10 Reasons Why We Love Martha’s Vineyard

There are so many reasons to make a summer escape to the Cape and Islands, in fact, that we filled more than two dozen pages of Yankee’s May/June 2019 issue with a selection of our favorites, including things to see, things to do, and things to eat. Headed to the island of Martha’s Vineyard? Here’s a look at 10 of our top reasons to visit.

10 Reasons Why We Love Martha’s Vineyard

The Everything-to-Everyone Store

Since opening its doors in 1858, Alley’s General Store in West Tisbury has been the central meeting point for natives, tourists, and wash-ashores who need a gallon of milk, penny candy, pet shampoo, the latest Vineyard souvenir T-shirt, or a large coffee and some valuable porch time in one of the store’s rockers. 

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You Never Know Who You’ll Run Into

Unlike the busy party circuit of that other East Coast summer getaway for A-listers, the Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard gives celebrities a break from velvet ropes and flashing cameras. Aside from the occasional splashy event—island regular Spike Lee previewed BlacKkKlansman at the Strand Theatre last year, for instance—the stars who come here mostly embrace the laid-back roles of small-town residents. (Of course, the Secret Service detail is a dead giveaway for the most famous visitors of recent years, the Obamas.) A sampler of some of the famous folks going about their days here: Meg Ryan at the dog show at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Fair … Bill Murray having lunch in the parking lot at the Menemsha town beach … Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse … Larry David at 7a Foods in West Tisbury (where he’s been known to order the Liz Lemon sandwich) … David McCullough at the West Tisbury Free Public Library … Peter Farrelly at Offshore Ale Co. in Oak Bluffs … Skip Gates pedaling his three-wheeled bike on the path along Beach Road … Seth Meyers on the porch at the Chilmark General Store … Caroline Kennedy and Carly Simon at the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market.

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Last Call Never Tasted So Sweet

For more than three decades, candy lovers have journeyed to Chilmark Chocolates like pilgrims to the Holy Land. Only the shop’s offbeat hours (closed in August?) could leave them disappointed. But if you want a taste of this tradition, act now: At the end of this year the beloved up-island confectionary will close for good, making its Vineyard-inspired handmade treats—like Chappy Chewies, Squibnuggets, and Tashmoo Truffles—nothing but sweet memories. 

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Serenity Now

You can count on the typical Martha’s Vineyard garden—pink roses, blue hydrangeas, white picket fences—to delight the eye. To feed the soul, though, spend an afternoon in the very untypical garden of Mytoi, a Japanese-style gem on Chappaquiddick. Nearly destroyed by a 1991 hurricane, this 14-acre landscape of intimate gardens, winding paths, and hidden nooks was rejuvenated by the Trustees of Reservations (which also owns the nearby Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge and the nature reserve Wasque, two oases in their own right). 

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We Can’t Tear Ourselves Away from Oak Bluffs

From beaches and boutiques to historic houses and a classic carousel, the town of Oak Bluffs has an almost ridiculously long list of things to keep visitors occupied. Just steps from the ferry is Inkwell Beach, perfect for those looking to jump right into a day of sunbathing; beach ramblers, meanwhile, can head down the road to the two-mile-longJoseph Sylvia State Beach. At the foot of the main thoroughfare, Circuit Avenue, is the oldest platform carousel in America, the Flying Horses Carousel (kids will delight in the chance to grab at an honest-to-goodness brass ring). After browsing the shops lining the avenue—and maybe indulging in a scoop of Mad Martha’s ice cream—it’s off to the Oak Bluffs Campground, a neighborhood of wee 19th-century cottages painted in all colors of the rainbow. Lush greenery and the shade of a gazebo await at Ocean Park, an ideal spot for a walk, a game of Frisbee, or a picnic lunch. And for those who inevitably while away the entire day in Oak Bluffs, the delicious aroma of gourmet pastries will lead the way to Back Door Donuts, a landmark bakery whose “back door” opens from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

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Seafood and Sunsets in Menemsha

Generations of local fishermen have peddled their briny wares on the docks of this village, which remains seafood central on the Vineyard. From the landmark fish markets Larsen’s and Menemsha, the classic shack Menemsha Galley, or the Home Port Back Door, you can procure a takeout banquet of steamers, fried clams, lobsters, and more—a bounty that is best enjoyed right on the beach, before one of the grandest sunset views on the East Coast.

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This Beach Makes You Work for It

A narrow, bumpy dirt road is the only way in or out, and parking is scarce. Who cares? You were smart enough to walk or bike the mile from Vineyard Haven to Lake Tashmoo Town Beach, which borders both a 270-acre coastal pond and the ocean. It’s great for swimming, sunbathing, surf-casting … but not for multitudes.

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Reel Earnings

Yes, the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby draws anglers from all around the world in September. But bluefish start running in May, and you can catch a good striper during most of the summer. You could try asking a local for the best place to catch a fish, but they probably won’t tell you—so just know that with 100-plus miles of shoreline to choose from, casting from nearly any spot is a good bet.

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It’s a Beacon for Lighthouse Lovers

Martha’s Vineyard has more lighthouses (five), in more diverse styles, in close proximity than anywhere else in the country. And for good reason: The island has long been known for treacherous tides, rocky shores, sandy shoals, and the underwater reefs dubbed the Devil’s Bridge, off Aquinnah, where the steamship City of Columbus was wrecked in January 1884. Vineyard lighthouses stretch from sunrise (Cape Poge, on Chappaquiddick’s northeast point) to sunset (Gay Head on the southwest), and you can visit all but one (West Chop). Little-known fact: There’s actually a sixth lighthouse, in a manner of speaking. The original 1854 Fresnel lens used in Gay Head Light is now at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s new home in Vineyard Haven, where it stands sentinel—in spirit, anyway—over Lagoon Pond.

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Island Flavors from Island Farms

For an island with such coveted real estate, the Vineyard retains an impressive cache of agricultural land, thanks to forward-thinking groups like the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. There are about three dozen produce farms, cheese makers, a mushroom farm, and even pastured cattle. Find a range of homegrown treasures at such places as the superlative farm stand at Edgartown’s Morning Glory Farm, the small but mighty Larderin Vineyard Haven, and the must-visit West Tisbury Farmers’ Market. Or stop by any number of self-serve farm stands, like the Grey Barn and Farm, an award-winning cheese operation in Chilmark, or West Tisbury’s Blackwater Farm, where kids can pet the animals.