So Much To See Out To Sea
The local weather report today told us we were in for a “pleasant” day and that was true, not only of the weather. We were headed out to sea, a 50 minute ride on the fast ferry, to the isolated little island of Nantucket – a glittering Atlantic jewel – off the coast of Cape Cod.
We made the ferry by the skin of our teeth, boarding ourselves and our bikes just in the nick of time! The very modern (very fast) ferry had a great café onboard where we got some brekky and chatted with some lovely people from the Netherlands. As we entered the pretty little harbour, we were transported back in history; a ring of Cape Cod grey, shingled houses lining the bay. With not a neon sign or a traffic light in sight, this island, steeped in maritime history, had such a quaint feel to it. We rode our bikes along the cobblestone streets (wishing our bike seats weren’t quite so unforgiving on our behinds!), heading for the beach. The footpaths were paved with bricks of all shapes and sizes, the patterns changing regularly and the paths undulating and arching where they had succumbed to burgeoning tree roots through the years.
Nantucket’s rich whaling heritage is evident wherever you look, with street signs, décor and the whaling museum strong reminders of its whaling past. Oil from the sought after sperm whales that frequented the warm Atlantic waters around Nantucket was used to light lamps in the early days of the island. Once kerosene took over, whaling began to die out, which was certainly preferable than the whales themselves dying out! Now the island’s main income is derived from tourism.
Obviously being an island, there were plenty of beaches to choose from. We could have chosen from any number of the sheltered harbour beaches but one on the map, called “Surfside”, caught our eye. We were hoping, as the name indicated, there’d be some surf there to enjoy. Nantucket caters really well for cyclists and there are dedicated scenic bike paths crisscrossing its breadth. We rode the 2 mile, wide path that led to the beach in no time at all. The beach was stunning and just like Cape Cod, was surrounded by huge grey-shingled houses and beautiful gardens full of brightly coloured hydrangeas. The surf wasn’t great but at least it was there and Sam had a ball getting slammed in the gnarly shorey and catching all the action on his GoPro! He was savouring the surf and realised it will probably be his last time catching a wave until he pops home for Christmas in December. I was amazed that apart from one guy on a stand-up paddle board, there wasn’t one surfboard in sight. There were plenty of people on the beach though and lots of people cooling down in the ocean, despite the very large warning sign posted at the top of the walkway warning of Great White Sharks frequenting these waters! The beach had a snack bar – the Beach Shack – where you could actually get “crabby patties” and crustless sandwiches. Maisy would’ve loved it! We hired a beach umbrella with an ingenious shovel-ended stick. You dig a hole with the shovel and then screw it sideways so it is anchored in the sand. Brilliant!
We could have stayed there all day but there was so much to see on Nantucket we thought we probably should make the most of it. We cycled back along the path and visited some of the historic sites as we went, including the Mill House windmill and “Greater Light”, a home converted from a barn back in the 1920s by two eccentric Quaker sisters which is meticulously preserved. It was pretty modern for its time and the sisters, who were both artists, had been collectors of quirky things they’d found in their travels and had incorporated them into their design. It was a great place! We had a guided tour but the first girl who was leading us through got the absolute giggles when Sam ran into a chair and lost his balance. She was laughing so much she had to hand us over to the other lady because she just couldn’t get a grip! It was pretty funny. Suellen, our new guide, was great and told us all the stories related to this page of Nantucket’s history book. She also told Sam he had the longest eyelashes she’d seen!
We also visited the fire hose cart house, built 40 years after the Great Nantucket Fire of 1846, which destroyed most of the downtown Nantucket area (but fortunately and miraculously no-one was killed). Built to house the hose carts and pumps of its time, this is the last remaining structure of its kind in Nantucket and still houses 2 vintage hose carts today. It couldn’t be drawn by a horse, because the fire would often freak the horse out, so it had to be wheeled to the fire by 20 men! It would’ve weighed a ton! Some things you just take for granted today.
Nantucket is home to a surfeit of museums and, had I been on my own, I probably would have put in a showing at all of them. Sam was not really as keen as I so we settled on one, the Nantucket Lightship and Basket Museum. Baskets are big in Nantucket and lots of houses have little baskets on the walls next to their front doors. There must be some significance historically but we’ll never know now because unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for Sam!) it was already closed when we got there. I guess there’s always Google. Never mind, there was a beautiful leafy lawn out the front so we stretched out, weary (and sore) from our big day in the saddle and enjoyed the shade of the fruit-laden apple trees. Well at least we think they were apple trees. The fruit looked like apples and so I picked one off and ate it and it tasted like an apple. Gee I hope it was an apple and that I don’t get some sort of poisoning from a rare toxic fruit that masquerades as an apple, found only on the remote island of Nantucket. Only time will tell.
Nantucket is a shopper’s paradise; its cobblestone streets lined with scores of unique boutiques and emporiums – not a chain store to be found – selling jewellery, clothes, artwork and local crafts. Antique stores are also prolific and although the shops are delightful to browse in, you’d have to almost mortgage your house just to afford a postcard here! Definitely not the place if you’re looking for a bargain!
We had some dinner and made our way to Brant Point to see the historic lighthouse and watch the sunset over the beach. The lighthouse was gorgeous and it was such a beautiful place to be when the sun dipped down behind the horizon. There were a couple of wedding parties having their photos taken and Sam made one family’s day when he took a beautiful photo of their family which they said they’ll use on their Christmas cards this year!
We rode home from the ferry wharf tonight feeling quite exhausted but we’d had such a fantastic day.
