March, 23, 2016
Kick start the season with a revitalizing retreat at Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites and Sea Spa Salon in Edgartown. The hotel and salon will host two- and four-day wellness programs March 31-April 3, designed to awaken and cleanse the body from its winter hibernation.
As the saying goes, living well is the best revenge. While for some “well” may evoke money, fame, or power, we prefer to take a positive and healthy view of wellness. With warmth in the air and summer on the way, show the world how good a “you” you can be by becoming a master of wellness at home. From dietary tweaks to embracing the joy of movement, you can make your home a spa and your life a beacon of living well.
Okay, we admit it — this step sounds a little overwhelming. Your home probably doesn’t have that spa-ish aroma, and dirty clothes on the floor doesn’t exactly fit the spa ethos (unless all your clothes are cozy, white robes). So, let’s take it one step at a time. Start your home-to-spa transformation by throwing away (or donating) any products in your home with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Maltodextrin? Toss it! Dimethyl phthalate? No thanks. Before you know it, your home will be toxin-free and rejuvenating. All it needs next is a good decluttering.
Return to the good old days where we treated food as fuel. As amazing as it feels to pop open a coca-cola or dive into a bag of potato chips, remember that food is about giving us energy and nourishment in addition to being tasty. Trust us, the two are not mutually exclusive. Start every morning with a warm glass of lemon water for rehydration, and then gobble up a hearty breakfast of local eggs, a smoothie, and organic coffee. Believe it or not, you’ll feel full and energized until your next delicious meal (which will probably be a salad with wild fish!). Finish your day with rainbow colored food (because rainbow is the new beige) that will keep you full until morning. Now that doesn’t sound so hard, does it?
As Olivia Newton John once so eloquently spoke: let’s get physical. Incorporate movement into your daily routine in whatever way you can. We’re not saying you have to jog ten miles a day — in fact, our wellness guru, Rebecca Briggs of Sea Spa Salon, described exercising three or four times a week for 30 minutes as the magic formula. By movement, we mean avoiding the eight-plus hour drain of sitting in your office chair. Take the stairs instead of the elevator; work at a standing desk; dance in the car to your favorite jam. As long as you’re moving, you can’t go wrong.
Take Baby StepsWe’re giving you lots of advice, so it’s important that you remain calm! Achieving wellness at home isn’t about altering the fabric of your daily life. Take every change in baby steps that will one day have you leaps from where you began. Instead of starting your day with coffee, grab a warm lemon water; or take on the project of baking your own chips instead of buying them at the store. See the fun in wellness at home in every step, and don’t put pressure on yourself to change all at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is wellness at home.
Whoa, you may be thinking. Contradictory much? While you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself to change all at once, holistic thinking is vital for achieving wellness at home. Here’s what we mean: every baby step decision you make should feed into your holistic well-being. In other words, what do you need to do to have the most happiness? This is what it all boils down to, really. Achieve wellness at home by feeling healthy, happy, and at peace with your environment.
The idea of waking up one morning and suddenly changing your focus can be overwhelming, and, let’s face it, when you’re embarking on a journey like this, it’s easy to abandon ship when it gets hard. Luckily, you can kick start your wellness at home by attending a holistic wellness retreat at Vineyard Square. Here, you can take part in cooking demonstrations, daily yoga and meditation, and excursions across the island to help you gather the knowledge to excel in wellness at home.
To aid you in your wellness at home, yoga instructor and health educator in residence, Rebecca Briggs, has shared some of her healthy breakfast favorite recipes. Kick start your morning in the spirit of wellness at home with these tasty treats.
This recipe includes 1/4 cup of diced mango (organic frozen mango good) and pepita/pumpkin seeds, but feel free to top the pudding with your favorite fruit and nuts. Local, no-spray strawberries, blackberries & raspberries are yummy in spring.
Ingredients (makes 2-3 cups of pudding)1/4 cup chia seeds
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon honey or 1 tbsp real maple syrup
1/2 – 1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt (Himalayan pink salt best)
Fresh fruit, nuts &/or seeds to top with in the morning
MAKE A FROTHY ANTIOXIDANT RICH LATTE
1. Brew coffee (french press, drip…)
2. Pour freshly made coffee in blender
One 8-10 oz coffee to 1 tbsp coconut oil
3. Add 1 tsbp coconut oil to coffee, and blend up low-med.
There are few things we like more than chowing down on tasty island nosh. From creamy chowders to fresh raw oysters, Martha’s Vineyard has the distinct advantage of being surrounded by water on all sides. However, don’t think that seafood is our sole culinary triumph. From gulping down raw cow’s milk at a local farm stand to cutting into a hearty steak at a corner bistro, the ways to experience food on the island are as varied as the island itself. Instead of hiking, biking or swimming your way across the island, eat your way from Aquinnah to Edgartown with this foodie tour of the Vineyard.
Get all the culinary delights of the island in one place — all you have to do is show up! Stroll through tent after tent of decadent food and wine as you breathe in the salty air of the island. Honestly, what could possibly be better?
