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Archives for April 2010

As I write this I am looking out on a beautifully sunny spring day – I know we are all harping on about how nice spring on Martha’s Vineyard is this year but please understand – we don’t get this beautiful spring weather every year!  I’m glad it is here though, as there are lots of great outdoor events going on this weekend that I’m sure you’ll want to get involved in if you are on Island.

Painted Lady by OlibacFirst off there is the Work for Wildlife Volunteer Day at Felix Neck Sanctuary.  If you are a regular reader of our blog, you have already heard a little about this beautiful Mass Audubon property in Edgartown.  This Saturday, from 9 til noon, gives everyone an opportunity to help maintain this wonderful 250 acre sanctuary by helping with the butterfly gardens. There will be benches to be built, weeding and clearing to be done and other tasks to be assigned – dress appropriately and roll up your sleeves for the hardwork!

Orino Alpaca by Cliff1066Once you have given up some sweat for a good cause, head on up Edgartown – Vineyard Haven Road to The Island Alpaca Farm for their annual Sheering Day and Open House.  Check out these amazing animals and learn about this beautiful herd. As well as watching the sheering, there will be lots of other activites for all ages and don’t forget to check out the farm store for yarns and knit items produced from last years fleece.

Clouds at sunset smI think any Island outdoor day should be topped off with a picnic dinner and sunset. There are lots of great food options – you have already heard some of our favorites herehereherehereand here. Then it’s a ‘where to see sunset?’ decision. The beauty of this time of year (and I might get in trouble for this tip but here goes), is all of those ‘town’ beaches that you can’t enjoy in the summer because you don’t have the right sticker on your car window.  Well, there’s no one there to check the stickers just now so head up Island and check out some of those very special spots.  Lucy Vincent and  Lobsterville are 2 of my favorites but don’t forget about Lamberts Cove beach (and it’s much closer to the ‘down Island’ towns) for a spectacular sunset. Then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy some more of the beauty of Nature on Martha’s Vineyard.

What are you doing this weekend?

Photo Credits:

Painted Lady by Olibac

Orino Alpaca by Cliff 1066

Sunset by Joanne Sardini 🙂

Where to Get the Best Pizza on Martha’s Vineyard Near Edgartown
Explore Memorable Things to Do & See in West Tisbury
Spend a Day at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
See the Next Big Thing at a Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
A Guide on How to Get to Martha’s Vineyard
A Look at the History of Our Edgartown Hotel
Celebrate the Season | A Guide to Christmas in Edgartown
Where to Get the Best Lunch in Edgartown

Purple Spring Flower by NoahqI walked out of my house the other day and my daughter said “It smells like spring!”  She was right… spring has arrived and it’s amusing to see the excitement that a sunny day can bring to our Martha’s Vineyard community after a long, cold and gray winter.  The enthusiasm in the air is contagious!  Personally, being a southerner by upbringing, my joy is unmatched to once again feel the sun’s warmth.  Having lived in New England for more years than I need to share, I have learned that I can’t watch the calendar and hold my breath for this annual occurrence.  Some years we experience the joy of warming weather and burgeoning spring blossoms in March, and other years we seem to skip spring entirely and blast right into summer in late June.

Thankfully, this year seems to be following the first path and we are all relishing the early emergence of this celebrated season.  What does one do on the island in spring?  Ahhhh, I was hoping you would ask!  The answers are as varied as the population, but here are some family friendly highlights:

My family’s favorite spring ritual is to head to South Beach to “chase waves”.  This is a spring tradition because it is too cold and windy in the winter when the kids inevitably get wet (my 8 year old usually ends up looking like he has been swimming…) I usually find very few other people on the beach in the spring, and having an expanse of beach and ocean all to yourself is a very peaceful feeling…  as long as you cant hear my kids yelling at the waves!  I also appreciate the spring at South Beach because the kids (other than the 8 year old) are not tempted to go swimming.  The surf and current can be very strong, so I avoid South Beach for the warmer, swimming expeditions; but for wave chasing, it’s perfect!

One sign of spring that may be unique for Martha’s Vineyard is the much anticipated opening of Edgartown’s Dairy Queen.  This year’s opening day saw a line wrapped around the porch and into the parking lot!  I personally do not think it is the quality of their soft serve that draws this kind of crowd (although it’s yummy).  It may be the general absence of fast food or chain stores on the island, or the fact that they were closed all winter.  The Dairy Queen is one of the first seasonal operations to reopen, and it is a sure sign of spring!  Being a crank in crowds, I avoid “opening day”, but we did make our first obligatory spring pilgrimage to Martha’s Vineyard’s Dairy Queen the following weekend.  Although there was a little chill in the air, we ate our ice cream at their picnic tables in the sunshine, and enjoyed every minute of it!

