We made it to Martha's Vineyard today!
A short, late morning bike ride to the steamship authority brought us
from our campsite in Falmouth to the ferry awaiting departure. Arriving a few
minutes early, we stopped for ice cream, and we mixed and matched flavors to our
personal preferences.
We loaded our bikes into the lower cargo area of the massive ferry,
and headed to the upper decks, as we started across the Vineyard Sound.
Arriving in Martha's Vineyard, the port was packed with people, and
fleets of anchored sailboats welcomed our arrival. We stopped at a grocery store
around the corner to purchase our food for the next day. We had to resupply
nearly all of our rations, so our bikes were filled as we rode another short
distance into camp, at the Martha's Vineyard Family Campground.
When we reached the grounds, we came upon a beautiful sight - our
cabin for the next few nights! ...a nice break from setting up our tents. A few
of us wandered the grounds and then we unpacked our gear. In our cabin, we even
have a mini fridge and a grill, so we stored our perishables, and decided to
treat ourselves in true Vineyard style - by exploring Vineyard Haven and having
a nice dinner out at the Blue Canoe Waterfront Grill. We had cheeseburgers,
salmon and clam chowder above a small harbor, and we watched the famous Black
Dog Cafe sailboat hoist its sails and head out to sea.
After a rather ritzy dinner, we explored some of the town and checked
out some small gift and boutique shops.
We wandered the main street until about 8:00 p.m., when we were to
meet up for a ghost walk around town. Our guide, affiliated with the town's
newspaper, carried a lantern and led us around former ship Captains' homes, and
down to the water, and up to an old graveyard. We learned some local history,
while hearing some scary stories, and some of us even caught energy orbs in
photos we took of the graveyard. Though some of us are believers, and others
skeptics, the tour was a spooky way to get a taste of the area's rich seafaring
history.
-- Trip leaders Annise and Cory