Martha’s Vineyard’s oldest food festival, Taste of the Vineyard Gourmet Stroll, started over 30 years ago and only continues to one-up itself every year with delightful cuisine. Held annually in June, this event kicks of the island’s social season with 1200 of your closest friends and 90 food & beverage vendors, serving everything from artisanal chocolates to oysters on the half shelf to craft brews. Plus, we’re particularly fond of the fact that you can burn all this grub off on the dance floor at the end of the night.
Who doesn’t like a hubbub? With 25-plus sold-out events each year, Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival in October is the highlight of the off-season. Bringing together island chefs, local farmers, and wine personalities from across the United States, this festival introduces the culinary creators of the island to the community at large. There’s basically too many wonderful tastings, pop-up dinners, and small batch experiences to describe, so we’re going to keep it simple and say, if you can only go to one event during this four-day feast, attend the Grand Tasting. Arrive with an empty stomach and prepare yourself for over 200 pours.
Can’t wait until October? Attend the MV Wine Festival in May. While this festival also features four days of feasting, its focus falls more towards wine (unsurprisingly, we suppose). With wine dinners, a cocktail competition, and even a forging challenge, you may just find your new favorite summer beverage.
It doesn’t get more local than this. Create the ultimate picnic by taking a tour de farms. Start your foodie tour by stopping at Morning Glory Farms, right outside of Edgartown. Stock up on fresh tomatoes and greens grown in their greenhouse, and, if you’re feeling romantic, gather up a bouquet of fresh flowers, courtesy of Heather Gardens. At your next stop, The Grey Barn in Chilmark, delight in their freshly made cheeses with names like Prufrock, Bluebird, and Eidolon, or pick up a pint of their raw cow’s milk. What’s a picnic without some sweet and yeasty goodness to round off the meal? You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for Orange Peel Bakery. Identifiable mainly due to the large stone oven in the yard, this treasure serves up fresh bread, cookies, and even pizza on special nights if you decide cooking isn’t for you. It’s the only place in Aquinnah open 365 days a year — the head baker bakes breads and cakes every day, leaving them at the bakery in exchange for payment on the honor system. If that isn’t charming, we don’t know what is.
Take a seat and dig into the more established side of our foodie tour: Martha’s Vineyard’s booming restaurant scene. For an authentic, island snack, stop by Menemsha Fish Market for creamy chowder and a lobster roll. Located right on the water, you’re basically guaranteed some of the freshest seafood on the island. For a more upscale experience, settle into the romantic atmosphere of Alchemy where every bite is bursting with flavor. Ascend their staircase and head towards the back of the restaurant where you can dine in an old world library by the fire.
In our totally unbiased opinion (okay, maybe we’re a bit biased), Chesca’s Restaurant delivers the best of fine dining with a comforting flair. Grab a hand-crafted cocktail and sip it on our front porch; or settle in for a meal of delectable seared scallops. Honestly, it takes all our willpower not to eat there every evening.
Can’t narrow down the restaurants on your must-try list? Plan your visit for Restaurant Week. With discounts and special menus at participating restaurants, your foodie tour of Martha’s Vineyard can be more comprehensive and less expensive.
Not satisfied unless you get your hands a little dirty? You’ll gather plenty of salt and mud on your culinary adventure with Farm. Field. Sea. Through hands-on, knowledge-driven learning experiences, you can connect (or reconnect) with the food of the island in a way that is both satisfying and delicious. Master the art of cheesemaking, explore the island’s culinary heritage, or just join Farm. Field. Sea. for a pop-up dinner. Regardless of which adventure you choose (and trust us, it’s very hard to choose just one), your meal’s setting will be a feast for the eyes, set in some of the most beautiful locations on the island. As the sun sets, feel your body, tired but satisfied and full from a day of culinary adventure.
In your weary state, find an island home that is happy to welcome you in, covered in grime or otherwise. With fluffy, homemade muffins in the morning and saltwater taffy in the afternoons, Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites provides the treats and the luxury to perfectly punctuate your foodie tour.
As the saying goes: “Summer people, some are not!” While Martha’s Vineyard is loved by many as a summer destination, we feel that a Martha’s Vineyard’s winter is an underappreciated gem. In the colder months, explore quiet lighthouses tucked into the white snow or walk into your favorite restaurants without a wait. Embrace the chill and discover the hidden delights of a Martha’s Vineyard winter.
While there’s plenty of tranquility in the winter, we’ll let you in on an island secret: sometimes the best way to get through the colder months is a good old fashion party. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that our favorite zany, winter festivals also happen to be food themed. Warm up from the February cold by eating mountainous amounts of chili at the Big Chili Contest. Boogie to the mariachi band that performs all day and feel justified in your eat-a-thon by helping to choose the festival winner. If the thought of eating chili all day isn’t enough to give you heart burn, you may just have the stomach for Wingfest at Shaky’s Cantina. Bring wet wipes and an empty stomach because Martha’s Vineyard winter is ready to deliver some seriously good eats.
