Tag: Nantucket Travel
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You Should Go to Nantucket This Summer
Why aren't you pouring lemonade from a pitcher within a stone's throw of a lighthouse already? It's nearly summer and a weekend, which is typically reason enough for us to peace out to the nearest island and don the sailor-stripe shorts.
Last year, our destination of choice was Nantucket, an idyllic hunk of land off the coast of Cape Cod. We managed to get there for under $80 roundtrip from New York City, thanks to a sweet JetBlue special, and it turned out to be one of the most pleasantly surprisingly trips of our entire year. As a result, quite a lot of you were inspired to make a similar budget-friendly jaunt but, in case you haven't yet been, here's everything you need to know to say "f*ck it, I'm going to Nantucket."
The Nantucket Field Trip series:
· Getting There (by air)
· Getting There (by ferry)
· How to get around the island
· What you've gotta see and do
· What and where to eat
· Bonus stuff about whales
[Photo: Jaunted]
Nantucket Field Trip / Nantucket Travel / How to Get to / Ferries / Island Travel / Boat Travel / Summer Travel / Massachusetts Travel / → All Tags
Back to Nantucket: How to Take the High-Speed Ferry
In case you missed it, our fearless leader—and editor—headed over to Nantucket for a few days of rest, relaxation, and exploration. We kind of were intrigued by what she saw and what she did, so before we knew it we were looking up the ferry schedule and figuring out a way to blow off obligations for a chance to head 30-miles off the cost of mainland Massachusetts. Unfortunately for us we missed out on the JetBlue deal, but then again there’s always the ferry.
There’s a couple different commercial ships running back and forth between Nantucket and the large island known as the contiguous United States. Freedom Cruise Line, Hy-Line Ferry, and the trusty Steamship Authority all send ferry boats back and forth across Nantucket Sound. We went with the high-speed option from the Steamship Authority, and would recommend it to you as well.
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Nantucket on a Budget: Dining, Drinking and 'BYOF'
Welcome to summer! Let's talk island, hm? We just got back from a spur-of-the-moment trip to Nantucket and this week we'll share with you all the awesome stuff we loved on the sandy bit of land off the cost of Massachusetts. Pack your Nantucket Reds, your Sperry Topsiders and an argyle cardigan (or four) to drape around your shoulders, and away we go!
Part Four: FOOD.
Well it's been a fun week trying to prove that Nantucket isn't the crazy overpriced island everyone thinks it is. Read the whole series here. For our last hurrah, we'll tackle the dining dilemma.
Since Nantucket suffers from a super short, super sunny summer season with a crazy influx of visitors, the good places book up with reservations well in advance. That's fine though, since we're after the places the locals love, where lobster rolls don't break the bank and cocktails cost less than two digits. We visited (and drank and ate at) all of these ourselves, so let's have at it:
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Foreign Grocery Friday: The 'Sconset Sweets of Nantucket
When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!
This week we've been doing our part to help you enjoy the notoriously expensive summer vacation destination of Nantucket, MA. The island may have no shortage of multi-millionaires wearing Nantucket Reds, spending the season in their fourth home, but it does have a shortage of yummy baked goods.
There are no Panera Breads, Le Pain Quotidiens or other chain bakeries on the island. What it has are small, independent bakeries that run out of the good stuff before noon. We stayed on Nantucket with a descendent of the very first settler, and this man who knows the island inside and out recommended we hit Nantucket Bake Shop, a short bike ride south of town on Orange Street.
There we discovered delightful little powder sugar-coated 'Sconset Sweets, a local pastry named for another town on the island.
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Nantucket on a Budget: The Stuff You've Gotta See
Welcome to summer! Let's talk island, hm? We just got back from a spur-of-the-moment trip to Nantucket and this week we'll share with you all the awesome stuff we loved on the sandy bit of land off the cost of Massachusetts. Pack your Nantucket Reds, your Sperry Topsiders and an argyle cardigan (or four) to drape around your shoulders, and away we go!
Part Three: Stuff to do and see..
Even though Nantucket costs an arm and a leg to stay and eat in, the actual sights and entertainment are nicely cheap and, for most of the places we loved, free. Even the evening window shopping is excellent, which makes another free thing to do. Alas, you'll find your own favorite places, but here's a short list of ours:
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Nantucket on a Budget: Getting Around on Two Wheels or Less
Welcome to summer! Let's talk island, hm? We just got back from a spur-of-the-moment trip to Nantucket and this week we'll share with you all the awesome stuff we loved on the sandy bit of land off the cost of Massachusetts. Pack your Nantucket Reds, your Sperry Topsiders and an argyle cardigan (or four) to drape around your shoulders, and away we go!
Part Two: Getting Around.
Now that we've gotten you to Nantucket, it's time to figure out how exactly to get around this quaint, but wild, island without dropping a fortune on a high-season car rental.
Nantucket's land area is only 50 square miles and you will want to see all of itfrom the rose-covered cottages in Siasconset ('Sconset to the locals) to the hang-ten breakers of Surfside. Nantucket's land is also home to many paved bike trails and very easily navigable routes from town to town. Armed with a map from Young's Bicycle Shop, you'll do just fine whether you chose to explore via scooter, bike or jeep:
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Nantucket on a Budget: Getting There by Air

