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When the weather is nice enough to merit a visit to the beach, prepare yourself for a vast number of choices:  this island has over 125 miles of coastline. Don’t let the sheer amount of options leave you feeling underwater, though.  When it comes to Martha’s Vineyard beaches, there’s plenty to go around and lots of different atmospheres to enjoy.

 

South Beach, Martha's Vineyard
South Beach on Martha’s Vineyard | Photo: Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism via flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

 

South Beach (Edgartown)

If you enjoy people watching and don’t mind being around a crowd, South Beach is sure to please. This slice of sandy paradise is on the Atlantic coast, just south of Edgartown (it’s also our main beach).  Lifeguards are on duty July and August, but caution is always advised as the surf can be quite rough and take you by surprise (especially important to remember for kiddos in tow).  South Beach is popular with younger visitors and residents of the Island, so if you’re under 30, this is the place to hang (or if you’re over 30 and want to pretend, that works too).  If people watching isn’t your thing, there’s always sandcastle building! South Beach is such a great spot for constructing architectural masterpieces that the Edgartown Board of Trade now sponsors a Sand Sculpting contest each August, so grab a pail and shovel and get practicing!

 

State Beach (Edgartown/Oak Bluffs)

For a quieter pace, with lifeguards and excellent swimming, head to State Beach. It’s accessible by bike path and located between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. It’s a great choice for family visits, as there’s always kids building sandcastles, splashing, and generally raising a ruckus.  The water here is calm enough that the local kids even have their swimming lessons here.

 

Lighthouse Beach (Edgartown)

Edgartown Lighthouse - Martha's Vineyard
Lighthouse Beach in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard

If you want to hunker down and read in peace and quiet, bring your bookish bundle to Lighthouse Beach in Edgartown.  As the name suggests, it’s just beside the lighthouse.  The fact that there is very little parking means that this beach is generally quite quiet and it’s really nice to watch the sailboats glide in and out of the harbor. It’s only a few minutes walk from our front door, so it is very convenient but remarkably underused.

 

Chappaquiddick Beaches

Get your steps in and experience true peace and quiet on a journey to our neighboring island of Chappaquiddick.  The beaches here are pristine but require a bit more legwork than the average sandy spot. Just make sure you prepare in advance — there are no stores over on Chappy, so pack a lunch to enjoy on-the-go!

 

Can’t decide which Martha’s Vineyard beaches to visit during your trip? Don’t be shy — swing by our front desk and we’ll tell you all about the up-Island gems and down-Island coves.

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
Go Exploring with the Best Martha’s Vineyard Tours
Treat Yourself to Fine Dining at the Top Edgartown Spots

Dining room at Chesca'sJune 19th – 23rd is Martha’s Vineyard Restaurant Week – also known in my house as Joanne Eats A Lot Week!  My husband and I LOVE to eat out on Martha’s Vineyard but budget and schedule conspire to stop us from enjoying the many amazing restaurants the Island has to offer. This week is the Island restaurant community’s gift to us.
Prix Fixe menus at over a dozen locations offer 3 courses for a little more than the average entrée on Martha’s Vineyard.  Dinner menus range from $25-$45 – a great bargain by any Island dining standards.  When else could we eat 3 courses at L’Etoile or Detente for $45 each? This is the time to get out and dine!!

If you can’t make dinner, there are also several restaurants offering prix fixe lunch options starting at just $10 – you can hardly eat on the mainland for that, never mind in a great restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard!

Right here at Vineyard Square, Chescas is participating in the fun of restaurant week with 3 courses for just $38.  They include their most popular dishes on the prix fixe menu.  In fact, if you have read my post from last year, you’ll know that the Spinach and Goat Cheese salad, the Thai Chili Glazed Salmon (don’t forget to buy a jar of the sauce to recreate this dish at home), and the Snowball dessert are some of my favorites and ALL THREE are options on the restaurant week menu – wooo, hooo!  The problem I have is, do I branch out and try something else? Everyone raves about the Chicken Marsala with the delicious chive mashed potatoes so maybe I should try that? And my father-in-law would be ashamed if I didn’t try the cannoli – what kind of a wife of an Italian would I be if I don’t go for the traditional Italian dessert? Decisions, decisions…

Where will you dine during restaurant week?

