In My Footsteps: The First Martha's Vineyard Trip

            First let me start by saying, yes I am a lifelong Cape Codder.  My family dates back to Deacon John Doane who helped settle the town of Eastham in 1644.  I am proud of my long history on this peninsula. Now, that being said, I will admit that I had never once been to either island of Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, until now.

            I had decided that with all of the trips I had taken across New England it was about time that I visit a spot so close by but which seemed so far away.  By ferry Martha’s Vineyard is only a forty-five minute ride, the island is easily visible from the shores of Woods Hole, Falmouth, and Mashpee.

Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs

            The 100-square-mile Vineyard is purported to be named after the daughter of English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold who died in infancy.  He first sailed to the island in 1602.  There is a very long and rich history there and I wanted to make sure that I saw as much of it as I could upon arrival.  The ferry docked at Oak Bluffs and I found my first place to visit stretched out before me along the shore. 

            Ocean Park, situated right along Seaview Avenue, is seven acres of wide open space surrounded by beautiful homes.  Near the center of the park is a bandstand gazebo and it is the site of the annual Fourth of July fireworks in Oak Bluffs.  I enjoyed the man-made pond with a small fountain as it was inhabited by man geese which did not mind posing for pictures.  It would have been easy on a warm early-autumn day to sit back and enjoy more time at Ocean Park but I knew I only had a set number of hours on The Vineyard and needed to keep moving.

            Since bringing a car over on the ferry is a little pricy ($137 Round-Trip for a small car), I decided to rent a bicycle for the day.  Before I went I had chosen Anderson’s Bikes due to its low prices and the fact that they had been around since 1971 with the same family running it.  I was not disappointed with the hybrid street bike from Fuji I rented.  It reminded me of a spin class bike, a great ride.  Since it was technically my first time on the island I let the woman there give me her

East Chop Light

whole speech about what to see around the area.  I even got a map just like a real tourist.

            Once equipped with a bike I used the gps on my phone to set out to my next destination.  As many of you know I am a huge fan of lighthouses, love them, so it was only natural that my first trip to Martha’s Vineyard would include as many lighthouses as time would allow.  First up was East Chop Lighthouse.

            Located on East Chop Drive in Oak Bluffs the lighthouse was not difficult to find.  The ride out to it was spectacular as being on a bike made it possible to really soak in the atmosphere of the small island town.  East Chop Light sits inside a picket fence on a small plot of land overlooking the ocean, passing ferries and Cape Cod in the distance.  It was deserted when I arrived and it allowed me the chance to take many photos and also simply enjoy laying eyes on this landmark for the first time.  The current East Chop Light is the third built on the site with the original being built in 1869. The current tower was erected in 1878.  The view is amazing and worth spending some time there.

            Of course I had to follow up East Chop Light with the corresponding West Chop Light over in Vineyard Haven.  The ride there was just as much fun as the lighthouse itself.  The route leads you down along Vineyard Haven Harbor.  This is the port where the ferries come in year-round, the port in Oak Bluffs is only seasonal.  There are many beautiful little side roads along the shore, some of which I saw up close when I could not hear my gps and became temporarily lost.

            There are a

West Chop Light

few differences between East and West Chop Light, the main one being that West Chop is on Coast Guard property and thus not able to be seen too closely.  The original West Chop Light was built in 1817, and the current tower, like East Chop, is the third built on the site. The current lighthouse was erected in 1891.  Despite being fifty-feet behind a picket fence it is still worth the ride to see this lighthouse, the ride out itself is just as good as I mentioned.    

            After seeing East and West Chop I decided the only way to continue on The Vineyard was to hop on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road bike trail and ride down to see Edgartown Lighthouse on the harbor.  When traveling on a bicycle you notice how hilly The Vineyard is away from the shore, it was a bit of a chore but great exercise getting down to Edgartown. 

            Many spots in Edgartown were featured in the movie Jaws and the entire town is beautiful with a special feel to it as soon as you arrive.  One particular spot

Old Whaling Church, Main St. Edgartown

that captures that feel is the ground of the Vincent House Museum.  The house itself is the oldest residence on the island, built in 1672.  The house is believed to have been built by William Vincent who was one of the early settlers of Edgartown’s Great Harbor area.  The Martha’s Vineyard Historical Preservation Society gained the house in 1977 and moved it from Great Pond in Edgartown to its current location.  It shares the ground with a pair of other historical sites that add to the special feel of this area.