Another anticipated spring opening is the Flying Horse Carousel.  My children are getting older, but I think a visit to the Carousel will continue to be an annual spring tradition until they have kids of their own to put on those beautiful antique horses!  This year the Flying Horses opened on Easter weekend for weekends, and will be open all week during the April school vacation week April 19-23.   As I confessed earlier that I try to avoid crowds, you can probably guess why I like to visit the Flying Horses in the spring.  A spring visit usually buys me a “pass” with the kids during the more popular summer months…  I always have a strategy!

A pilgrimage to Felix Neck is another spring tradition.  Felix Neck is an Audubon Sanctuary and open year round; but as I am a wimp in the cold Southerner at heart, I tend to avoid outdoor activities in January and February.  Spring is a great time to explore their four miles of nature trails and look for signs of new life.  Along the way, some of us enjoy the impressive views of woodlands, meadows, and ponds, as well as the salt marsh and barrier beach.  I say some of us, because my 8 year old doesn’t slow down from chasing wildlife long enough to enjoy the scenery.  But everyone enjoys the peace after he is worn out!  I am sure that some of the other parents out there can relate!  The Nature Center and Discovery Room at Felix Neck is also worth a visit.  They now have an “owl cam” to see barn owls nesting in their barn dormer.

If that’s not enough reasons to come for a visit this spring, The Colonial Inn is offering really attractive spring rates that are sure to convince you that you shouldn’t wait to come explore Martha’s Vineyard!  What are your favorite spring time traditions?  I’d love to hear your ideas and hope to see you spending some fun family time on Martha’s Vineyard soon!

Photo by Noahg

 

Where to Get the Best Pizza on Martha’s Vineyard Near Edgartown
Explore Memorable Things to Do & See in West Tisbury
Spend a Day at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
See the Next Big Thing at a Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
A Guide on How to Get to Martha’s Vineyard
A Look at the History of Our Edgartown Hotel
Celebrate the Season | A Guide to Christmas in Edgartown
Where to Get the Best Lunch in Edgartown

Chocolate eggs by sister72

Chocolate.  The mere word conjures up all manner of sensations: images, scents – even moods.  But most of all tastes.  It is part of our diet and part of our culture.  Consider the phrases that have entered the vox populi:

When the going gets tough, the tough get chocolate.
Chocolate: It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.
All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!

It’s bad for your waistline but a good source of anti-oxidants. And it tastes like heaven.  We rationalize and take the oh-so-good with the bad.

So what does all this have to do with Martha’s Vineyard?  Well, MV is a chocolate lover’s dream, with several places to go to meet one’s Recommended Daily Allowance of Brown Gold.  (Sorry, but the white stuff simply isn’t chocolate.)  Below, find a brief compendium of chocolate oriented destinations:

In Edgartown, the Ice Cream and Candy Bazaar reigns, partly for its selection of yummy chocolate treats but also for its location: right on the harbor.  (See my post from July for a paean to that place.)  Added bonuses are the ice cream and fun penny candy… none of which costs a penny. This is the Vineyard, after all!

Oak Bluffs holds a treasure in Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium.  One of four locations – the others being Falmouth, Northampton, MA and Bar Harbor – this place has a huge variety of chocolate and chocolate-covered delights, from truffles to turtles.  My daughter swears by the chocolate-covered gummy bears.  I’ll take her word for it since I am not gummiverous.  Ice cream is offered at the Circuit Avenue location as well.  That alone is worth the trip.

Finally, there’s Chilmark Chocolates.  As the name would suggest, this is a chocolate store.  No ice cream, no drinks, no penny candy, no web site, no scenic seating area, no room to move.  This place is all about the chocolate.  Period.  But it doesn’t need anything else.  The delicacies are all hand made or hand-dipped and they are all delicious.

One thing I love about Chilmark Chocolates is that they know we need them more than they need us.  They make that clear through a variety of means:  First of all, they are never open.  OK, that’s an exaggeration, but not much of one.  They are only open a few days a week, a few hours a day.  And they invariably close during the busiest week of the summer! (A side effect of the limited availability is the often unlimited lines.)  Second, their location up island is relatively remote compared to the likes of Circuit Ave., Upper Main Street, or Five Corners.  Finally, the store is really just a short corridor. Walk in one side and out the other.  There is nowhere else to go.

But there is nowhere else you need to go, because along that corridor is a glass enclosed display of the finest chocolate treats you are likely to find anywhere.  And they are surprisingly reasonably priced.

Finally, know that when you patronize Chilmark Chocolates, you are supporting a business that was created to (and still does) employ disabled workers.  What could be better than buying and eating the world’s best chocolate as your good deed for the day?

 

Where do you get your chocolate fix?

Photo by sister72

 

Where to Get the Best Pizza on Martha’s Vineyard Near Edgartown
Explore Memorable Things to Do & See in West Tisbury
Spend a Day at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
See the Next Big Thing at a Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
A Guide on How to Get to Martha’s Vineyard
A Look at the History of Our Edgartown Hotel
Celebrate the Season | A Guide to Christmas in Edgartown
Where to Get the Best Lunch in Edgartown