MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Simple Pleasures, Small Charms and Lazy Days Gone By in Massachusetts

[ WRITTEN BY Jamie Matusow with additional reporting by Lissa Poirot ]

New York, Maryland, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Mississippi, South Carolina and, of course, Massachusetts. These were just a few of the state license plates I spotted as we lined up for the car ferry that would take us from Woods Hole, at the westernmost tip of Cape Cod, on the 45-minute southerly crossing to Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard. The broad array of regions represented in the queue was indicative of the melting-pot nature of Martha’s Vineyard: The island has a warm tradition of diversity, welcoming all who love its laid-back island spirit and the many pleasures it offers. “The Vineyard,” as it’s known, is also a haven for artistic freedom, ­attracting creative folks from writers and artists to singers and musicians to potters and ­glassblowers — with a generous smattering of antiques dealers to boot!

There are six major towns on Martha’s Vineyard, each with a distinct personality, ranging from a quintessential New England village to a well-to-do former whaling town to a small fishing village. In addition, the towns are further distinguished as being either Up Island or Down Island, throwback terms to the days when sailors specified location by relating it to longitude. (As you travel west, you move up the scale of longitude, or up island.) Part of the Vineyard’s charm comes from the fact that it has changed very little over the years. A vacation here is typically spent mostly outdoors — riding bikes, fishing with a hook tied to a piece of string, rocking on a shady front porch, picking berries, playing a round of golf, or building a sand castle with your kids.

Lodging on the Vineyard includes small historic inns, charming B&Bs, a family campground, a youth hostel and a plethora of rental houses. One of the best ­places to book a retreat is Edgartown’s Harbor View Hotel & Resort (www.harbor-view.com). The hotel itself is an old Victorian building at the top of North Water Street with a sweeping and unobstructed view of Edgartown Harbor from its wraparound porch, complete with ­rocking chairs. The hotel features 130 guestrooms housed in its Main House or Mayhew Building, including suites with up to three bedrooms. The Harbor Kids Club provides children 3 to 10 a place to explore while making friends, giving mom and dad a little one-on-one time.

Spin City. Make the most of the island’s nearly 100 miles of bike trails, an extensive route around the perimeter of the forest and paths that link towns and beaches. Bike-rental shops are plentiful with rates running about $100 per week per bike, so no need to tote your own. Edgartown features a 7-mile, marked bicycle path for exploring, while an 8-mile trip will take you from Edgartown to Vineyard Haven; from there it’s another 3 miles to Oak Bluffs. Chappaquiddick Island’s one road makes it impossible to get lost, and rolling hills and landscape can be found in West Tisbury and Gay Head.

Set Sail. Seafarer or landlubber, one cannot visit Martha’s Vineyard without taking to the sea. Although the whalers are long gone, fishing charters are available in abundance, as well as whale-watching cruises and private or group sails. Rentals are available for those wanting to head out to sea on their own. Kayaking and canoeing the harbors or island ponds is also available. Find a fishing or sailing vessel online at www.marthas-vineyard.com.

Sweet Sounds. Skip the big city and catch legendary conductor Keith Lockhart as he conducts the ­Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra for a special Oak Bluffs concert. Last year’s summertime event brought huge crowds to the Sunday afternoon event that will bring classical music outdoors on Aug. 10. For tickets, visit ­
www.marthasvineyardtickets.com.

Edgartown, the picture-perfect, proper New England town saw its heyday during the 19th century, when whaling ruled the island. This is where “Jaws” was filmed in 1975 and where Herman Melville wrote parts of “Moby Dick.” Today, a walk down Edgartown’s winding lanes reveals stately, white, Greek Revival homes that once belonged to prosperous captains of whaling ships. The Old Whaling Church, built in 1843, remains a focal point with its massive columns and huge steeple clock replete with golden Roman numerals. Downtown Edgartown houses a fine selection of shops (including one selling scrimshaw and another with sea and nautical-related items) and restaurants.

Explore Oak Bluffs, which bears little resemblance to the formal architecture of Edgartown, especially the ­beautifully groomed Ocean Park, ringed with colorful, multi-hued Victorian mansions referred to as the Gingerbread Houses that look out over the sound. Hundreds of these colorful, one-of-a-kind homes make up the best-preserved Carpenter Gothic-style architecture in the world. Oak Bluffs has a more casual, seaside ambience air than Edgartown with charming shops, a variety of restaurants and seafood stands and an old-fashioned arcade with games.

Visit the clay cliffs of Aquinnah. Piles of small stones and larger boulders edge the dunes and lay scattered at water’s edge like a loosely constructed mosaic. The 10,000-year-old glacial cliffs stand as a breathtaking contrast to the green beach grasses and azure sky, ranging in color from white ash to ­paprika and ­accenting the jagged walls of chalky rock, badly eroded in parts due to time and tide.

Although the wait for a table will be long, every first-time visitor to The Vineyard must stop in for a bite at its famed Black Dog Tavern. While secondary shops now sell its “I’ve Been There” T-shirts, dine at the original Vineyard Haven restaurant that has been serving up fare since 1969. Using local ­townspeople’s recipes for chowders, pies and soups, the Black Dog’s brunches are renowned and its bakery pastries will melt in your mouth. (www.theblackdog.com)

Vineyarders are especially wild about the confections at Mad Martha’s. The Pig’s Delight’s 12 scoops of ice cream with the works is a challenge to kids big and small, and flavors are plentiful, such as Snickers and Lotsa Dough. Edgartown, Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs each have their own Mad Martha’s.

You’ll fly direct to Boston’s Logan International Airport from Atlanta in less than three hours. Cars are limited on the island, and ferries are often booked well in ­advance, so if you rent a car for the 2-hour drive and 45-minute ferry ride, you’ll have to leave your rental in the parking lot. Enjoy a 30-minute puddle jumper to the island’s airport instead and rent a bike or ­scooter for the duration of your stay.

A time-honored pastime on this island is a visit to the Flying Horses Carousel, which has been running races in Oak Bluffs since 1884. A National Historic Landmark, the country’s oldest operating carousel boasts hand-carved painted ponies with real horsehair manes. Rides are just $1.50, but just as was the case more than a century ago, if you catch the brass ring, it’s free! (508-693-9481)

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