            The Old Whaling Church was designed by Frederick Baylies and built by whaling captains in 1843.  It is an impressive site towering above Main Street with its beautiful columns. It has now been transformed into a performing arts center and is very popular for weddings.  The church coupled with the narrow street, quaint homes, and white picket fences made me want to simply sit on a bench and watch the world go by.  It seems like much of Martha’s Vineyard has that same sort of feel to it.   

            Not far from this stretch of historical sites is Edgartown Lighthouse.  By the time I had gotten to this point my legs were very tired but there was no way I wasn’t going to walk out to where the lighthouse was on the water.  It is within sight of Chappaquiddick with the ferries making the very short trip back and forth.  Ironically the original Edgartown Lighthouse was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938 and when it came time for it to be replaced it was Rear Range Lighthouse from Ipswich, Massachusetts that was loaded on a barge and brought down to the harbor entrance

Edgartown Light

.  That fact made the experience even more special and unique. 

Though the amazing Harbor View Hotel is nearby it felt as though Edgartown Lighthouse was in its own world; the lapping ocean waves drown out all sounds but for a few stray boat horns.  I sat on the steps of the lighthouse to enjoy the atmosphere for a while.  My first trip to Martha’s Vineyard had been a huge success and would not be my last for sure.

My ride back to Oak Bluffs took place along the Edgartown-Oak Bluffs Road bike path.  Much of this ride gives you spectacular views of the surrounding water along the Joseph Sylvia State Beach.  It was a fantastic end to a trip that was a long time coming.  I passed by Ocean Park near sunset, coming full circle from where I had begun my day.  Now I can say yes I have been to Martha’s Vineyard, and plan on going back as soon as I possibly can.  I am sure I don’t have to suggest that all of you do the same.  Have fun and happy traveling!

My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available at SchifferBooks.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and Amazon.com, soon to be in stores everywhere!  Follow me on Twitter!

Directions: East Chop Lighthouse:  From the ferry port go straight on Lake Avenue, take the 1^st right onto East Chop Drive, follow it 1.1 miles to lighthouse on the right.

                    West Chop Lighthouse:  From the ferry go straight on Lake Avenue, continue onto New York Avenue, follow it for a mile, take a slight left onto Temahigan Avenue, follow it .3 miles, take a slight right onto Eastville Avenue.  Continue straight onto Beach Road, follow it 1.4 miles, turn right onto Main Street, follow it 2 miles to lighthouse on right.

                    Edgartown Lighthouse:  From the ferry go left onto Seaview Avenue, follow it 1.1 miles, continue onto Beach Road, follow it 2.8 miles, keep right to stay on Beach Road, follow 1.1 more miles.  Continue onto Upper Main Street, continue onto Main Street, follow this .3 miles, turn right onto N Water Street, follow .4 miles, lighthouse is on right.

References:  Steamship Authority

            Anderson's Bike Rentals

            Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce

Oak Bluffs on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 96: Falmouth, Mass. - Trip 2

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 96:  Falmouth, Mass. – Trip 2

October 20, 2010

            I decided to return to the scene of my initial In My Footsteps trip: Falmouth.  That first trip had no rhyme or reason to it and in the end I did not see very much of what the town has to offer besides Nobska Light.  I knew that there was so much beauty and history in Falmouth that it deserved a properly planned trip and that is what I will share with you here.

One of Sarah Peters' bronze plaques on Main Street.

            Falmouth was first settled in 1660 and named for the similarly named town in England.  It was explorer Bartholomew Gosnold’s home town, the name was chosen due to the fact that Gosnold had given Cape Cod its name.  The Native American name of Suckanesset was originally kept for the settlement; it was incorporated as a town in 1686 with the name being changed to Falmouth in 1690. 

I was amazed to find out that the area near Surf Drive Beach which I wrote about in my first Falmouth article actually saw some action in the War of 1812.  The Massachusetts militia entrenched themselves on the beach after the initial bombardment, preparing for a British landfall but it never came.  Falmouth is also the birthplace of American poet Katharine Lee Bates who wrote America the Beautiful in 1910.  There is a bronze statue of her in front of the Falmouth Public Library and her family’s home is forever preserved as an historic landmark in the town.

View of the garden at the Julia Wood House.

