Suggestions on doing Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket in 4 days
Oct 8th, 2006, 12:51 PM
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Suggestions on doing Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket in 4 days
I will be flying into Boston this Friday night and leaving on Wednesday at Noon.Can you suggest an itinerary for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in that timeframe.I have visited Boston before and have done all of the touristy things there.Would also like to see some fall foliage if I can work that in. Will have a car in Boston but would like to leave the car behind before taking the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.
Oct 8th, 2006, 01:15 PM
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Have you thought of staying on Cape Cod and just taking daytrips to MV and/or Nantucket? There is so much to see and do on the cape that it might be a better choice. Of course if you have your heart set on the islands then that's that!
Oct 8th, 2006, 01:22 PM
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Yellowbyrd, thanks for your quick response.At this point, I'm looking for suggestions.I don't have an itinerary yet. What would you suggest? I've heard that parts of the Cape are not different from being in a big city and that's what I want to avoid. I'm looking for a very picturesque experience.If you think I can get that from the Cape, then let know. I originally thought it would be nice to stay overnight on MV and Nantucket. I would like to stay at locations where there would be fun things to do at night, such as listening to music and/or good restaurants.
Oct 8th, 2006, 01:58 PM
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If you're drivng to the cape you can take the falmouth ferry into Edgartown on he Pied piper. www.falmouthferry.com Not to be confused with the Island Queen into Oak Bluffs. Doubt you'd want to pay the high price to take the car over to either island!!
Oct 8th, 2006, 02:54 PM
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The Cape is full of quaint spots, and to me hardly any of them could be compared to a big city.
And each of the islands, MV and Nantucket, have their own special feel. I just returned from babysitting the kids for the weekend for family who went to Nantucket and it was hopping, but for many, this is the last big wknd on the islands until special occasions like the Christmas walk, or other holidays in between.
You will find on the islands that some things have closed, but not many (for instance, I think it is the last weekend the restaurant out at Aquinnah is open overlooking the clay cliffs - but that doesn't mean you can't go there and still walk that beach and see them, the lighthouse, etc.
There are several recent threads here on both islands with lots of info - if you put Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket or Cape Cod into the search bar, those threads will pop up
I could help you with itinerary on both islands, but would want to know your approximate budget, if you aren't bringing your car over, would you do an island bus tour, or rent a jeep for a day or take taxis, - and what your interests are: shopping, eating, hiking, etc. and/or what type of dining, dancing, bars, etc - the beauty of both islands goes far beyond just their 'downtown' areas, unless you are only interested in that - and in Nantucket you have the Main Street and surrounding areas, and in MV you have several smaller towns, as you will see if you look over the posts I mentioned.
Same with the Cape - whether you chose Chatham, Hyannis, Falmouth, Osterville, etc depends on what sites interest you - museums, antique shops, etc.
Barring any strange weather, the foliage here is lovely and improving every day (south of Boston)
so likely you could find some between Boston and the Cape or Islands.
Aside from whatyou will find in the search bar, here are a few links to some posts on the islands
that might help
http://tinyurl.com/jvpkz
http://tinyurl.com/nqhja
http://tinyurl.com/rva2p
Nantucket: http://tinyurl.com/l6kf7
in these threads are the web sites for ferry, restaruants, island sites like mvonline.com, etc.
I am not sure about transport this time of year between MV and Nantucket - or if it would mean you going back to the mainland to get to the other island - you can check that out on the ferry sites listed on the links I gave above to be sure.
Depending on what you like to do, you might wnat to spend a day on the Cape, an overnight on one of the islands, and back on the Cape - but without a car, I think the Cape is hard to explore - so you would take your car there, enjoy the Cape, and then park it at the ferry terminal and leave it there for your ferry to the island - you can take a car to the islands, but it is expensive and the ferry schedule is more limited this time of year.
For fall foliage updates in MA check out these:
Mass Foliage Hot Line 1.800.227.MASS
Website for details on forests/parks/ where to view on
mass.gov/dcr/forparks.htm
If you have your heart set on the islands then yes, you can do MV on Sat/Sun and Nantucket on Mon/Tues, it can be done if that is what you want to do, or mix it up with the Cape and a day or overnight to one of the islands.
And each of the islands, MV and Nantucket, have their own special feel. I just returned from babysitting the kids for the weekend for family who went to Nantucket and it was hopping, but for many, this is the last big wknd on the islands until special occasions like the Christmas walk, or other holidays in between.
You will find on the islands that some things have closed, but not many (for instance, I think it is the last weekend the restaurant out at Aquinnah is open overlooking the clay cliffs - but that doesn't mean you can't go there and still walk that beach and see them, the lighthouse, etc.
There are several recent threads here on both islands with lots of info - if you put Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket or Cape Cod into the search bar, those threads will pop up
I could help you with itinerary on both islands, but would want to know your approximate budget, if you aren't bringing your car over, would you do an island bus tour, or rent a jeep for a day or take taxis, - and what your interests are: shopping, eating, hiking, etc. and/or what type of dining, dancing, bars, etc - the beauty of both islands goes far beyond just their 'downtown' areas, unless you are only interested in that - and in Nantucket you have the Main Street and surrounding areas, and in MV you have several smaller towns, as you will see if you look over the posts I mentioned.
Same with the Cape - whether you chose Chatham, Hyannis, Falmouth, Osterville, etc depends on what sites interest you - museums, antique shops, etc.
