Category Archives: Aquinnah

Activities, Aquinnah, Chappaquiddick, Chilmark, Edgartown, Families, Food, Kids, Martha's Vineyard, Menemsha, MV Rentals, Vineyard Beaches

Ten Must Do’s During Your Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Week

December 17, 2008 1 Comment

A week on Martha’s Vineyard can pass in the blink of an eye. There is so much beautiful scenery and so many activities you could fill many weeks with great experiences. Here are a few that you should consider. Even if you just want to lounge at the beach, take some time to travel to various beaches and enjoy the sites along the way!

Chilmark Chocolates
Aquinnah Shops
Menemsha Sunset w/ Lobsters on the Beach
State Beach bridge jumping
Kayak with the Trustees – Cape Pogue (chappaquiddick)
Tour a Lighthouse
Shop for fresh veggies at Morning Glory Farm or West Tisbury Farmers Market
Walk on the beach and then Ice Cream in town one or more evening(s)
Carousel in Oak Bluffs, even if you don’t have kids, take a ride!
Biking from town to town

Hope to see you out there next season!

Aquinnah, Chappaquiddick, Chilmark, Edgartown, Families, Martha's Vineyard, MV Rentals, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Beaches, Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury

When Should You Book Your Vineyard Vacation?

November 25, 2008 3 Comments

On Martha’s Vineyard, we begin booking rental homes for the following season before the current one ends! Many families decide they like coming to the island every year for a least one week. If they like the rental property they are staying in, and know they will be back, it makes sense for them to commit to the same house while they are here.

Rental home bookings continue through the fall and right up until the beginning of the season. Critical things to consider when trying to decide when to book your vacation home:

Most owners know whether their repeat tenants are coming back by the end of September. If you are a new tenant or looking to change houses it may be difficult to get a commitment prior to that.
Steamship Authority (vehicle ferry) opens up ticket sales for the summer months around mid January. Tickets sell out quickly for the weekend turnover days during the season.
January is a strong booking month because of the ferry ticket sales and many popular houses will book up quickly.
Rental homes are listed through out the season, to a certain degree, making last minutes bookings a strong possibility.

All in all, you should consider booking your Martha’s Vineyard vacation home ahead of time, especially, if you have specific criteria, price and dates in mind. If you can be somewhat flexible, any time is a good time! We have a house for you with over 500 listings in our inventory.

Aquinnah, Martha's Vineyard, Shopping

What is Wampum and Why is it Special to Martha’s Vineyard

October 23, 2008 1 Comment

Wampum, that beautiful, purpley, white bead, has very significant meaning and the shells it is made from are abundant on Martha’s Vineyard.

The term Wampum comes from a word “wampumpeag”, which in Narraganset, most literally means “white string of beads”.

Wampum beads are made in two colors: white, “Wòmpi”, beads from the whelk and purple-black ,“Súki”, beads from the growth rings of the Quahog shell.

It was originally used by Indigenious Americans, Native Americans and traders as a form of currency. In the year 1637 the Massachusetts General Court officially announced that 6 beads were equal to one penny.

Wampum was also commonly used to pay taxes. But Wampum was certainly used for more than just money. It was very symbolic and often used for engagements, marriages, ceremony and condolence ceremonies. The creamy white colored shell beads of the symbolized internal energies of peace, harmony, and contentment. In fact, the traditional wedding band of the Wampanoag is made of white Wampum.

Sadly, Wampum can no longer be used to pay taxes, but on Martha’s Vineyard, the jewelry created with Wampum by the Wampanoag Tribe is a treasured resource. While Wampum is available across the island, it’s worth the ride to Aquinnah, the home of the Wampanoag and the most beautiful Wampum designs I’ve seen.