In relation to New England resort cities, Nantucket is commonly thought of the top—or, dare we are saying, the nice white whale—of East Coast summer time getaways. It’s a becoming fame contemplating Nantucket initially rose to prominence because the whaling capital of the world (and its central function in Moby-Dick). Because the whaling trade started to say no within the late nineteenth century, nevertheless, the island emerged as a preferred trip vacation spot. At the moment, Nantucket is called a preppy playground on the Atlantic Ocean—the coastal grandmother aesthetic thrived on the island lengthy earlier than it began trending on TikTok.
Nantucket is almost not possible to get to, however its relative inaccessibility solely serves to additional emphasize its exclusivity. As of 1969, Newport is accessible by bridge (a lot to outdated cash’s chagrin), Cape Cod by automobile (agonizing Route 6 site visitors however), and Martha’s Winery, its nearest competitor, is simply seven miles off the Massachusetts coast. Nantucket, against this, is thirty nautical miles out to sea, or a roughly two-hour conventional ferry journey. Whereas direct flights to the island have expanded lately, the ever-present fog that offers Nantucket its nickname, “The Gray Girl,” typically thwarts air vacationers. (This hasn’t deterred the rising fleet of personal plane at Nantucket Memorial.)
However, on Nantucket, you settle for the chaos of the weather—the fog, the rain, the Atlantic winds—as a part of the expertise. Once you land on the island, you actually really feel you’ve arrived, coming into a veritable paradise surrounded by miles of ocean and acres of golden seashores. A lot of Nantucket’s magnificence comes from its simplicity: purple hydrangeas lining grey shingled cottages, sand-strewn roads winding by way of sea-green seashore grass. The uniformly charming structure is by design—as a Nationwide Historic Landmark, each home is topic to architectural laws. Therefore, Nantucket-style cedar shingles and pitched roofs predominate, and the quaint, cobblestone streets draw the East Coast elite from Washington, D.C., to Boston for annual pilgrimages.
Many seasonal residents keep away from the crowded summer time season, choosing different peak (off-peak) occasions of 12 months, together with scalloping season, which is feted with a Scalloper’s Ball in early October, together with the Christmas Stroll in December, and Daffodil Competition in April. But, there’s nonetheless a wild magic to Nantucket that’s ready to be found in the summertime, its wind-swept magnificence greatest appreciated removed from the maddening crowds. (And it’s not the Hamptons, so strive to not get wrapped up within the social climbing prevalent on the South Fork of Lengthy Island.)
My journeys to Nantucket have advanced through the years, from highschool crusing journeys, to school reunion weekends, to share-house slumming, to the visitor cottages of household mates. I’ve visited a dozen occasions, in all seasons and circumstances, and have compiled one of the best locations to dine, keep and play on Nantucket. The island could also be solely 14 miles lengthy and three.5 miles extensive, however there’s greater than sufficient to satiate the weekend explorer far longer than Thursday to Monday. After one go to, you’ll already need to come bACK.
