Martha's Vineyard in the Fall
New England Island Travel for Quiet, Romance and a Weekend Get-Away
Sep 21, 2008
For relaxation and sports like kayaking, bicycling and walking, a short ride on a fast ferry leads to a different world. From the stress of business in Boston, Hartford or New York it’s a short drive to Woods Hole, New Bedford or Hyannis for a decompressing boat ride across Buzzards Bay to Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs. Martha’s Vineyard has all the island charm and mystique, and a size that make it easy to explore.
Vineyard Towns
Edgartown, the main town, is seaside classic snuggled onto the shore of a protected bay and filled with 18th- and 19th-century homes of its early settlers’ families. New England colonials, Georgian, Federal and a few Greek Revival styles line the narrow streets. Most are surrounded by beautiful gardens, bright with fall flowers.
Vinyard Haven, part of Tisbury, is a smaller version, with the main ferry terminal where most resorts pick up arriving guests. A reliable bus service also connects towns. Tisbury offers beaches and a pair of ponds to explore.
The other entry point is Oak Bluffs, originally site of Methodist summer camp revivals. The tent settlement circled the edges of a large field where preachers exhorted the faithful to greater devotion. Summer tents gave way to small exquisitely decorated two-story homes, some America’s finest Victorian gingerbread houses. They now surround an exceptional large 19th-century pavilion where events and programs still take place. It is said that the island’s tourism industry began right here.
A Beach and a Resort
One of the newest and largest hotels on the island, Winnetu Oceanside Resort, is three miles from Edgartown, at South Beach. A five-minute walk through a scrub forest leads over a dune to the beach, which offers three miles of golden sand for walking or sunning. The resort arranges a variety of activities for guests, including kayak trips and nature tours. A short bike-ride away is The Farm Institute, a fledgling institution that is both a producing farm and an important educational resource for islanders and visitors of all ages (and a source of fresh vegetables for the Winnetu’s chef).
A Wildlife Experience
Beach walking is not the only thing to do here. The Trustees of Reservations, a private preservation society with 100-plus properties throughout Massachusetts, has wonderful lands to explore in the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge and Wasque Reserve on Chappaquiddick, an island accessible by a two-minute ferry ride ($4 roundtrip) from Edgartown. The Trustees offer a nature tour, lighthouse tour and others, or visitors can explore on their own. The variety of birds is outstanding, especially in the fall as migratory species stop here en route south. Although cars are allowed on the ferry, only properly equipped 4-wheel-drive vehicles can drive on the sand tracks. While there, see Mytoi Japanese Gardens, which fits perfectly into the island landscape.
Thrills in the Air
For excitement, go to Katama Airfield and Conservation Area, outside Edgartown. One of the few remaining grass airfields in the US, it’s the home of Classic Aviators Ltd. They fly a pair of 1940s WACO bi-plane aircraft originally designed for sport and aerobatics. Have a placid sightseeing flight or something with more of a spin – literally.
Bicycle Options
Essentially flat, the island is a great place for bicyclists, especially in the fall when traffic nearly disappears. Signed bike paths connect from Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head) to Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown; rentals are available in all three towns (Winnetu Resort guests get a 25% discount).
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