For Scott’s Mom’s birthday ...
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| Betty Stevens |
... we were stumped on what
to give her. She’s 88 and she’s trying to reduce clutter, rather than add to
it. So, knowing she likes to travel (she was on our four-generation Grand
Teton/Yellowstone adventure last year -- blog on that starts with this one) ...
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| Yellowstone, 2014 |
.... the “gift” was that I would accompany her on a trip.
We decided on New England for a couple of reasons:
#1. It’s where her ancestors originally settled. Yes, they
really were in the Plymouth Colony, followed by emigration to Cape Cod, Boston
and Acadia before many were deported to Nova Scotia for being Tories during the
Revolutionary War (I feel I should mention here that my ancestors were
Patriots; a point somewhat negated by the fact that they were also Confederates).
Some of Betty’s ancestors eventually moved back to the U.S. Her dad grew up in
Worcester and she has relatives on the Cape (more on that later).
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| Back to her roots |
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| One of my favorite things |
So, in mid-July, we set off for New England. We flew to
Boston (including a well-executed 20-minute connection in D.C., where we
literally walked off one plane right onto another). We rented a car and drove
immediately (in rain) to Wood’s Hole for our first night. After the rain
cleared, it was a lovely, breezy evening. We had a yummy fish ‘n chips (with
veggies and fruit, respectively, instead of chips) at The Landfall
Restaurant. Our table was right by the
dock and I have no idea why I didn’t take any pictures. It was a lovely start
to our trip. We did go back later for some night shots of the restaurant.
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| First night |
The next morning was our ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard.
Originally, I had planned to spend the night on MV, but hotels in July were #1.
all booked up and #2. crazy expensive ($400+ a night). So, we took the car
ferry and planned to spend the whole day.
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| The trip over was a bit foggy ... |
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| ... but the day turned lovely |
Having a car is a great idea – many people just take the
ferry as passengers, but there is so much to see that requires wheels.
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| Not our best trip |
I had been to MV once before – a disastrous weekend trip in the late 1990s with two teenage daughters who (uncharacteristically) didn’t want to go and
bitingly cold March weather.
We went home after one night. So, summer with a
willing companion was great.
The picture was one of the more pleasant and less windy moments.
Martha's Vineyard is an affluent summer colony on an island
south of Cape Cod. At 100 square miles, it is the 58th largest island in the U.S.
and the third largest on the East Coast, after Long Island and Mount Desert
Island (where we were headed later). Not connected to the mainland by bridge or
tunnel, access is by plane or, most commonly, ferry.
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| Harbor |
The year-round population
is 16,000+, but in the summer it swells to more than 100,000.
Originally inhabited by the Wampanoag, it was called Noepe,
or "land amid the streams." By 1764, the Wampanoag population of more
than 3,000 had dropped to 313. Today there is a substantial Wampanoag
population, mainly located in the town of Aquinnah.
Its name came from a smaller island to the south that
English Explorer Bartholomew Gosnold named in 1602 after his mother-in-law or
his second child, both named Martha. The name was later transferred to the
main island.
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| Sea, grass and sand |
English settlement began when Thomas Mayhew of Watertown, Mass., purchased Martha's
Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands from two English "owners;" he had friendly relations with
the Wampanoags and continued to honor their
land rights. His son began the first English settlement in 1642 at Great Harbor
(later Edgartown).
Martha's Vineyard was brought to prominence in the 19th
century by the whaling industry, which flourished until oil was discovered in Pennsylvania. After the railroad came to Woods Hole in
1872, summer residences began to develop on the island.
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| Lots of nice vacation homes |
When we arrived, we drove to Oak Bluffs to see the lovely
historic gingerbread houses of the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association
(MVCMA), also known as "Wesleyan Grove."
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| Smaller and cuter |
MVCMA grew out of the
religious "campmeeting" movement of the 19th century. The early week-long meetings were rustic, held at different places each
year and included prayer meetings and preaching morning, noon and night.
Wesleyan Grove, one of the largest and best-known campmeeting
sites in the country, grew from nine tents in 1835 to 570 in 1868. Until
1855 this Methodist campmeeting was exclusively religious, but participants also began to
enjoy the benefit of the sea air and social interaction, children began to attend
prayer and church meetings, people began to stay for longer periods and small
buildings were erected. Eventually, the campground became an organized community.
Between 1859 and 1864, the unique "Martha's
Vineyard" cottage was developed at Wesleyan Grove. There were about 40 cottages
in 1864 and 500 by 1880; approximately 318 cottages remain.
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| There were 40 cottages in 1864; 500 by 1880; approximately 318 cottages remain |
The core of the
area forms a circle.
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| Lovely houses with filigree detail ... |
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| ... gorgeous flowers ... |
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| ... and "wildlife" ... |
It is a bit
odd sightseeing while residents and renters enjoy their breakfasts, but what
can you do?
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| Eating on the porch |
After Oak Bluffs, we headed to Edgartown, where Betty’s
ancestors had lived. It is a fairly bustling town, with lovely homes, flowers,
narrow streets and not much easy parking. Beaches are often private and can be
hard to access, but we did make a stop near Chappaquidick ...
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| Cooling my toes |
... and also near the
Edgartown Light ...
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| A small lighthouse |
Then, we drove across the island, searching for the red
cliffs and beaches. But, with limited parking and long walks across dunes, we
just did a bit of sightseeing, ending up in Menemsha Harbor in Chilmark ...
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| A quick look at the dockside |
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| A fish market with giant lobsters |
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| The local beach |
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| A bronze statue near the harbor entrance that commemorates harpoon swordfishing |
Menemsha was a center of swordfishing.
Lunch was a challenge. There aren’t many restaurants on the
Chilmark side of the island. We ended up eating a picnic in the car.
Although we allotted a whole day to MV, we were finished by
early afternoon. So, we caught an earlier ferry and headed back “home” to
Wood’s Hole, where we had another lovely dinner at a restaurant named Captain Kidd’s.
Trip date: July 12-25, 2015
