We landed just after 10 a.m., and as we deplaned, the familiar smell of the tarmac flooded my senses and a huge wave of memories came back to me. Parking planes is kind of cool when you think about it.
I spent many hours on this tarmac
Ironically, I didn't actually go into the airport because of construction, but I was near it!
MVY
I'd rented a bike in Oak Bluffs, so I had to figure out how to get from the airport to OB. MVTA has a free bus service this summer. Great.
I got to OB around 11 a.m., picked up my bike from All Star Bike Rentals (great service and bike—would recommend), and immediately set out for Edgartown. I didn't spend much time in OB because 18 years ago it was my least favorite of the Vineyard towns. It's cute and has dozens (hundreds?) of unique little wooden gingerbready-style homes, but the clock was ticking and I didn't want to waste time faffing about in an area that held less significance to me than other sites on the island. That said, when/if I return to the island and plan on overnight lodging, OB is almost certainly the only place on the island that I'll be able to afford.
MV has great bike trails that run through and around the island. I hugged the shoreline heading southeast from OB to Edgartown, which brought me past Joseph Sylvia State Beach, Jaws Bridge, and the Caroline Tuthill Wildlife Preserve. My visit could have ended there and I would have felt satisfied. I did pause my bike ride to jump off of Jaws Bridge. The water felt great, and I managed to retain my ring and my Apple Watch.
The Oak Bluffs gazebo
The Flying Horses - nation's oldest carousel
View of the shore from OB
Bike path from OB to Edgartown
Jaws Bridge
Post-Jaws Bridge jump
Lunch spot in Edgartown
View from my lunch spot
View from my lunch spot
Stuffed quahogs and a glass of prosecco because I'm a fancy lass
Edgartown lighthouse
Typical Edgartown architecture
Many Edgartown homes have hydrangeas in the yard
I just finished my meal, and the next quest is ice cream in Vineyard Haven. 2.5 hours left on the island before I have to get to the OB ferry. Too much to see and not enough time.
I made the (somewhat) long ride down Vineyard Haven–Edgartown Road (through the interior of the island) to Vineyard Haven. On the way to VH, one crappy thing that happened on my bike ride. I stopped at a crosswalk to get access to a bike lane. A car stopped to let me cross. The car behind them did not. Crunch. Everyone was okay, but the car will need a new bumper. Woof. The opposite of a fender bender is getting an affogato from Mad Martha's Ice Cream in VH, so I did that.
Mad Martha's Ice Cream in VH
Proof I was actually there
I forgot how cute VH is. VH is also home to some of the most well-known iconic MV clothing stores, namely Vineyard Vines and The Black Dog. All MV stores are comically expensive, but when you hit the kids' sale clothing rack and can fit into an XL, you can afford a hoodie and a pair of shorts. The seersucker bowtie and island slacks will have to wait. I had also planned on replacing my Nantucket Reds on this visit, only to discover that Murray's on the Vineyard closed years ago. Bummer.
After affogato-ing and shopping the kids' sale racks, I hopped on the bike one last time to return to Oak Bluffs, where I returned the bike, said farewell to the island, and boarded the 3 p.m. ferry to Woods Hole.
Not pictured: kids XL hoodie
Black Dog campus in VH
Black Dog campus in VH
7:09 p.m.
My day on the Vineyard has come to a close, and I'm on the bus with about 10 minutes remaining before we arrive at Boston South Station.
[more in part 3]
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