Saturday, July 14, 2012

Kelley House, Martha's Vineyard



Kelley House, is the near the marina in Edgartown, and is a perfect location for any Martha's Vineyard vacation.  This hotel has top notch service from the minute you're greeted by the doorman to the interaction you may have with the staff throughout your stay.

They have their own parking lots, which comes in handy in a place like Edgartown.  Each morning, there's coffee, tea and muffins available, and at night, cookies and milk are also made available to all guests.

The rooms are quite spacious, they're clean and the beds are very comfortable.  Each day the housekeeping staff did an excellent job on keeping the room clean.

Another pleasant surprise is that in each room they put 2 re-usable water bottles for guests to keep as a souvenir.

All guests should note that there are no elevators in the building, so you will need to take the stairs if you have an upper room floor.  Anyone who cannot handle stairs should check with the hotel before booking to see if they can make arrangements for you.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Mad Martha's Ice Cream


Mad Martha's, with lines at all hours of the day, is in all the major towns of Martha's Vineyard, including Edgartown, Oak Bluffs & Vineyard Haven.  They have numerous flavors (all available to sample) and the ones we tried were delicious, including the delectable Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.  There are reasons this place is always crowded and it's definitely worth any wait for their tasty treats.

Note though, that they are cash only.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Flying Horses Carousel


For just a couple bucks, you can ride the historic Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.  This is considered to be the oldest carousel in America and the horses' hair comes from actual horse hair.  On the ride, you have the (easy) opportunity to grab some brass rings, which entitles you to another free ride, one free ride per rider is allowed.  However, one spin around the carousel is enough to satiate most adult's desires for the ride.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Gingerbread Cottages


The picturesque gingerbread cottages of the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association are quite a sight to see.  These houses are brightly colored with various types of designs on them.  You'll find butterflies, hearts, flowers and other random objects painted on these houses.  The colors range from hot pink to sky blue and are all quite compact allowing you to easily walk through the neighborhood and see them in a short period of time.

There is also the Cottage Museum here, built inside one of these houses (The only one you can access, unless you feel like asking someone who owns a house if you can go inside).  The museum is a bit lackluster as there really isn't too much to see in it.  Upstairs you'll see some artifacts from the days when these houses were first erected, but beyond that, not much else.  However, for only $2, at least you don't feel like you lost too much money to step inside.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Gayhead Cliffs, Aquinnah Cliffs


The Aquinnah Cliffs, formerly the Gayhead Cliffs, are located at the far west side of Martha's Vineyard.  At this point, there are plenty of kitschy gift shop options, as well as some quick dining options and a beach.  However, the highlight are the cliffs, and there's an overlook giving people a great viewing point to see them. While there really isn't much else to do in this area, it's worth the approximately half-hour drive from the main tourist spots, like Edgartown, to see the cliffs.  There is plenty of parking in the area, also, making it easy to access.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Mytoi Garden



Chappaquiddick Island is located adjacent to Martha's Vineyard island, but only a short (1 minute) ferry trip away.  The ferry can be accessed either by foot, bicycle or car.  However, if you wish to explore past the beach at the ferry port, a car or bicycle is definitely needed.

One of the highlights of exploring this secluded island is seeing Mytoi Garden.  This garden has a Japanese style and is very peaceful to walk through.  In the lake in the middle are snapping turtles and there are various forms of botany in the garden.  This is a place that doesn't get as many visitors as it deserves due to its seclusion, but because of that, it makes it a better place to visit and is highly recommended.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

South Beach, Martha's Vineyard



Martha's Vineyard has no shortage of beach options for visitors.  During our stay, we spent a few hours at South Beach, which is just a few miles south of Edgartown with ample parking.  This peaceful beach is quite nice with soft sand and only mildly sized crowds that were very laid back.  The waves were slightly rough, not exactly the type you can only put your feet in without getting the rest of your body wet, but it was a very nice and clean ocean (unlike other parts of the country...I'm looking at you Jersey shore).

If beach time is something you're looking for while visiting Martha's Vineyard, this is an excellent choice!