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Activities, Chilmark, Families, Kids, Martha's Vineyard, Vineyard Towns

A Dream Trip for Kids on the Black Dog Tall Ships

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This really is like something out of the Goonies…or Pirates of the Caribbean. But, bottom line, I live in the coolest place ever!

Every spring, the 4th and 5th graders at the Chilmark School (and several others!), where my kids spend their days, get to head out for a week-long trip on the Black Dog Tall Ships. It’s possibly one of the most fantastic things about being a kid on Martha’s Vineyard all year round. My son Christopher is on tap for this year’s trip – he is beyond excited.

The teachers incorporate things like math, science, cooking, weather – and even being a good person and pulling your weight – into the trip which is a close-quartered adventure that is absolutely a lesson in community living!

The crew is, of course, passionate about sailing, the boat and the water of Martha’s Vineyard. Check out this video from PlumTV to get the full scoop and see the kids, and the boat, in action.

Martha's Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard LINGO: Up-Island & Down-Island

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On Martha’s Vineyard, we speak our own island language…
When you arrive on the island, you’ll discover quickly that the island has been divided, more or less, into two parts: up-island and down-island.

Up-Island
When you hear someone say ‘up-island,’ they are referring to the towns of West Tisbury, Aquinnah, Chilmark and it’s small fishing harbor, Menemsha. The up-island towns are quiet, quaint and slow with each town center consisting, primarily, of town hall, the library, the post office and a few choice stores, galleries, restaurants and inns.

The houses up-island are spread out and often secluded, and the landscape features forests, rolling hills, farms and beach highlights like the cliffs in Aquinnah. When you’re up-island, you’ll spend time in your car or on your bike fetching groceries and glimpsing civilization…but, only if you want to.

Down-Island
Down-island refers to Edgartown, Vineyard Haven (Tisbury) and Oak Bluffs. These three towns are known for their bustling and unique ‘downtowns’ packed with dynamic shopping, art, food, dining and entertainment. With an abundance of summer traffic, people and cars, their is also an endless list of things to do and see.

While there are quiet beaches to be found, the main down-island beaches, State Beach in Oak Bluffs and South Beach in Edgartown/Katama, are bustling with people, beach games and surf from dawn to dusk.

And…just to make things a little more interesting, there’s a small island off the coast of Edgartown called Chappaquiddick, or ‘Chappy’, that serves as the ‘up-island’ of Edgartown. It’s small and quiet. There aren’t many cars, houses are spread out and the beaches are incredible.