A Week With Obama: The Vineyard
I've done Nantucket a few times, so this summer we decided to switch it up and visit the other preppy island off the southern coast of Cape Cod: Martha's Vineyard. It's an almost refreshing dynamic of wealthy liberals and amusing millennials, all combined onto this island full of farmhouses, lighthouses and President's summer houses. Here's what I think of this place, and what you should do on the island to thrive.
Getting In And Around
It's a quick ferry ride from multiple ports along the south coast of Cape Cod, but we just flew over from New York. It's a quick 45 minute flight into the airport, which is located right smack in the middle of the island. The airport is basically an average-sized home with a small check-in area, a gift shop, one security line, two gates (and outdoor waiting areas), a restaurant, and some port-a-potties. It's super cute though, just don't count on having much to entertain you if you get there too early or have a delay.
Jetway at the airport
The best way to explore the island is without a doubt on a bike. Rent one for the entire duration and explore as much of the island as possible. Getting between towns, particularly Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, on bike is a very enjoyable experience with several points of interest along the way. Getting a car is also crucial though, don't get me wrong. Biking around at night after dinner is not ideal, and while there are taxis and Ubers available on the island, having your own car to take back and forth from your own rental house is super convenient.
This is the best way to get around the island-bike paths are aplenty and there isn't much elevation change.
Stay
When it comes to staying on Martha's Vineyard, your options for hotels are somewhat limited, so the best way to have an enjoyable stay is to find a rental home. There are hundreds all over the island, each with its own unique characteristics depending on what you are looking for in a house. We were able to find a house that was a 10-minute walk from Edgartown with a great pool and backyard.
Not a bad place to stay in-houses like this are widely available on many platforms to book, and are probably the best way to experience the true essence of the island.
Oak Bluffs: This is where you go on the island for good, inexpensive fun. This town felt more geared towards tourists which visit in massive heaps during the summer with multiple streets filled with hole-in-the-wall bars, waterfront restaurants, massive parks, and the country's first merry-go-round. Everything here is slightly cheesy and geared to a generally speaking lower end demographic. And I say lower end with a bit of reluctancy because quite frankly, low-end here is pretty damn high end in the grand scheme of things. But when compared to Edgartown, Oak Bluffs is a much more fun, rowdy, and touristy.
This massive park serves as the city's foreground and is a great place for a picnic or to throw some ball.
Edgartown: Stay near Edgartown if you want a more laid-back, higher end style vacation. The stores, restaurants and bars here are almost exclusively fantastic. I don't think we had any negative experience anywhere in this town. Parking was simple, unlike Oak Bluffs, and the demographic was casually high-end I would call it. Edgartown is smaller, but as a result felt more personal and quaint, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Edgartown is full of hidden surprises, like this little cafe called "Behind the Bookstore"
Winnetu Oceanside Resort: We stayed in a house near Edgartown, but if we had a choice of where to stay had we wanted to stick to hotels, the Winnetu Oceanside Resort would be out best bet. Wonderful restaurants, expansive grounds, friendly staff and a prime location make this a top notch hotel on the island.
Eat
When we weren't cooking our own meals, we had a myriad of options to gain weight on the island. Martha's Vineyard has very healthy and wholesome habits when it comes to their food and where it is sourced, so you are guaranteed to have a fresh and tasty meal anywhere around the island.
Breakfast: The Right Fork Diner
Yep, this is in fact the Airpark, complete with grass runways!
Located right next to the Katama Airpark, this little restaurant serves up great island-style breakfast, of course with all ingredients locally sourced. It's a great spot to bring the kids because the surrounding area is filled with entertainment for the little ones such as planes, backyard games, and shops for the parents as well. Its also a great spot for people who loves planes with bi-planes landing and taking off approximately every 15 minutes. So if you love kids and planes, make your way to the Right Fork Diner. If you don't like either (which means you must be a somewhat weird person), you still gotta have the most important meal of the day, and the food here won't disappoint.
Quintessential east coast spot, great for families.
Lunch: The Seafood Shanty, The Aquinnah Shop Restaurant
The Seafood Shanty was our first stop during our visit to Martha's Vineyard, and it was a great introduction to the vibes of the island. Known to have one of the best lobster rolls on the island, we were left with simply no other choice but to enjoy lobster rolls on a wooden deck overlooking a quintessential east coast harbor covered in sailboats and American flags. Located in Edgartown, this is a must visit for its views and rolls, so don't miss out on The Seafood Shanty.
