Nantucket Advice Needed Please
Jun 30th, 2009, 12:20 AM
#1
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Nantucket Advice Needed Please
Hi again, against all advice we are still spending only 2 hours on Nantucket, between 8am and 10am on Friday morning 17 July. Please don't yell at me 
, it's our only chance to go (we are from Australia).
We are spending 2 nights on MV and have Cape Air flights to and from Nantucket. I have hired a Jeep Compass from a car rental place at the airport, and we should have 2 hours for a drive (which we understand is all we are going to have time to do).
We just want to see the place. What I would love is a plan of where we should drive, and perhaps a recommendation of one place to stop. It's the beaches and the natural scenery that we are most interested in.
Any help will be really great. Thanks in advance, Lissa
, it's our only chance to go (we are from Australia).We are spending 2 nights on MV and have Cape Air flights to and from Nantucket. I have hired a Jeep Compass from a car rental place at the airport, and we should have 2 hours for a drive (which we understand is all we are going to have time to do).
We just want to see the place. What I would love is a plan of where we should drive, and perhaps a recommendation of one place to stop. It's the beaches and the natural scenery that we are most interested in.
Any help will be really great. Thanks in advance, Lissa
Jun 30th, 2009, 03:33 AM
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Well, it is the cultural history of Nantucket that is important. The historic district of Nantucket town is one of the most beautiful towns in the United States. As someone who lives here, I have to say that the scenery is sufficiently subtle that a lot of people don't get it.
However, here is a route that features scenery. You are going to want to map this out on Google Maps.
Leave the airport and drive east on Nobadeer Farm Road to Milestone Road. Follow Milestone Road to Russell's Way. Turn right on Russell's Way until it dead ends at New South Road. Turn left. These roads are gravel, dirt, and sand. At this junction, stay on the more heavily traveled track, to your right. Follow this road until you arrive at the Atlantic on your right (viewpoint) and the edge of the former Tom Nevers Navy Base on your left. Circumnavigate the navy base on a cracked pavement, driving until you meet the well-paved Tom Nevers Road. Follow this back to Milestone Road. Turn right.
On your left are the Middle Moors and the south end of the Milestone Cranberry Bog. Soon after, you pass on the left the Nantucket Golf Club (huge clubhouse with new roof in distance). Soon after, you pass Skinner Coffin's little golf club. Continue straight into Sconset, down to the rotary (roundabout). Park on Broadway and walk down behind the line of cottages on Broadway (the lane behind is called Front Street). At the end, cross Broadway and walk back to your car on Center Street, crossing over to Broadway at a grasst lane near the town pump (loos across the corner in the other direction). Get back in your car, follow Broadway out of town until it becomes Sankaty Road. There will be mansions on your right, mostly just beyond your view, until you reach the Sankaty Head Golf Club and the Sankaty Head lighthouse on your right.
At this point, the road becomes Polpis Road. Continue until you see Sesacacha (pronounced "Sackaja") Pond and the village of Quidnet on your right (viewpoint). This is a freshwater pond opened to the sea once or twice a year to make it more fertile. The Atlantic will be visible just over the dune. Continue on the Polpis Road past its junction with the Quidnet Road to the junction with Wauwinet Road. Turn right on the Wauwinet Road.
About 1500 feet down the Wauwinet Road, an unpaved lane on the left across from the Nantucket School of Design (ex dairy farm)leads down to Polpis Harbor in 100 yards. This is a very scenic harbor with lots of little sailboats and the buildings of town visible in the distance on a clear day.
Return to the Polpis Road, turning right. Just across the junction in the other end of the Milestone Cranberry bog, with a viewpoint if you want a photo. You will pass through areas of large estates and scenic views. At the bottom of a longish hill, there is a very nice view of a salt marsh, extending on to a view of the Coatue peninsula just before you get to the Lifesaving Museum. You can park at the museum for photos.
Back on the Polpis Road, you will pass through glacial hills before passing a substantial farm on your right. You will then be in a wooded district that looks like Georgia before passing some commercial development and arriving at Milestone Road yet again. Turn right and drive to Milestone rotary. Go 3/4 the way around, and exit on Old South Road, headed toward the airport. This is primarily a commercial district of no interest. Turn right at the Airport Road, fill the gas tank of your car (regular gas about $3.70 per gallon these days) and return it.
In two hours, you will have seen a bit more than a third of the island, enough to form an impression. The western end of the island is completely different, geographically and geologically, since it was formed by a different glacier. You will have had a short walk and a couple of photo stops in various beauty spots.
You will have seen nothing of the town of Nantucket, which has perhaps the largest collection of houses built before 1850 of any town in the United States as well as charming, cobblestoned streets. Traffic is likely to be way too heavy to permit even a drivethrough with your schedule. But if two hours is what you have and scenery is what you want, this little tour will give it to you!
If you change your mind, cancel the rental car, take a taxi into town, and have him meet to take you back to the airport. Or find a fresh taxi at the Pacific Club at the foot of Main.
Enjoy!
However, here is a route that features scenery. You are going to want to map this out on Google Maps.
Leave the airport and drive east on Nobadeer Farm Road to Milestone Road. Follow Milestone Road to Russell's Way. Turn right on Russell's Way until it dead ends at New South Road. Turn left. These roads are gravel, dirt, and sand. At this junction, stay on the more heavily traveled track, to your right. Follow this road until you arrive at the Atlantic on your right (viewpoint) and the edge of the former Tom Nevers Navy Base on your left. Circumnavigate the navy base on a cracked pavement, driving until you meet the well-paved Tom Nevers Road. Follow this back to Milestone Road. Turn right.