Fun in the sun is not just for summer anymore. The island is teeming with outdoor spots that are all the more gorgeous in the snow. Take a stroll on any of the Vineyard’s beaches, and build a snowman by the water . If you remember to pack your skates, you can glide around the peaceful Jernegan Pond, Sheriff’s Pond, or John Butler’s Mud Hole in Edgartown. Our favorite outdoor activity? Embrace Martha’s Vineyard winter’s reputation for blustery weather by going snowkiting. Just grab your skis, a kite, and some good old fashion grit, and you’ll be off sailing.
While it’s true that some restaurants are closed during the off-season, many exciting and delectable spots remain open all winter long. Take a bite out of the modern American delights at State Road, which, coincidentally, happens to be one of our owner’s favorite restaurants. For a meal with large portions and no pretensions, we recommend the Wharf Pub where you can order one of our favorite cold weather treats on the island, chowder fries (yes, that’s chowder with fries on top). On date night, head to the Alchemy with its fresh seafood and mouth-watering entrees like their half-chicken (not to mention, their hand-crafted cocktails). The only downside? You’re probably going to leave the island a few pounds heavier than when you came.
No matter what time of year it is, art on the island never sleeps. Many of the island’s most vibrant galleries (including the Eisenhauer Gallery in the Square) stay open throughout the winter. Escape the cold winds by taking in some local culture. If your love of art leans more towards learning than appreciation, Featherstone Center for the Arts offers art classes of all types throughout the Martha’s Vineyard winter.
By far, our favorite event of the season (yes, even behind ChiliFest!) is the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival in March. Sit back and grab your popcorn for a wide selection of films and have the opportunity to speak with their directors and creators. Plus, all moviegoers get food, live music, and guided meditations. With its quiet serenity, Martha’s Vineyard in the winter is the ideal time to get a little artsy.
As much as we relish the lively hum that rings over the island in the summer months, the off-season is a time of relaxation and secret pleasures. Whether you’re strolling through the streets of Edgartown or off searching for the perfect sledding hill with friends, you’ll feel like you have the island all to yourself. It’s just you, snow, and sea as far as the eye can see. Take a page out of winter’s playbook and settle down for the season in the luxury suites at Vineyard Square.
While some people think a family trip should be solely focused on the kids, we disagree. A family trip is for the whole family, which means that, personally, we think you shouldn’t suffer through your hard-earned vacation days. Martha’s Vineyard has a number of activities that strike a balance between kid fun and adult enjoyment. Where your kids find magic, you’ll find history; where they find silliness, you’ll find aesthetic beauty. These top four activities will ensure that every person on your family trip has a vacation to remember.
Every little kid (and adult, if we’re being honest) dreams of living in a house made of candy, or at least one that looks like it. The Gingerbread Cottages in Oak Bluffs are famous for their candy colored exteriors and their whimsical names. Challenge each other to come up with cottage names that are more unique and silly than “Wooden Valentine” or “Lazy Dayz.” Another idea: cast yourself as the witch in a Hansel & Gretel-esque game of make believe (we hear this is a great tactic for keeping your kids on their best behavior during your family trip).
Your Family Trip Gets Brighter at the Edgartown LighthouseNo family trip to Edgartown would be complete without a visit to its most famous landmark: the Edgartown Lighthouse. The current lighthouse was built in 1938 and the interior is still open to visitors (children under 12 get in free!). Peak your children’s interest by explaining how lighthouses keep boats from crashing into shore. After your family visits the lighthouse, plan to stay and spend time wandering up and down Lighthouse Beach, where you’ll take in views of Edgartown harbor and Chappaquiddick.
Skip the typical carousel ride and hop aboard a flying horse. The whimsical fun continues at the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs. Originally from Coney Island, this Martha’s Vineyard fixture is the oldest platform carousel in the United States. While your kids may not care too much about the history, at least you can say that your family trip had some educational value amidst all the fun. Be warned though: kids who ride the flying horses tend not to want to get off.
All-aboard, mateys and get ready to take Martha’s Vineyard by sea. When your kids are acting like swashbucklers and scallawags, move your family trip aboard the Sea Gypsy. Bid a hearty ‘yo-ho’ to their crew — everyday is “talk like a pirate day” at Pirate Adventures — and let your kids get dressed up in their finest pirate garb. Hopefully, they’ve brushed up on their navigating skills because they’re going to help the crew search for gold doubloons. All the while, you’ll get to ride along the high seas and take in the views of land (-ho!). You and your little lads and lasses will let forth a mighty “arrr!” after your role-playing adventure on the sea.
With all the effort that goes into planning the perfect family trip, you deserve a little relaxation once you arrive to Martha’s Vineyard. Our two-bedroom luxury suites will allow you some peace and quiet. Your family can spread out comfortably in the suite, and you can spend some quiet time reading on your private balcony.
