Our Martha's Vineyard Vacation

Having grown up on the east coast, I've heard of Martha's Vineyard my whole life. It always sounded like such a fun place to vacation. So when we were invited to visit we were thrilled! Many, many thanks to our dear friends Cari & Bruno for a marvelous time! {Click the blue bar below to see more . . .}

The first thing that struck me about "The Vineyard" is the beautiful architecture. That classy "Cape Cod" look is everywhere. Most of the home exteriors feature cedar shingles which are allowed to weather to grey. It looks so charming when coupled with white trim. I fell completely in love! 

- Our friend's childhood home. I adore it! -

When the houses are painted in a trim color other than white, they take on a totally different look.

- Our home away from home for a glorious week - 

I also stumbled upon this beauty . . . swoon!

Some of the fun activities we enjoyed while visiting were . . .

- The Methodist "Campground" in Oak Bluffs

This is a village of over 300 Victorian style summer cottage homes {no insulation & no heating!} that are painted in vibrant colors. You can read more about them here. It is really something to see. The have an Illumination Night every year. I would love to attend someday! Some of the cottages can be rented for a "ahem" modest sum. Click here to see a sampling.

- The Lighthouses
Our favorite is the Gay Head Lighthouse in Aquinnah because of it's incredible story. Because it stood near the edge of a cliff, it was threatened by erosion. After two years of fundraising & planning, it was moved {intact} 129 feet in three days. We also loved the beautiful Edgartown Light house. Here is a link with more information about the lighthouses.

- This lighthouse was moved (intact) from the spot we are standing! -

- Gay Head Lighthouse in the background (with our friends Paul & Brenda). I had crazy humidity hair the whole trip! Photo by Bruno -

- East Chop Lighthouse - 

- The Little Fishing Village of Menemsha in Chilmark
Even though we enjoyed A LOT of great food, the sea food we ate at the Menemsha Fish Market was my favorite. Even the place is tiny & understated, the seafood was the freshest I've ever eaten. Visiting Menemsha is like stepping back in time. Men working on boats {that looked JUST LIKE the Gordon's fisherman}, old home-grown businesses, & a lovely beach. I loved it there. PS - There is a tradition to watch the sun go down on Menemsha Beach. The people applaud with appreciation when it does!

- Martha's Vineyard Glassworks in West Tisbury
It's fascinating to watch the artists created hand-blown works of art. And there are lots of pieces available for purchase.

- Back Door Donuts & Lots of Other Great Restaurants Too! 
Okay, the food was fantastic! But we just loved this quirky little place called Back Door Donuts which serves warm donuts late at night. We indulged twice! Oh dear.

- Yep - he's making fudge! Murdick's Fudge can be found here -

- Our sweet friends Cari & Bruno on the left - we are eating at Sharky's -

- Also . . . Don't Miss The . . .
Other things the Island is known for like the turkeys running wild (as well as lots of skunks!) Bicycle riding, shopping & playing on the beach. Plus - picturesque EVERYTHING!

- Honey with our friends Bruno, Brenda, & Paul. Brenda is riding a fold up bike. -

In my next post, I'll share our boating adventures!