On your left are the Middle Moors and the south end of the Milestone Cranberry Bog. Soon after, you pass on the left the Nantucket Golf Club (huge clubhouse with new roof in distance). Soon after, you pass Skinner Coffin's little golf club. Continue straight into Sconset, down to the rotary (roundabout). Park on Broadway and walk down behind the line of cottages on Broadway (the lane behind is called Front Street). At the end, cross Broadway and walk back to your car on Center Street, crossing over to Broadway at a grasst lane near the town pump (loos across the corner in the other direction). Get back in your car, follow Broadway out of town until it becomes Sankaty Road. There will be mansions on your right, mostly just beyond your view, until you reach the Sankaty Head Golf Club and the Sankaty Head lighthouse on your right.
At this point, the road becomes Polpis Road. Continue until you see Sesacacha (pronounced "Sackaja") Pond and the village of Quidnet on your right (viewpoint). This is a freshwater pond opened to the sea once or twice a year to make it more fertile. The Atlantic will be visible just over the dune. Continue on the Polpis Road past its junction with the Quidnet Road to the junction with Wauwinet Road. Turn right on the Wauwinet Road.
About 1500 feet down the Wauwinet Road, an unpaved lane on the left across from the Nantucket School of Design (ex dairy farm)leads down to Polpis Harbor in 100 yards. This is a very scenic harbor with lots of little sailboats and the buildings of town visible in the distance on a clear day.
Return to the Polpis Road, turning right. Just across the junction in the other end of the Milestone Cranberry bog, with a viewpoint if you want a photo. You will pass through areas of large estates and scenic views. At the bottom of a longish hill, there is a very nice view of a salt marsh, extending on to a view of the Coatue peninsula just before you get to the Lifesaving Museum. You can park at the museum for photos.
Back on the Polpis Road, you will pass through glacial hills before passing a substantial farm on your right. You will then be in a wooded district that looks like Georgia before passing some commercial development and arriving at Milestone Road yet again. Turn right and drive to Milestone rotary. Go 3/4 the way around, and exit on Old South Road, headed toward the airport. This is primarily a commercial district of no interest. Turn right at the Airport Road, fill the gas tank of your car (regular gas about $3.70 per gallon these days) and return it.
In two hours, you will have seen a bit more than a third of the island, enough to form an impression. The western end of the island is completely different, geographically and geologically, since it was formed by a different glacier. You will have had a short walk and a couple of photo stops in various beauty spots.
You will have seen nothing of the town of Nantucket, which has perhaps the largest collection of houses built before 1850 of any town in the United States as well as charming, cobblestoned streets. Traffic is likely to be way too heavy to permit even a drivethrough with your schedule. But if two hours is what you have and scenery is what you want, this little tour will give it to you!
If you change your mind, cancel the rental car, take a taxi into town, and have him meet to take you back to the airport. Or find a fresh taxi at the Pacific Club at the foot of Main.
Enjoy!
Jun 30th, 2009, 02:24 PM
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THank you for your time here Ackislander. I know our time is short. If... we were to cancel the car and catch a taxi into town, is there one or two coastal points that the driver could take us to on the way to town, the picture I have in my head is a headland or lighthouse and a beach. We are spending a bit on the car, so it's okay that this'll cost with the taxi. I guess, I want to see the town and old houses and streets, but I want to see a bit of the coast too. I've google mapped and google mapped and I know our time is to short. I'm willing to cancel the car and use a taxi to see a few things if that would work. Please, sorry for taking so much of your time, but if you can help me with ideas. Thanks so much, LIssa
Jul 1st, 2009, 02:34 AM
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Your best bet is to follow my advice in your original post:
"call Call Louise Ozias @ 508-228-9040 if you are interested in a relatively inexpensive custom tour. She will meet you at the airport."
If you don't want to do this, tell the taxi driver to go into town on Pleasant St, go down Main to Centre, cross to Broad, then take you to Brant Point light. It meets your criteria. You can easily walk back to town from there. You will see historic houses on Pleasant and Upper Main, the cobblestoned Main Street, the Petticoat Row shops on Centre, the Jared COffin House on Broad, the yacht club just after turning off Broad, and the houses of the wealthy summer residents on the way to Brant Point.
This will probably cost you more than a standard fare since this is not the shortest route. You can pick up a cab outside the Pacific Club at the foot of Main. Or you can call Louise.
"call Call Louise Ozias @ 508-228-9040 if you are interested in a relatively inexpensive custom tour. She will meet you at the airport."
If you don't want to do this, tell the taxi driver to go into town on Pleasant St, go down Main to Centre, cross to Broad, then take you to Brant Point light. It meets your criteria. You can easily walk back to town from there. You will see historic houses on Pleasant and Upper Main, the cobblestoned Main Street, the Petticoat Row shops on Centre, the Jared COffin House on Broad, the yacht club just after turning off Broad, and the houses of the wealthy summer residents on the way to Brant Point.
This will probably cost you more than a standard fare since this is not the shortest route. You can pick up a cab outside the Pacific Club at the foot of Main. Or you can call Louise.
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