Martha's Vineyard -- A Ferry to Nantucket

OK, I'm a sucker for boats. Can't resist them. So when Rick had business on Nantucket I was thrilled to join him!

Our visit started on the ferry from Oak Bluffs to Nantucket. It was a perfect day. Even sitting at the pier waiting to board was fun!

Life was just getting going in the harbor and we enjoyed watching it come to life.

          

The ride was lovely. We sat on the top deck, hair blowing and chatting with our new friends of the hour -- a fashion designer from New York and a young couple from Westchester County, NY. Finally we saw Nantucket come into view.

 

We looked a bit disheveled when we landed -- boat hair! But we weren't alone.

 

To be perfectly honest, Nantucket, which I explored on my own while Rick was working, didn't knock me out. I suspect this is partly because my feet were my transportation.



Once I got through the shopping streets, I wasn't quite sure where to go or what to do. There wasn't enough time for the whaling museum and I wasn't dressed for the beach. I suspect if I knew about a bus tour or could have toured the whole island, I'd have a different experience. For the most part, it was a lot of cute shops and I'd been to a lot of equally cute (and redundant) shops for the past few days. But I did enjoy seeing some of the landmarks around town.



I was glad I'd worn my tennies because the cobblestone streets were treacherous! Charming, but treacherous!

Below is the library. A handsome and historical building where Frederick Douglass spoke against slavery. Nantucket did have quite a history during the Civil War.

On the far side of the library was a lovely garden, designed for readers to enjoy their books outside. I had stopped at the bookstore for a Louise Penny mystery and did exactly that!

And I found the statue outside this church lovely.

It was interesting to learn how far I was from home. I'm really not sure the distance to Mackinac Island was correct -- but I loved the sign!

The thrift shop offered a few good buys and it was fun to see new things. Had I better transportation, I might have ended up in a bit of trouble with some larger pieces! As it was a candle snifter and some postcards were my souvenirs.

There were lots of galleries and I liked this painting (for obvious reasons!).

I enjoyed a nice lunch at Brotherhood of Thieves -- reasonably priced for the area ($15 for mussels in a wonderful wine and butter broth with sausage, onions and tomatoes and a garlicky bread.)



I took a little time to do some sketching too. I'll show that later when I get my art act together but this is the scene.

The streets and buildings were quaint and I suspect some of these will show up in art work eventually, too. I loved the wandering.

This pretty wreath reminded me of the season -- Labor Day approaching!

Rick and I met up at a restaurant called Straight Wharf for dinner, prior to our ferry departure.



We both had the grilled black bass with a glass of the pinot grigio (a generous pour served in Mason jars). It was both delicious and memorable.

And of course, there is always a sign or two that reminds you who you are.

And that you're not anywhere near home!

But for me, the best part of the day might be yet to come! Stay tuned!