We did just that for an impromptu day trip to Martha’s Vineyard. The reasonably priced Island Queen ferried us from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs under a sunny sky and over calm seas to one of the most visited summer destinations in the North East.
The boat ride alone was worth the trip. Awesome views of the island shoreline as well as the Cape shoreline accompanied us the whole trip across Vineyard Sound. The Island Queen is a 608 passenger ferry with 3 decks, one of them open air, several clean restrooms, and a refreshment counter mid ship. We chose to ride the upper deck for better views and the warming sunshine.
The boat ride alone was worth the trip. Awesome views of the island shoreline as well as the Cape shoreline accompanied us the whole trip across Vineyard Sound. The Island Queen is a 608 passenger ferry with 3 decks, one of them open air, several clean restrooms, and a refreshment counter mid ship. We chose to ride the upper deck for better views and the warming sunshine.
We landed in Oak Bluffs 35 minutes after departing Falmouth. A harbor full of every kind of boat you can imagine, and a pier lined with open air restaurants and bars greeted us with a promise of fun-in-the-sun-summer-livin’. We strolled around town for a bit and had lunch with an appetizer of littlenecks before deciding to take a tour bus to Edgartown. We would explore Oak Bluffs further upon our return.
A scenic 20 minute ride took us along the shoreline and back roads. Edgartown/Oak Bluffs Road has a two mile stretch of thin land separating the ocean from Sengekontacket Pond which was lined end to end with cars as well as pristine beach ocean side. Thousands of people took advantage of the perfect weather basking on the sand and splashing in the surf. Edgartown is just what you expect from an old New England whaling town. Quaint, breezy tree lined streets, houses close together, and an ice cream shop on every corner. An old town hall with huge white pillars, picturesque side streets crowded with private residences and B&B’s that were once sea captain’s mansions. It’s like you’re walking through a post card.
We popped into several shops along the main drag, which eventually led to the harbor. The auto ferry to Chappaquiddick is down here, so we hung around watching the ferry, and people jumping from pier pilings into the water. 
Several people were fishing from the covered picnic area on the pier. We devoured our ice cream while we watched motor yachts cruise in and out of the harbor.When we got back to Oak Bluffs we went on a trek to find the Gingerbread house village. If you’ve never seen them, surely the name will conjure up images of what they look like; charming little cottages with ornate trim, vibrant colors, and tiny yet impeccably kept yards. My pace slowed as Lauren re-enforced the fact that we could not eat them.
The day was winding down, and the boat schedule dictated our departure time. We could have rushed back for the 5:15 ferry, or relaxed on a deck overlooking the harbor sipping drinks while waiting for the 6:45. I’m sure you can guess which boat we took…
It was not an action packed trip, but a perfectly lazy day trip to a beautiful island. The bike trails, beaches, boating and boogie boarding will be for a longer stay down the road. We got home sun kissed, tired and happy. *********************************************************************************
***Congratulations to Kristine M! She was the winner of our blog destination contest, with the excellent suggestion to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore! We will be doing just that, and blogging all about it! Thank you Christine! We're sending you a little token of our appreciation - two round trip tickets to Martha's Vineyard on the Island Queen! Enjoy! :)
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