The Seafood Shanty is a large restaurant located harbor-side.
On the complete other side of the island, The Aquinnah Shop Restaurant is dramatically perched over the Aquinnah cliffs, serving for a great spot to enjoy a nice burger and even better views. This is probably the most picturesque part of Martha's Vineyard with massive cliffs flanking secluded beaches and crystal clear water. The food and service at The Aquinnah Shop doesn't take anything away from the view at all, so the 45 minute drive from Edgartown is completely worth it.
Talk about meal with a view! Makes every bite that much better.
Dinner: Alchemy, Detente
Located on Main Street, Alchemy offers a large space to enjoy fine dining. It's your stereotypical fancy shmancy restaurant except its not. What I mean is that even though it has a grand feel and expensive food and waiters wearing suits and dresses, there's isn't an arrogant or stuffy vibe. It's a testament to the island and the dynamic of the people. Martha's Vineyard almost forces everyone to just chill out and remain low key-but then again it could be the great food putting everyone to sleep...who knows.
Alchemy is spread out on two levels with an atrium in the center allowing for connection between levels.
Detene is another great spot in Edgartown. Its no surprise why it is one of former President Barack Obama's favorite restaurant on this island (which he frequents every years or so). It's a small restaurant that feels more personal because of how quaint it is. The flavors are anything but quaint though, as they are bold takes on American fare. Located just off Main Street in a small courtyard, Detene is slightly difficult to find but worth the navigating for the great flavors and superb service.
This is the courtyard where the best small restaurant in Edgartown is located.
Also as a side note, paying homage to the how small and connected the island is, we had the same waiter at both Detente and Alchemy which was entertaining.
Beach
Katama Beach
Fine sand, clear water and clearer skies, along with the occasional plane flying overhead, make this one of the most popular beaches on the island.
Crowded as hell, but for a reason. There's not much else to say. Being a SoCal boy, I find east coast beaches pretty boring and not nearly as beautiful as what I'll find in Laguna Beach, but bias aside, Katama Beach is stunning in its own right, and probably the best on the island when you factor in location, ease of access and general facilities. Just know that you will be hard pressed to find a good spot on the beach if you come during the summer and especially if you come during a summer weekend.
This was one of the rare moments where the crowds gave way to the natural beauty of Katama Beach.
Joseph Sylvia State Beach
Located between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, Joseph Sylvia State Beach is nestled between a cove littered with mansions and the calm Cow Bay. Its a beautiful spot for a couple hour break between the main towns of the island. Plus, you can get your blood pumping and jump off a 20 foot bridge and into the waters where they filmed Jaws.
The cove side of the beach, where we saw multiple fishermen along with some wake boarders.
See
Aquinnah Cliffs
You can walk up to the top where the spotlight is in this lighthouse, which gets seriously got but is pretty interesting nonetheless.
Like I said earlier, this part of the island is definitely the most picturesque and stunning, with large cliffs hanging over beautiful beaches. There isn't much civilization on this side of the island, so it feels much more real and in touch with nature. Take a detour and walk through a collection of shops that show the history and culture of the island, or walk up to the top of the light house (albeit for a rather annoying $5 entry fee) to see some great views of the Western end of Martha's Vineyard. You can make a day trip out of this area, and it would be completely worth it.
The seclusion of the beaches out here means that nude sunbathing is actually allowed-if you're into that. I focused on the island's natural beauty though, didn't want to distract anyone with my own natural beauty.
Morning Glory Farm
Visiting farms around the island is a must-do, especially if you are staying in a house. But regardless, these farms are beautiful and usually have great gardens and animals to provide entertainment for the kids. Or, you can do what I did, and try the 12 different types of Kombucha on tap and wonder why the hell anyone drinks that shit.
Farms like this are scattered all around the island. Morning Glory happened to be the closest to our rental home, and it provided all that we needed and more!
Martha's Vineyard is a great place to visit for some nice R&R just off the east coast. If you can't chill out here, then you can't chill out anywhere in the world. Coming here immediately after my summer in Asia was so necessary, and it really brought me back down to earth after the high of traveling all around a new continent. Whether you chose to go to Nantucket or Martha's vineyard, you'll find that both provide great beaches and amazing restaurants, but the difference is that Martha's vineyard brings the added element of a second town, adding a more fun and rowdy dynamic to the island, so keep that in mind when deciding which island to visit. Neither will be a bad choice, I can tell you that for sure!