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
Go Exploring with the Best Martha’s Vineyard Tours
Treat Yourself to Fine Dining at the Top Edgartown Spots

erc__0378 smAfter reading Rick’s post last month I thought I would take a little time to introduce you further to the Edgartown Residence Club.  Located in what some of you will remember as the ‘porch wing’ of the Colonial Inn, Edgartown Residence Club is available for purchase as a fractional ownership.  “What the heck is fractional owership?” I hear some of you cry, well, that is a good question.

I think my friend and industry expert David Disick explains it best,

“Fractional Ownership is ownership of any property (real estate, yachts, jets, art etc) that allocates use based on the amount of time that each owner is allotted.  In real estate, that means that a number of people all hold a fee-simple deed that conveys the right to occupy the residence for a specific amount of time each year and how that time is allotted.  The deed fuctions just like that of a traditional, whole ownership home in that it can be recorded, mortgaged, gifted or willed.  It can also be resold through local real estate agents.” (Source: David A Disick, “Fractional Vacation Homes – Marketing and Sales in Challenging Times”)

The next question that I often get is, “Well, isn’t that just a timeshare?” and honestly, it’s not.

erc__0041 smallTimeshare is strictly a vacation product where people pre-purchase one or two weeks of vacation at their home resort and have the ability to exchange their vacation through an exchange company. The Edgartown Residence Club, like other fractional ownership resorts world wide, is a commitment to a leisure lifestyle in a location where owners desire to return periodically throughout the year. It is a different product than timeshare, designed for a second home buyer, used in a different manner and sold differently as well. It combines all of the benefits of owning a second home with the services and amenities of a fine hotel, without the responsibility, worry or hassle of owning a second home. The ERC is a luxury club catering to second homeowners who seek an exceptional vacation experience and leisure lifestyle.

“But why buy a luxury vacation home, even if it is a fractional ownership, in this economy?”

With the economy slowly showing signs of recovery, we are all adjusting to the new ‘normal’ with less unnecessary spending and more careful consideration of where our hard earned dollars go.  This is one of the key factors that makes fractional ownership make more sense now than ever before!

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  • Reduced Costs – fractional ownership allows you to own a vacation home for a much reduced financial commitment than a traditional 2nd home.
  • Better Location – Let’s face it – we all know you could spend an extra $200k and have a traditional 2nd home on Martha’s Vineyard but you can be assured that it would not be in the center of historic, downtown Edgartown with spectacular views of Edgartown harbor, Chappaqiddick and the Atlantic Ocean beyond (It’s much more likely to be miles out of town, down a bumpy dirt road, with no walkable amenities).
  • Reduced Maintenance Worries – At the Edgartown Residence Club there’s no spending your 1st day cleaning and making the beds, running to Stop and Shop for groceries and touching base with your local caretaker and landscaper.  Just show up, relax and enjoy!
  • Diversity – Why own just 1 vacation home, year round, in a location you really only spend a few weeks a year in when for the same investment you could own multiple fractional ownerships in multiple locations that you love!

So, now you’ve got the basics on what and why, all that’s left is ‘How’.  Just pick up the phone and give me a call on 800-465-2810 or drop a quick email to learn more.  There are lots of other great reasons that ownership at the Edgartown Residence Club can make sense for you and your loved ones!

 

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
Go Exploring with the Best Martha’s Vineyard Tours
Treat Yourself to Fine Dining at the Top Edgartown Spots

Guitar Fingers by vl8189-resized-600

“What do you do here in the winter?” – It’s a question that almost every year-round resident has been asked by a wide eyed tourist in the height of August business.  The answer on the tip of the tongue for me is, “Enjoy the peace and quiet” but that’s not to say that there is nothing to do!  Open the calendar section of the MV Times and you will be amazed at the number and variety of events we have to choose from on any given week – Salsa Classes anyone? A Moonrise Meander thru Felix Neck Sanctuary? Movie nights, book clubs, fundraisers and pot luck suppers abound but the thing that amazes many winter visitors is the abundance of live music on the Vineyard in the dead of winter.
It will amaze most of you to know that, even in January, you can hear live music at least 5 nights a week on Martha’s Vineyard!  OK, on some nights there may be just one option, not the multiple choices of August but what we lack in quantity we certainly make up for in quality – most of those summer favorites are year round Vineyarders, strumming and crooning all winter long.

