june on Nantucket

Nantucket in the Spring

I have been dreaming of air travel for the past fifteen months. I have been dreaming of Nantucket since my first trip to the island, fifteen years ago.  Combined with my fifteen years of standby travel I retained when I retired, I knew it was time to mask up and spend a day on Nantucket.  

Flying standby on United, I departed EWR on an 8:30am flight and hit the ground running in Nantucket by 10am sharp.  The Uber situation was a bit odd on the island (the app always said there were no cars available and I had to pre-arrange a pick up time) so I ended up taking a taxi from the airport into downtown.  It was only about 10 or 15 mins with very light traffic and cost just $14 plus tip.  First stop on my agenda was Handlebar Café.  I was so eager to see the town, that I did a quick lap through the downtown before even getting my latte.  

Each of the shops were adorable in their own way so explore all the winding streets and pop into all that make your heart sing.  My personal favorite was Mitchell's Book Corner.  It's a darling little shop that looks like it was pulled from the depths of London, but the best part was that Elin Hilderbrand was sitting out front.  Visitors were able to purchase her books inside the store and Elin would sign them for you.  I'm a huge fan of the novels (almost all set in Nantucket) and was quite star struck to be seeing her.  So much so that I barely said a word to her when it was my turn.  On the plus side, I made quite a few friends in the line as everyone was very excited and wanted to discuss which was their favorite novel.  A few women in line had never read an Elin Hilderbrand book but were sure to be fans for life after all the excitement!  

After my quick loop around town, I grabbed an iced latte at Handlebar Café and regrouped in the Secret Garden behind the coffee shop.  The caffeine jolt helped with the early-morning-flight-brain-fog and then I was ready for more exploring.  I cruised the Old South Wharf to snap photos of the shops, hydrangea (only place I saw the classic Nantucket flower in bloom so early in the season), and the boats in the harbor.  The shops have one side facing the dock and the harbor, and the other side facing the seashell lined pedestrian walkway.  Doors on both sides are open and a beautiful sea breeze blows through.  The scene is exactly what you would dream of an oceanside community.  Along the pedestrian walkway, there are also a few places to eat and the cutest wine bars where you can sit outside and enjoy the weather (Slip14 & Bar Yoshi).  It was too early in the day for wine but I love this idea for a future visit.    

Another well-known wharf in downtown, Straight Wharf, was lively with visitors coming and going from the ferry.  Oath Pizza and Cru are two celebrated Nantucket restaurants located at the end of the wharf.  Since I was in the area at lunch time, I stopped at the entrance to the wharf, Harbor Square, and grabbed a quick meal. I waited in line for 1/2 hour for the famous Turkey Terrific at Provisions sandwich shop and did some incredible people watching at the nearby Tavern at Harbor Square.  

Part of me wanted to hang out downtown for a bit longer (The Juice Bar didn't open until 2pm!) but I felt the pull towards Siasconset and the "Sconset Bluff Walk.  Unfortunately peak rose and hydrangea season wouldn't hit the Bluff Walk for another few weeks, but I still knew I had to see the cliffside gardens of the famous homes.  I took a Lyft (about 1/3 the price of Uber that day) out to the 'Sconset Market and started my exploration of this beautiful neighborhood.  The entrance to the nature walk (and the entire path for that matter) are a bit hard to find.  It felt strangely like I was trespassing on private property.  Because I was traveling just before the peak season, and was there mid-week, there were not very many other people on the walk with me.  Great for tranquility and photography, but not so good for making sure I was on the correct path.  Once I got over my anxiety about trespassing, I was blown away by the beauty of the scenery.  The houses were picture perfect, the lush green foliage (and few pops of flora) were perfectly framed by the Atlantic Ocean.  The sun was hot but the breeze was cool and I was on cloud nine for the hour+ that I was walking the cliffs.  

About 1/4 of the way into the nature walk, there is a massive staircase, available to the general public, that leads down to Steps Beach.  I was a little short on time so didn't hike down to the water, but loved seeing the various stairs (both public and private) that made their way down the cliffs.  Some parts of the trail were wide open (literally walking through someone's backyard!) and some were closed off with trees, bushes, or even gates.  The differences make the walk that much more interesting and picturesque.  

At the end of the Bluff Walk, I was dumped back out on the main road, Baxter Road (equally beautiful walk if you would rather take the paved road than the nature path and see the front yards as opposed to the back) to continue your 1/2 mile walk out to Sankaty Head Lighthouse.  I've experienced a lot of lighthouses in my day, but Sankaty was one of my favorites.  The red and white stripes make it perfectly New England and the wide open space and cliffside ocean views took my breath away.  I loved it so much, I didn't even mind the hot march back into town afterwards!  

After a couple hours in the hot June sun, I was ready for a box of water and an ice cream cone at the 'Sconset Market.  The shop is just the cutest collection gifts and necessities.  I had a black raspberry cone while I waited for my Lyft to transport me back to the airport.  Like most quick trips, I'm always thinking about my return, before I even leave the destination.  If I do the trip over, I'll probably start in 'Sconset with a 'Sconset Market blueberry muffin and the Bluff Walk and then make my way to downtown for shopping, lobster rolls at Nantucket Lobster Track or B-ACK Yard BBQ, and the world-famous The Juice Bar ice cream cone.  While I always enjoy being near the action, I'd love to rent a house in 'Sconset for a few days and explore the neighborhood a little more.  Highlights on my list include dinner and drinks at The Chanticleer or The Summer House, and a beach day at 'Sconset or Step Beach with sandwiches from Claudette's packed in a picnic basket.  I really and truly love Nantucket and am so grateful to have my first post-Covid vaccine flight under my belt.  Here's to more adventure this summer!

See more pictures of the Bluff Walk plus other summer New England destinations like the beaches of Maine and Boston, MA.