Return to Martha's Vineyard - Part II

Jul 11, 2007

Well, truth be told, it hasn't been a week of great weather up here: some sun, but also a lot of clouds, fog, intermittent threat of rain (but no actual rain ... so far). Don't matter, we make the most of it. For one thing, renting a house (as opposed to renting a room in an inn) gives us more opportunities in inclement weather: we can spread out, read a book, listen to music, write a blog - all without feeling cramped and confined to one room. And one of the charms of the island is its towns -- there's really a lot of things to do in the event of bad weather. For example, you can shop. Then, of course, you could always go shopping. And if the rain comes and decides to stay, you could shop some more. Seriously though, the towns offer lots of places to explore and places to keep you dry. But, so far this time around, no beach. We're hoping tomorrow.

Our house is just outside of one of the island's three towns: Vineyard Haven, also known as Tisbury. On the second night here (houses are rented from Saturday to Saturday) we joined hundreds in celebrating the town's birthday at its annual Tisbury Street Fair. Nicer than most street fairs which have become highly homogenized affairs; this one shows more individuality and variety at the various tables. Also, where else can you get a $10 lobster roll?

The annual Tisbury Street Fair, held on July 8th, the town's birthdate.

Stacey bought a pretty sarong at one of the tables.

What do you know? Peace was being promoted at this street fair. The local Peace Council table was very popular.

The Vineyard Sound, a local acapella group, performed.

The fair attracted people from all over the island. It was a very festive and fun-filled evening activity.

Shimp cocktail, oysters or clams on the half shell? Nice.

I mentioned the miles of separate bike paths. But sometimes you have to cycle on the road. Just as in New York, car congestion raises its ugly head here in paradise as well. I remember coming to MV perhaps 25 years ago. Biking here in those days was euphoric. Just the sound of your bike tires hissing on the black top and nary a car in sight. Those days are gone. In its place are thousands upon thousands of tourists and summertime residents. And their cars. It seems that there are more SUV trucks here than anywhere else on earth -- maybe that's my imagination, but the gentleman and lady farmers who come here for the summer and live on their "farms" seem to want to live like the farmers they're not. They do their shopping and their carousing in monstruous SUV's and pickup trucks that sadly crowd the narrow roads of this idyllic isle. These granger wannabees are living out a different existence here than they do back in the cities from whence they come. The truck, to my way of thinking, is an accessory to that fantasy. There's actually a rush hour here now! At five, the road between Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs is clogged with cars - it's a sad sight to see. And not a pleasant road to bike on during that time of day. Didn't use to be that way. Progress? Nope.

Having dwelled on that problem, you should know that all the Vineyard's roads are not jammed all the time. Many of the roads have very few cars on them during most times of the day and are a joy to bike on. They roll past bucolic meadows with stone walls and pretty Cape Cod style houses surrounded by beautiful flowers. The wild roses, that are omnipresent here, spill out in abundance over the picket fences and stone walls. Words don't describe how picturesque and lovely these sights are. That's the beauty part of the Vineyard that draws us back time and again.

Cars, cars and more cars are fouling the pristine beauty of this island. Here's rush hour in Vineyard Haven. Although this photo doesn't show it, SUV's and trucks seem to predominate.

But at other times and on other roads, there is still a sense of peace, serenity and quiet. Look out though. It's gotten much worse since I started coming here 25 years ago and it's bound to get worse. Any ideas?

On Monday, we took a longer ride from our house, down a few miles to Vineyard Haven and then over the beach road on the island's north shore to Oak Bluffs. Interestingly, each town on the island has its own character. Vineyard Haven is the commercial center with real-life stores like supermarkets, hardware shops, appliance stores, etc. It also, of course, has plenty of tourist shops and beautiful and quiet back streets with magnificent old houses. Oak Bluffs, on the other hand, is the swinging town - lots of bars (Vineyard Haven is a dry town by the way), restaurants and amusements. Within its core it also houses the Tabernacle open-air meeting hall and the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Grounds. Formed in 1835, in a few years this Methodist revival in the camp ground grew into a summer city of a thousand tents and whimsically painted gingerbread houses. The tents are gone but the Camp Ground and its fabulous collection of Victorian cottages make Oak Bluffs distinctly different than the island's other towns. It is also the most diverse with a sizeable African-American community among its many residents.

Here's a map of Monday's bike ride. We rode from our rental house (yellow push pin) for about 8 miles: through Vineyard Haven, across the harbor on Beach Road and then into Oak Bluffs (green arrow). Click for a more versatile Google Map.

When you ride into Oak Bluffs along Beach Road and then New York Avenue, you are greeted with a lovely view of the harbor which is filled with beautiful sailing boats of all kinds and sizes. In the background is the village with its beautiful buildings and old hotels. It's quite a sight.

Entering Oak Bluffs along Lake Avenue, yachts, harbor and the town greet you.

Victorian cottages bedecked with flowers line the narrow paths of the Camp Grounds.

Post Fourth of July in Trinity Park.

Oak Bluffs can be crowded and noisy, but just a few steps off the busy main drag of Circuit Avenue is the peaceful Camp Grounds which is a lovely place to sit and take in the cool and quiet of its surroundings.

The charming cabins, each decorated (and named) in an individual style, are cheek by jowl and very tiny. This might not appeal to every person. Families come and spend their summers here but one wonders how much privacy there is.

You can own the house but you can't own the land. That privilege belongs to the association which has strict rules on how the grounds are maintained and operated.

Flowers just about everywhere.

Beautiful lilies are very popular on the island.

Roses just pour out over fences and walls.

A peaceful place to set yourself down.

We left Oak Bluffs late in the day and biked back to Vineyard Haven and beyond to our house. The sun was low in the sky, the warm air was wafting in from Vineyard Sound and the water was calm with just a few ripples on its surface. It had been a wonderful and relaxing day. Tomorrow we would venture to the other big town - Edgartown on the southeast end of the island. See you there.

A gull takes a respite to enjoy the late day sunlight.