I had a long 3 day weekend and decided to spend 2 days of it on the beautiful beaches on Oak Bluffs, located on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. I boarded the 1-hour Vineyard Express ferry from New Bedford, Massachusetts my home town. Round trip fare for an adult is only $58.00, and it gets you there in one hour.The Vineyard Express not only offers a comfortable, smooth cruise, but I always feel safe aboard the ferry. The snack bar is always full of hot and cold snacks.
On arrival, I headed for The Wesley Hotel where I had reservations for a 1 night stay. The Wesley is located on the Oak Bluff’s harbor, in the center of Oak Bluff’s. This historic hotel has both charm and history. Built in the year 1879, it’s just a short walk to the beach. For a one Queen bedroom, the rate was only $130.00 a night, and worth every penny. I settled in my room for a while, then decided to take a walk down to the private beach.
I brought my little folding beach chair, and a good book. The beach this time of year is quiet. The water is still too cold to swim in, but the sun was shining and it felt good to sit out with the sun bearing down on me. I could hear the seagulls, and other birds chirping in the trees. The view of the beach is beautiful, with the sailboats and yachts in the clear blue water. The sand, sea weed intact, so fine and white. I decided to walk along the beach, see if there were any interesting seashells to be found. I always liked to bring some home with me. I spent a good part of the afternoon there, alone with my thoughts.
I went back to the hotel to change my clothes and decide where I would go to dine. The decision wasn’t hard. I was in the mood for some clam chowder and a fried clam plate, and The Lookout Tavern was the place to go. Located on Sea View Avenue, I sat on the outdoor deck to dine. The seafood was delicious, the best you could find anywhere, “in the world” I thought. I sprinkled the “big bellied” clams with cider vinegar, and dipped them in fresh tartar sauce. Life couldn’t be any better than this, The fresh salted air, the site of the shining water, fresh seafood, and a bottle of beer. This, for sure, was the good life.
I drank a couple more beers, and started to feel a little tired. The fresh salty air has a way of inducing sleep, and a restful sleep I did enjoy. The next morning I woke up early, around 6:00 AM, and I got dressed right away. I didn’t want to waste one minuet of time. I stepped outside, and walked down to the beach. The only sound you could hear was the waves rushing in. It seemed to be low tide, and the seaweed and seashells could be seen at the shore. I took a couple of deep breaths, the air smelled so clean, unlike that of the city.
I decided to go for breakfast at Biscuits, located on Lake Ave. They serve a great hardy breakfast. I ordered my usual, 2 eggs over easy, bacon, home fries and white toast. A creature of habit I am. I sat there sipping coffee and grabbed a newspaper off the counter. The help is friendly, as are the natives. In a relaxed atmosphere, I opened up the paper to the local sections to get some ideas on how to spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon.
I decided I would take a quick trip to Craftworks, a local gallery. This gallery is open all year and it features contemporary American crafts, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, wood and glass pieces. I browsed for a while, but would be off to do some shopping in some of the other shops. There are many little antique shops, gift shops, clothing and jewelry shops. I picked up a couple of gift items and headed over to the Sun Porch Book store. I spotted a great “mind & spirit” book to read on the way home, and purchased it. After an afternoon of browsing the shops it was starting to get late.
I headed back toward the hotel. I would be departing on the 5:15 PM ferry, and that was nearly an hour away. I packed my overnight bag quickly, and was set to go. But not before I had one last walk on the beach. I was alone with my thoughts, with my memories. Again, the beach was empty of people, and I knew that next time I visited it would be summer, and it would be full. Today the beach was mine alone, just mine and the seagulls that it. I snapped a couple of photo’s with my cell phone camera, and those would have to suffice until my next visit.
The ferry ride home was pleasant. The air was chilly, and there were few people aboard. I sat and talked with an elderly man I met. He was a Native of Martha’s vineyard, and he shared stories of his past with me. As I left the ferry and walked back to where I had parked my car, I thought once again, “this was the good life,” and I shall return.