Cape Air Cessna 402Cs parked at ACK
Welcome to summer! Let's talk island, hm? We just got back from a spur-of-the-moment trip to the notoriously expensive Nantucket and this week we'll share with you all the awesome, not-so-spendy stuff we loved on the sandy bit of land off the cost of Massachusetts. Pack your Nantucket Reds, your Sperry Topsiders and an argyle cardigan (or four) to drape around your shoulders, and away we go!
Part One: Getting There.
When was the last time you paid less for a flight than for the car service to the airport? For us, the answer is this last weekend. Here's what happened:
JetBlue had an online airfare sale a month or so ago, as they are wont to do. We spotted $35 one-way tickets from New York-JFK to either Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. We chose Nantucket simply because it's a little further away. Traveling on a Wednesday and returning on a Saturday, we paid a TOTAL of $73.50the line-item, gosh-darn truth straight from our AMEX statementin a world where calling car service just to drive one-way to JFK costs $80.
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Wish You Were Here: The Whaling Museum of Nantucket

Scrimshaw from the "Susan" on a whale tooth
What a lunch break! Today, while the sun burned away the grey clouds that had been hovering over Nantucket, we headed into the Whaling Museum to learn exactly why the word "sperm" plays such a huge rule in the history of this tiny island off the coast of Massachusetts.
The answer? Sperm whales and their spermaceti oil, which was used in lighting and candle-making, literally fueled both the development and industrial boom of Nantucket, setting the maritime foundations for history tourism. Have you read Herman Melville's Moby Dick? If so, then you're already well aware of one of the biggest events to feature in Nantucket's timeline: the sinking of the Essex, a Nantucket whaleship rammed by a nearly 90-foot sperm whale in the South Seas. The real-life tragedy of the Essex inspired Melville's fictional Pequod and her captain, Ahab.
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Volunteers Needed for the Preptastic Nantucket Film Festival
It might be too late to sign up as volunteer for a the Tribeca Film Festival, but you're not yet out of time to volunteer at the Nantucket Film Festival, which kicks on June 22nd. The four-day festival includes programs, panels and screenings with some of Hollywood's most notable directors, producers, screenwriters and actors on Nantucket Island. Last year, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stiller, and Andy Samberg were among the fest's A-List panelists.
According to the fest's website, they are looking for "seriously dedicated individuals to work at the Festival's theaters and production office." Though the festival is unable to provide housing for volunteers, they do accept volunteers from around the world. To lend a hand, download the Nantucket Film Festival Volunteer Application and email the completed form to info@nantucketfilmfestival.org and by fax at 646-365-3367.
This year's complete program information and festival passes will be available April 26.
[Photo: Facebook]
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Best Summer Wedding Destinations
It's wedding season. Although even the heat radiating off asphalt in a parking lot in Phoenix right now can't melt our cold, cold hearts, some people still feel an affinity for the institution of marriage. We feel obliged to humor them. If we're dragged to witness these nuptials, we just hope it gives us a chance to check out a cool new place. Here are a few of the settings where we'd like to see our friends give up their independence.
Nantucket
For one, Nantucket is less likely to be as ungodly hot as, say, a Caribbean wedding in July. Sure, this destination might apply to a niche group -- the madras pants wearing, tennis playing, New England set -- but it's a beautiful island with plenty of web sites and companies targeting the enfianced.
Napa Valley
Everyone knows California is the best place, temperature-wise, to be in July. The inns and spas throughout Napa Valley that cater to wine travelers translate perfectly to wedding settings. Being the savvy businesspeople they are, inn owners have tapped into this market and now offer outdoor ceremony services and wedding-related amenities. Plus, guests can maximize their trip by stopping in for some tastings before and after the big event.
Hawaii
For the tried-and-true tropical destination wedding, Hawaii is best. Couples can choose between The Big Island, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Kona. Also, it's not just the boring old girl/boy pairs heading to the far state, because Hawaii is one of the gay friendliest states, socially and legally. Plus, it's kind of unique that wedding photographers in Hawaii double as peeping toms (see above). The whole voyeur thing is really hip right now on HBO.
Related Stories:
· Travel Weddings [Jaunted]
· Hotel Weddings [HotelChatter]
[Photo Credit: Weddings in Hawaii]
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Jaunted in Nantucket: Cougar and Kitten Hotels

There are plenty of spots to stay on Nantucket. Your choice, not unlike the choice facing Mark Philippoussis every Monday night, is whether to go cougar or kitten.
To help you along we have provided three Nantucket inns that we feel should make your final cut--two kittens and a cougar.
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Jaunted in Nantucket: Coffee Shops
You aren't going to be finding a Starbucks on Nantucket, and if you ask for one, god help you, you might get pummeled on the spot.
Luckily there are plenty of good spots on the Island to grab a morning bagel or pastry and a tasty caffeinated beverage. Some of the spots feel glam, some feel local, sine are worth the extra walk, and some are not even worth mentioning.
