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Published: August 3rd 2018
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Recently, my husband and I were able to sneak away for a short trip up the coast of New England. Though there were stints of work in Philadelphia, we made the most of our time together and, as neither of us had ever ventured north of Virginia, we made it a point to see some of the tourist destinations that we had missed growing up. Two of our favorite places to visit were Newport, Rhode Island and Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts. Though the coastline was similar to the beaches we were accustomed to in North Carolina, there was a crisper feel to the air up north and the sunsets were nothing short of breathtaking! We came away from our brief adventure determined to take our children back to those same places one day and really take in all there was to see and do.
As our time during this trip was limited, we knew we wanted to spend at least a few hours in Newport. Before our trip, I had read about this gorgeous coastal city and was determined to see it for myself. I am happy to say it did not disappoint! My brother
has attended the Newport Folk Festival for three years straight and always raves about how well-maintained and easy to navigate the city streets are. As we were on foot for a majority of our Newport sightseeing, I was happy to find that he was right. We started our morning by parking in a public lot, then walking to a nearby cafe for warm coffees. Though it was the end of July, the early morning air was a little chilly and the pick-me-up was a nice treat. We took our drinks along the famed Cliff Walk, which meandered past awe-inspiring estates, gardens, and architectural wonders on one side, with the gorgeous lapping shoreline on the other. It was truly like nothing we had ever seen before and it seemed that at almost every turn, our eyes were opened wider in wonder.
From there, we continued walking and found a few more pretty paths to take before making our way back to the car. Then, we decided it was time to head on to the Martha's Vineyard ferry. The ride was a little under three hours, which put us on the last ferry over to the island. I will never forget
running to catch the ferry boat as it began to pull out of the harbor, and the kind crew who held it for us and a few more passengers so we could hop on.
Once over onto the island, we had about four hours of daylight left. We had booked a room at a local inn for the night, so we weren't in any major rush to get back. So, we took our time exploring the nearby areas by bicycle. We had docked in Edgartown, a quaint little seaside town full of history, charm and things to do. We rode our bikes to a nearby seafood restaurant called The Seafood Shanty, where we promptly dined on New England lobster rolls, as any good tourists would do. They were massive in both size and cost, and the entire experience was one for the books. We talked about our day and the sights we had seen and we made plans to continue biking around as long as we could before we ran out of sunshine.
One of my favorite parts of the area of Martha's Vineyard that we visited was that right as we got off the ferry, we were
greeted with a little square filled with the sweetest Victorian-era cottages! They were all different colors and each was rich in detail and history. One of my favorites was the dark burgundy cottage with bright white trim that you can see in the picture. The owners had also taken the time to dress and decorate the flower boxes so each was overflowing with colorful vines and vegetation. We were able to hop off our bikes, pay a small fee, and even tour the inside of one, which had been set up to replicate days gone by. It was so interesting to listen to the tour guides talk about what life would have been like on the island decades ago, when much of the land was uninhabited and wide open for exploration.
My husband and I were especially happy to stumble upon that short history lesson, as we are always looking to learn as much about a place's culture and past when we visit. That is why we are known to seek out public libraries, visitor's centers, museums and more on our stops. It is also why we often prefer to sightsee via a
travel bus, where we can take on
the role of spectators and let a more experienced guide tell us about everything we're seeing outside of our windows. Still, getting around Martha's Vineyard on bike was the next best thing, as we were able to ride side-by-side with the sea, breathe in the salty air and really let our worries drift into the breeze. Had I known it would require quite so much pedaling, however, I think I would have worn different shoes! Tennis shoes would have been much preferable over my flats.
At the end of the day, we ducked into an underground coffee shop/bakery, where we dined on warm scones and tea while we waited out a quick and unexpected evening shower. We biked to our inn and set up shop for the night, grateful to be safe and warm. We got up early the next morning, enjoyed a quick in-room breakfast of scrambled eggs and fruit, and headed back to the ferry station to retrieve our car on the mainland. Our next and final stop was Boston, where we walked along the Freedom Trail and ducked inside the Cheer's Bar to escape one very blustery afternoon. Overall, our time in New England may have
been short, but it was a sweet getaway and I look forward to coming back again soon.
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