            I began my second trip to Falmouth at a beautiful town green along Main Street which lies in front of the Falmouth Public Library.  I parked along Shore Road which runs perpendicular to the green and took in the sights and sun.  The way Main Street borders the green gives it a different feel than most commons or greens in other towns, I can’t put my finger on what it is.  I particularly enjoyed the small bronze plaques along the walkway depicting working life in Falmouth in the 19^th century.  They include plaques featuring the whaling industry, cranberry harvesting, old saltworks, and woolens industry.  Created by local sculptor Sarah Peters between 2000 and 2003 they are both informative and striking in their detail, I appreciate little things like that which make a trip even better.

            Ironically there is another town green located just up the road from that one, it is where Main Street forks off into West Main Street.  This is another great spot to park and walk.  There is an interesting wishing well with a plaque on it which tells that the acre and a half Town Green was set aside as the Meeting House Lot in 1749 with the third Meeting House, the first built on the site, being erected in 1756. 

Nobska Lighthouse

            A short walk down Main Street to where it becomes Palmer Avenue brings you face to face with a couple of historic homes.  These combine together to make the Falmouth Museums on the Green.  The town’s historical society resides in the Conant House which was built in the 1760’s and originally was owned by the Reverend Samuel Palmer, minister of the town’s First Congregational Church in the early 1730’s.  Next door to the Conant House is the Julia Wood House.  It was built in 1790 for Revolutionary War physician Dr. Francis Wicks.  The best part of the house is the exquisite garden located just to the left of it.  There is an astrolabe surrounded by flowers on the way in and a sweet cherub birdbath near the middle.  The view of the garden from the small gazebo was fabulous; the bright sun seemed to bring out each and every color of every flower.  There are other historic homes to see on Palmer Avenue however there was another spot I needed to revisit.

            A trip to Falmouth would not be complete without stopping at Nobska Lighthouse.  Originally constructed in 1829 the current lighthouse was built in 1876 and became a part of the Coast Guard family in 1939.  It has a magnificent view of Vineyard Sound, Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands from up on a hill where the lighthouse resides. 

Crocker Pond at Bourne Farm

            From the point on Nobska Road it is possible to see all the way down into Woods Hole to the west and it is the norm to see the ferry boats carrying passengers out to the Vineyard quite often throughout the day.  I enjoy taking photos of this amazing lighthouse from as many angles and spots as possible and there is no shortage of them.  Besides the fact that Nobska Light sits on a hill there is a place across the street that gives a wider perspective of the lighthouse.  Be careful though as it sits at the top of a steep dirt hill leading to the rocky shore below.

            A short drive north will bring you to the Bourne Farm, established in 1775.  In addition to the historic buildings on the property I was drawn to the spectacular view of the sloping green hill leading down to Crocker Pond.  The forty-nine acre farm is perfect for hiking, walking dogs, and even renting for weddings and other events.  The farmhouse itself is known as the Crowell-Bourne Farmhouse because the home was erected by Joseph Crowell along with his father.  I found it particularly amusing that the trail guide states that nothing historic happened there and nobody famous ever lived there, but in my mind a farmhouse dating back to the Revolutionary War era is historic enough for me.

            Falmouth was even better for me the second time around, I used my travel experience to fill the trip with way more historic sites than the first time.  Obviously Nobska Light is a great place to start but the Museums on the Green and the ‘nothing historic ever happened here’ Bourne Farm are excellent companion pieces to a wonderful trip to the second largest town on Cape Cod.  Have fun and happy traveling!

For more In My Footsteps items follow my Twitter Feed, view more photos at the In My Footsteps fan page on Facebook, or visit my homepage at ChristopherSetterlund.com.   Thanks for reading! 

Directions:  Nobska Light:  From the Bourne Bridge take Rt. 28 south into Falmouth.  Continue onto Locust St., slight left at Mill Rd., right at Surf Drive.  Continue onto Oyster Pond Rd., continue onto Nobska Rd., follow it to the point where the lighthouse is.

            Bourne Farm:  From the Bourne Bridge follow Rt. 28 south for 9 miles going through a rotary along the way.  Turn right at Thomas Landers Rd., slight right onto Rt. 28A, Bourne Farm is on left. 

            Museums on the Green:  From the Bourne Bridge take Rt. 28 south for 13.5 miles, going through a rotary along the way.  Rt. 28 becomes Palmer Ave., take slight left at Main St.  There is parking along the road, this is where I began my walk.

References:  Sarah Peters Sculpture

                      Nobska Light - New England Lighthouses

                      Falmouth Historical Society.org
 

               

Falmouth on Dwellable