hello. i will be making my first visit to the island in september 2005 AFTER the long weekend. travelling alone and taking the island queen ferry from falmouth to oak bluffs. mostly into seeing the sites, scenary, homes/buildings and enjoying the beach areas rather then shopping. i'm wondering the best way to spend the day. there is a trolley tour: "Edgartown, Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury and Oak Bluffs. Includes 1 ½ hour stop in Edgartown for your shopping and eating pleasure" (2 1/2 hr - is 1 1/2 hours long enough to explore edgartown?) or there is and island tour: "Full island tours visit all six towns with their diverse history and present day charm. All tours stop at the beautiful clay cliffs in Aquinnah." (2 1/2 hr). I'm wondering if I should start my day with one of these tours - which one? - and then, i could hang around edgartown or oak bluff using public transportion. i would like to spend a while on a nice beach. where would you recommend that i could go to via public transportation? any suggestions appreciated. thanks for your time.

Hi. I spent a day on Martha's Vineyard last summer and used public transporation the whole time. The tours are probably a good way to start. We bought a bus pass for $6 each that was good for unlimited rides for the entire day. The bus system is extensive and efficient. We went from Vineyard Haven to Oak Bluffs to Edgartown to Aquinnah and back to Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs again.

Oak Bluffs was definitely my favorite part of the island and we spent the most time there. I found it to have the most character and be the most interesting area. Make sure to see the campground where the cottages are. We had a great breakfast at Linda Jean's. The other towns are fun too and it is a great way to spend a day.

Not to put a negative spin on things but i was there in Sept. and both my husband and i found the Island Tour in the old school bus to be a bit long, uncomfortable and boring.Stoping at Aquinnah meant eating lunch at a pit stop,( expensive, awful food served from consession stands, and restroom facilities.) Back on the bus to hear a long winded narration of god knows what. You whiz by looking left then right a million times. Not worth the time or money. If there is a trolley tour that sounds better.
After the daunting bus ride unfortunatly my husband was spent so we walked around Oaks Bluffs. I never did make it back to Edgartown but sure wish i did.

September is a beautiful time there. Are you set on an organized tour? My favorite thing to do (and I know the locals will not like this response) is to rent a mo-ped and ride around the island. That way you can stop anyplace you'd like for lunch, beach time, etc. --and skip the places that don't interest you.

You can usually rent one right as you get off the ferry and turn it in before you leave.

MV by bus just doesn't sound that attractive to me.

thanks for the replies. no, i'm not set on a tour - i'm open to all suggestions. i have never driven a moped? are they easy? do you recall how expensive it is to rent for a day?

mopeds can be quite dangerous on island roads - a fair number of tourists use them to put themselves in the hospital each year. Sadly, they die with some frequency.

Rent a bike instead.

I would consider driving over to Wood's Hole, taking the ferry to Martha's and staying in Vineyard Haven. Dining, shopping, reading a novel, etc. cannot be beaten. Each township has a slightly different feel for a good dose of variety - and you're sure to please the wide range of ages in attendance.

Fishing out by Noman's Isle... watching the Navy jets and their bomb practice there.

Get yourself a few CoffeemugTshirtLawnchairBaseballcaps with a black lab on it. Makes for great Hannukah/Kwanza/Christmas/Festivus gifts.

Stop in to the Chappaquiddick Driving School and get an autographed martini glass.

That whole "Kennedy compound" and "The first Jaws movie was filmed here" thing are such an empty promise.

Dodging the kids on mopeds being blown across lanes in high winds is the only "bad weather" experience I can imagine...