Nantucket - 21-25 Aug 2014

After a 10 hour “drive” from Newport, we finally arrived in Nantucket. Locally called ACK (the airport code).

We dropped the hook on the south side of the harbor and it’s been holding. Only .6nm to the Town Dock to tie up the dink.

 

Roughly 14 mi by 3.5 mi, it was the whaling capital of the world from the mid-1700s to the late 1830s.  Whaling ships from here would travel around the Cape to hunt whales in the Pacific. Local whalers were the first to explore the coast of Antarctica. The crews were a varied bunch hailing from the Colonies, the Azores, Cape Verde, England, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. Quakers arrived around 1700 (to get away from the Puritans) and they represented the largest religious group.  The island still celebrates individuality and embraces all lifestyles and cultures.   It’s a great place to do nothing or shop, visit museums and historic sites, bike, play tennis, visit the beach, bird watch, surf, sail, eat, golf, fish, you name it.

We started our visit at the Whaling Museum to catch up on the island history.  Our tickets also included entrance to several historic sites. We especially enjoyed the Oldest House (1686), the Old Wind Mill (1746 and still in operation), the Fire Hose Cart House, the Sankaty Head Lighthouse, and the Brant Point Lighthouse.

Brant Pt Light

Old Mill

Oldest House 1686

Sankaty Head Light

                     

The folding bikes have been a dream-come-true. Our set-up technique is improving and it only takes a few minutes to unpack and hit the road. The cobblestone roads downtown were not much fun but there are bike trails all over the island.

 Yesterday we rode 7 miles out to 'Sconset; a quaint little village on the east end. We had planned to take the bus back, as each bus has 2 bike racks, but when it arrived the bike racks were full.  We rode back to town on a different path.  It’s mostly flat with gentle rolling hills. Even Jo wasn’t complaining too much.

  

 

Main Street, Nantucket

Great hedge!

Built by Whaling Captain

This morning the wind was blowing 14-17kts so stayed home and didn’t head into town until 1300. Did a little sight-seeing and then hung out at the library (wifi!).  The other day we had some delicious Roasted Red Pepper Soup at the Rose and Crown Pub so we went back for MORE! Yum. A big black cloud came out of nowhere and we hunkered down at the Pub. Oddly, no rain.

 

 Did I mention shopping? Of course I had to score a pair of famous “Nantucket Reds.”

 

Joelle keeps reminding me it’s ok to do nothing all day. We are not on vacation.  This is our life now and we can stay home and read and watch movies and work on the computer and do chores around “the house.” 

We have to pace ourselves! 

Island time’s a pissah.