Category Archives: Quiet Getaways

Activities, Families, Martha's Vineyard, Quiet Getaways, Vineyard Beaches

Places to Explore on Martha’s Vineyard: Sheriff’s Meadow

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It’s spring – and I just can’t stop blogging about all of the glorious places to explore the nature of Martha’s Vineyard. Today, I’m thinking about Sheriff’s Meadow – an incredible organization with beautiful properties sprinkled across the island.

Some of my favorites are Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary, Cedar Tree Neck and Packard Preserve – don’t miss ’em when you come to visit!

The mission of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation is to conserve, administer and manage natural habitats for wildlife, and all other lands that represent the beautiful, rural, natural character of Martha’s Vineyard.

The foundation takes great pride in preserving our island through conservation…and educating our residents and visitors about this precious hunk of land.

Summer 2009 marks the Meadow’s 50th anniversary, they’ll be celebrating on July 20th with a gala edition of their annual summer benefit. Held at the beautiful Allen Farm on the Atlantic Ocean in Chilmark, dinner will be catered by Tea Lane Caterers and feature locally-grown foods – some right from Allen Farm. The party is a special fundraising opportunity for Sheriff’s Meadow, they’re inviting one and all to purchase tickets to the party and to consider becoming a sponsor.  Check the Foundation’s website for more info!

Activities, Edgartown, Events, Families, Food, Kids, Martha's Vineyard, MV Rentals, Oak Bluffs, Quiet Getaways, Shopping, Vineyard Beaches, Vineyard Towns

Village Spotlight: Edgartown

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Image courtesy of asterix611

Before Martha’s Vineyard was an extraordinary summer vacation destination, it was a whaling industry mecca. And, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Edgartown was the whaling hub.

Built around the whaling trade, hundreds of whaling captains constructed beautiful, stately homes in the center of town – along with the picturesque Whaling Church – and today they provide the refined and historical look of the town.

Mainstreet and the close-knit downtown area is full of boutiques, cafes, restaurants, movie theater – along old brick sidewalks. True to the Vineyard, you won’t find any box stores or chains – this is shopping at its one-of-a kind best.

Make sure you make your way down to the harbor…full of beautiful boats and one of the most gorgeous lighthouses I’ve ever seen, the Edgartown Lighthouse, of course.

But, on those sunny days, I suggest you hightail it out of town and head to the beach. You have a few to choose from, but my top picks are:

  • South Beach (surf side) for great waves out in Katama (pronounced Kuh-TAY-muh). Katama is part of Edgartown and it features its own bay and a super beachy feel.
  • State Beach (sound side) is a great kids beach because you can wade right in without worrying about big waves. Also, the trip from car to towel is pretty short which I know is important when you’ve got little ones.

The bike path goes right through town, out to the beach or lets you explore miles of the island through towns and the state forest. Oh, and if you head up-island on the bike trail, make sure to stop at Morning Glory Farm – a wonderful local farm filled with just picked produce, salads, soups and luscious baked goods.

Edgartown is also home to some huge fundraising galas every summer – a great place to really get to know the community and give back to this special island. The most famous, perhaps, is the Possible Dreams Auction where incredible dreams are donated and auctioned off to the highest bidder – all to benefit Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.

Edgartown has the best of both worlds – the hustle and bustle of town and the soulful quiet of the waterfront…

Activities, Edgartown, Food, Kids, Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs, Quiet Getaways, West Tisbury

Biking, Kayaking and Hiking on Martha’s Vineyard

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While everyone knows the Vineyard is beautiful, the beaches get most of the attention. However, the island has miles of bike trails, inlets, ponds & bays and acres of forests and meadows to discover. Unlike most areas of land the size of our island, the topography, climate and environment change often and dramatically as you move across Martha’s Vineyard. To really experience all the island has to offer, I suggest that you bike, kayak and hike whenever you can.

Biking. Some visitors are surprised at how big the island actually is (100 square miles) so unless you’re a super experienced biker, you may not want to try to bike the whole island in one day. While cars are very kind to bikers throughout the island, we also have a wonderful bike path that goes through the towns of Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, including the State Forest.

Kayaking. Getting around in kayaks can be a little tricky but there are some great kayak tours that will get you to the places you wouldn’t be able to go otherwise. The Trustees of the Reservation offer both walking and kayaking adventures on several different parts of the island.

Hiking. Walking, perhaps, lends the most in depth view of the island. You can determine your own pace and you can get as close to the land and its wildlife as possible.  The Vineyard has some amazing places for hikes such as Felix Neck Wildlife Sacutary in Edgartown, Cedar Tree Neck in West Tisbury, spots managed by The Trustees of the Reservation and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission.