Three Days in Nantucket

We spent a long weekend in Nantucket in early June with our friends Tim & Amanda. Despite living in Boston for many years, I have never been to this quintessential New England island, a former whaling community about which Herman Melville wrote in his novel Moby-Dick, "Two thirds of this terraqueous globe are the Nantucketer's. For the sea is his; he owns it, as Emperors own empires."

Now you are likely to see more whales on belts than in the water. Nantucket's visitors take preppy to the extreme as evidenced by the Lily Pulitzer Jeep in the picture below.  Everyone on this little island was happy, and for good reason - we had spectacular weather! 

Getting There: The Ferry

Luckily for us, Tim and Amanda have visited the island a few times so they did most of the planning. We caught the early high-speed ferry from Hyannis and an hour later we arrived in Nantucket. The ferry ride was smooth and the views leaving Hyannis were picturesque.  If you take the ferry, be sure to get there a little early because it leaves on time and will not wait if you are even a minute late. 

(Above) We loved this house in Hyannis, mainly because the weathervane is a giant great white shark.  JAWS atop your mansion? Pretty badass by Cape standards.   (Below) Tim & Amanda on the ferry, excited about our weekend in sunny Nantucket! 

Hotel: The White Elephant

We stayed at The White Elephant Hotel in town center. The location is prime as we were just a short walk to all the shops, restaurants and a few beaches. The hotel consisted of several beautifully decorated properties. We stayed in the "Residences" and split a two bedroom apartment. It was incredibly spacious,  the service was fantastic, and the beds were cozy and comfortable.  The White Elephant can be really expensive during the high season (as does everything in Nantucket) but we scored a deal on this place thanks to our friends who booked the room months earlier. 

The lobby was decorated beautifully. They serve complimentary coffee, espresso and pastries here in the morning as well as port and cheese in the afternoon. 

The front of our residence. Our room was on the second floor in the back, which meant it was really quiet.

We were thrilled with our apartment - vaulted ceilings, tons of light and a fireplace. 

Beaches: Steps & Surfside

On the first day we checked out chairs & towels from the hotel and walked about 20 minutes to Steps beach.  We walked past fancy homes with impeccable gardens, up Cobblestone Hill and arrived at the top of the sand dunes looking over Steps Beach. 

On our second day, we checked out complimentary bikes from the hotel and rode to the bottom of the island to see the expansive Surfside beach.  Biking on Nantucket can be tricky since there aren't any bike lanes near town. After exiting the main town, there are designated bike lanes which means smooth sailing all the way to the beach. 

Food & Drink: Tree Bar, Cru, Something Natural, The Chicken Box

There are so many places to eat in Nantucket that it can be overwhelming. Luckily many of our friends provided us with recommendations so we were prepared with a short list. The first night we ate at Town Restaurant's Tree Bar. We sampled a variety of tasty small plates. My favorite was the Shrimp & Grits - a must if you go here! 

We picked up lunch at Something Natural sandwich shop on our way back from Surfside beach.  This shop is tucked away in a residential area right outside of the town center. It was probably an eight minute walk from our hotel. The shop is small but has a great selection of giant sandwiches. They have picnic tables outside if you want to eat there, or they will wrap up your food if you want to bring it to the beach or pool. I highly recommend it for its great selection, fresh ingredients and fantastic value!

(Above) Picnic tables and a random boat outside of Something Natural. (Below) My giant avocado veggie sandwich.

One night we went to The Chicken Box after dinner to check out the live music. This dive bar is located near the beach and a short taxi ride from the main town.  The crowd consisted of four bachelorette parties, a handful of Bulgarian summer workers, and lots of twenty somethings clad in pastels and funny shoes (think Scott Disick at age 24).  The main attraction is the live music, but there are also pool tables, shuffle board and darts for those not up for dancing.  Below is a shot of me by The Chicken Box sign and a picture of the crowd dancing in front of the stage. And yes, those are neon fanny packs you see on the girls in sundresses. 

On our last night, we dined at Cru - a swanky waterfront seafood restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. We were seated at a table with views of the marina and the sunset over the island.  We LOVED the lobster bisque with hushpuppies (the biggest hushpuppies I've ever seen).  Chris and I split a seafood tower with oysters, clams, shrimp and lobster. Everything was fresh and very tasty. This place is quite a scene and gets pretty crowded so reservations are highly recommended.

I loved the barstools at Cru:

Beautiful sunset for our last night!

On our last day we walked around town, relaxed by the pool and took the 6:30pm ferry home. It was a perfect weekend in Nantucket and we are so thankful to our friends Tim & Amanda for showing us around!  In my next post, I'll share some pictures of the adorable houses, shops and gardens I saw while walking around town. Stay tuned!