For years and years now, I've wanted to visit Nantucket.
Since I met Emily in college, I've heard about the idyllic summers her family spent on the island, and I've been mildly obsessed with everything from clam bakes and lobster feasts to Nantucket reds, cedar shake cottages adorned in climbing roses and hydrangeas, cobblestone roads, and living the east coast island life.
Em's parents are from the east coast, and both families had summer homes on Nantucket. She visited every summer growing up and to this day. Now there's just one family home on the island, and I think she hears threats of the cottage going on the market annually.
We've talked about traveling with Em and family for a couple years, and our annual visits to Sunriver served as a good taste of what vacationing with them might be like, but I was in disbelief until we actually booked our tickets to Nantucket. This dream was finally becoming a reality. And with Em and her brood living across the state of Washington now, we figured we might as well travel across America to spend a week at the beach with them.
Much like our road trip, I took some abbreviated notes, and we all took loads of photos. And now, the highlights:
- Red-eye from Portland to New York to Nantucket ... even the airport is cedar shake and adorable
- Beach ... happy hour ... burgers and super fresh corn, washed down by homemade ice cream at Millie's down the street ... the fun began as soon as we got off the plane, and the boys tried a homespun simple syrup whiskey smash concoction to get the party started
- More beach ... a trip into town, and the most gorgeous sunsets over the Atlantic
- Oh, funny...we hit the beach again, Taylor and I went for a long run around the island, and we feasted on steaks, wine Emily saved from our girls trip to Healdsburg last year, and more ice cream
- The rains came, and we headed into "town" ... 1671 cobblestone roads (amazing!) ... lobster roll for lunch, crab cakes, chowder and seafood bisque...mmm my mouth is watering just typing this up! We kayaked the bay this day, and we watched the sunset again...it never, ever got old...and I believe this was the night we had the most epic lobster feast ever
- Taylor and I biked around the area of Eel Point and checked out the MASSIVE cedar shake "cottages" ...Taylor and I had a "date" that night and feasted on local fish tacos
- I got up at the crack of dawn with Taylor to fish at Eel Point (he fished, and I read)...then we spent the entire day at the beach...we had our traditional Brie en croute appetizer, popped a bottle of Rombauer Em had been saving, and feasted on lobster once again
We left Nantucket on the Fourth of July, and I'm not sure I've ever seen a more patriotic display of Americana in one place at one time. I do hope we make it back someday, but if we don't, the memories we made will carry me through my entire life. I will never forget the magic of Nantucket. Thank you, Emily and Greg, for including us in your trip. We love you!
