visiting for a full week or more. Homes of every size are available, although they book up fast. Be sure to plan ahead and book your home months before your visit for the best choices.
What to Do
This quiet island’s activities harken back to a time when a family vacation simply meant riding a bike to the beach, flying a kite and riding waves, snacking on ice cream, playing a game of lawn croquet before a lobster bake, and then repeating it all again the next day!
Getting Around
Ferries take passengers from Cape Cod, Rhode Island and New York. Car ferries book up very quickly, should you require a vehicle. The “fast ferry” from Hyannis is a comfortable one-hour ride, while the “slow ferry” takes twice as long, but is cheaper. Flights on small planes by Cape Air are also available.