Let’s start the week on Tuesday (Sunday and Monday seem to be musician ‘weekend’ on MV), with jazz at Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs. Join well known Island favorites Eric Johnson and Jeremy Berlin for a set as smooth as the beers they accompany.

Return to Offshore on Wednesday night for Irish music – always a well attended and fun evening in this cozy atmosphere.

Thursday night takes us to Season Pub in Oak Bluffs for a night with the Mike Benjamin Band.  If you have been at the Colonial Inn on a Thursday evening in summer, you will be familiar with Mike and his crew.  They can really get the crowd hopping with their mix of covers from across the musical spectrum.

The latest addition to the ‘scene’ is Friday nights ‘In the Window’ at the Wharf pub in Edgartown with local favorites Don Groover and Kevin Keady.  With Kevin’s gravelly vocals and Don’s amazing guitar skills, you could easily think you had been transported to a smoky club in a big city, not quiet little Edgartown in January!

On Saturdays the Ritz Café in OB has live music from a variety of Island musicians throughout the winter.  They really liven up the sleepy winter months for us!

This selection is just the tip of the musical iceberg and doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the special events, fundraisers and the like that have their musical accompaniment on any given week.

So, do you still think there’s nothing to do on Martha’s Vineyard in winter?

Do you have a favorite Island artist? Who are your ‘must hear’ musicians? What is your favorite music venue on the Vineyard?

Photo Credit: vl8189

 

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
Go Exploring with the Best Martha’s Vineyard Tours
Treat Yourself to Fine Dining at the Top Edgartown Spots

Christmas in Edgartown was last weekend and we were really getting in the spirit…here are some of the highlights!

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Jim, our grumbly but lovable maintenance guy claims he’s a bah-humbug scrooge but he always does a wonderful job of getting us in the spirit with his outdoor lights – I think he excelled himself this year with this beautiful tree of lights in the courtyard of the Colonial Inn!

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This is a picture of Martha’s Vineyard’s most famous ‘Christmas House’.  Every fall, this display starts taking shape in time for a Thankgiving night unveiling of Santa’s Workshop.  The Gatchell family take great pride in this display and I challenge you to find a family of any denomination who don’t stop by and admire the lights on County Road in Oak Bluffs every year.  They collect donations for the Island Food Pantry every night and on Christmas Eve, even Santa and Mrs Claus stop by to greet all the children getting a last look at the lights before Santa jumps on his sleigh to deliver all his gifts.

Mobile Uploads 141-resized-600The Colonial Inn lobby is all decked out with ribbons (tartan of course – guess who chose those?!) and beautiful Poinsettas.

We enjoy welcoming guests at this time of year and getting into the spirit with the parade and fun.  This year there was pizza baking in the courtyard from Stonekrazy Pizza and music in the Eisenhauer Gallery on Saturday afternoon. A portion of the proceeds went to help the Red Stocking Fund. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the day – of course a good weather day helped with sunshine and mild temps in the high 40’s.

Santa rode into town, not on his usual conveyance but on a Fire Truck…

Santa

Elf and DanielAnd elves were roaming everywhere, warning kids to be good, for goodness sakes.  We’re not sure that Santa will believe the Tshirt that CJ’s son Daniel is wearing in this photo (Santa – I was framed!) but he’s so cute and takes such good care of his sister Jamie (she’s the cutie in the pic below with Santa), that we’re sure Santa has something good in store for him!

Santa was at Donaroma’s meeting all the kids and admiring the beautiful displays – maybe he even picked up a tree for the North Pole from their beautiful selection or made a wreath at their annual Wreath Making Workshop.

Jamie and SantaIt’s never too early to make plans for next year’s Christmas in Edgartown, so call us for availability and rates on 800-627-4701.

We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday.  Remember that we are open year round and still have some availability for Christmas and New Years…Or maybe you’ll need a little re-charge after all the chaos of the season?

What do you do (or where do you go) to get into the spirit of the season?

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
Go Exploring with the Best Martha’s Vineyard Tours
Treat Yourself to Fine Dining at the Top Edgartown Spots