Barring any strange weather, the foliage here is lovely and improving every day (south of Boston)
so likely you could find some between Boston and the Cape or Islands.
Aside from whatyou will find in the search bar, here are a few links to some posts on the islands
that might help
http://tinyurl.com/jvpkz
http://tinyurl.com/nqhja
http://tinyurl.com/rva2p
Nantucket: http://tinyurl.com/l6kf7
in these threads are the web sites for ferry, restaruants, island sites like mvonline.com, etc.
I am not sure about transport this time of year between MV and Nantucket - or if it would mean you going back to the mainland to get to the other island - you can check that out on the ferry sites listed on the links I gave above to be sure.
Depending on what you like to do, you might wnat to spend a day on the Cape, an overnight on one of the islands, and back on the Cape - but without a car, I think the Cape is hard to explore - so you would take your car there, enjoy the Cape, and then park it at the ferry terminal and leave it there for your ferry to the island - you can take a car to the islands, but it is expensive and the ferry schedule is more limited this time of year.
For fall foliage updates in MA check out these:
Mass Foliage Hot Line 1.800.227.MASS
Website for details on forests/parks/ where to view on
mass.gov/dcr/forparks.htm
If you have your heart set on the islands then yes, you can do MV on Sat/Sun and Nantucket on Mon/Tues, it can be done if that is what you want to do, or mix it up with the Cape and a day or overnight to one of the islands.
Oct 8th, 2006, 03:34 PM
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If it were me, I would stay on the Cape, near Orleans (mid-Cape, and drive to catch the Nantucket ferry. Nantucket is a longer boat ride, but the island is less snooty than Martha's Vinyard. Check out the rose-covered cottages and the oldest mill in America on Nantucket. You can rent bikes there easily to tour on your own or book a driving tour around the island with a local guide. Nantucket is not so big that you can't see a lot in one day, but you could also stay overnight if you want to see the island at a more leisurely pace.
The Cape is very beautiful in the area of Cape Cod National Seashore. The beaches and bike paths are great. Check out the official Cape website for more info.
The Cape is very beautiful in the area of Cape Cod National Seashore. The beaches and bike paths are great. Check out the official Cape website for more info.
Oct 9th, 2006, 12:44 PM
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Sounds like you want to be on the outer cape where much of the land has been preserved by the Cape Cod National Seashore. Coast Guard Beach is not to be missed. You can walk for miles and never see anything but dunes, ocean and sandy beach. The Salt Pond Visitor's Center in Eastham is open and you can get information about ongoing programs from a ranger there. I suggest you consider staying in Eastham which you do not hear alot about because it is only 3 miles wide, from Cape Cod Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, and 7 miles long from Orleans to Wellfleet. (My personal favorite is Fort HIll Bed and Breakfast which is the only B+B in the park and has a fabulous location overlooking the ocean.) Eastham is basically a residential town and very easy to get to by either Rt. 6 or Rt. 6A It is midway (20-25 miutes) between the busier towns of Chatham and Provincetown and just a few minutes form the main town on the lower cape, Orleans. But as one other poster pointed out, there are no BIG cities on the cape. You might want to steer clear or Hyannis and Falmouth if you do not want any city feeling and definately stay away from Rt. 28 in the Yarmouth area where strip malls abound.
If you do stay in Eastham you can find plenty to do . Orleans is a year 'round town with restaurants, though not much in the way of entertainment except maybe a piano bar. There is a great chocolate/coffee shop in Orleans called the Hot Chocolate Sparrow that I highly recommend. You can sit for hours reading or check your e-mails if you have your laptop. The First Encounter Coffee House in Eastham has music on some weekends and, depending on when exactly you are there, you might catch a play at WHAT in Wellfleet. There is always a movie in Harwich, Wellfleet, Cape Cinema in Dennis. All of these locationas are easy to get to from Eastham and the furthest is Dennis at about 30 minutes. For real fun you can spend some time in Provincetown where there is a little bit of everything! Great shows, fine dining, lots of nightlife as well as great scenery. Hope that gets you started!
If you do stay in Eastham you can find plenty to do . Orleans is a year 'round town with restaurants, though not much in the way of entertainment except maybe a piano bar. There is a great chocolate/coffee shop in Orleans called the Hot Chocolate Sparrow that I highly recommend. You can sit for hours reading or check your e-mails if you have your laptop. The First Encounter Coffee House in Eastham has music on some weekends and, depending on when exactly you are there, you might catch a play at WHAT in Wellfleet. There is always a movie in Harwich, Wellfleet, Cape Cinema in Dennis. All of these locationas are easy to get to from Eastham and the furthest is Dennis at about 30 minutes. For real fun you can spend some time in Provincetown where there is a little bit of everything! Great shows, fine dining, lots of nightlife as well as great scenery. Hope that gets you started!
Oct 9th, 2006, 12:51 PM
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I forgot to mention that you can easily get a fast ferry to Nantucket out of Hyannis for a day trip. We have found that much of the island shuts down after Coumbus Day Weekend except for special weekend events like the Stroll. Hyannis is mid-cape so it takes about 30 minutes from Eastham, 55 from Provincetown, and 30 minutes from Chatham. To go to MV, you will need to drive to Woodshole, part of Falmouth, and take the ferry over. It is expensive to bring your car so I would just leave it on the cape. Personally, I would jsut take a day trip to Nantucket where you can easily walk around the charming village.
