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Martha's Vineyard Family Activities

If you ask us, there’s only one way to get around Martha’s Vineyard. No, it’s not train, plane or hover board (we’re pretty sure we would fall off one of those anyway) — for us, it’s all about the bike. Whether you fancy yourself ready to conquer the Pyrenees in the Tour de France or get intimidated by biking on the street, Martha’s Vineyard biking has a route that will amp up the fun for every skill level.

 

Martha's Vineyard biking routes

 

Bike to South Beach and Back — 6 miles

Avoid the stresses of parking at the beach by gathering up your beach gear and taking the bike path to South Beach. Good for the directionally challenged, this bike route is pretty much a straight shot along Katama Road from Edgartown. At three miles one-way, this Martha’s Vineyard biking route makes a great day trip for beginning bikers (plus exercise is always better with the promise of a lazy afternoon at the beach). Pack a picnic lunch, spend the day swimming in the ocean, and then enjoy a leisurely ride back into Edgartown.

 

Take the Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven Loop — 16 miles

When you’re looking to up the biking ante, but still value the ability to stop, go shopping, and have a glass of wine mid-bike ride, we recommend you head out on a tour of our neighboring towns to the north. Head out of Edgartown on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven path (we’re saving the really gorgeous views for when you’re feeling a bit more worn). On this seven-mile road, you’ll get a glimpse at the quiet, lushness of the island’s interior before you arrive to Vineyard Haven. Grab some fuel at Black Dog Tavern, but keep it light — you still have miles to go before you’re through.

 

Hop back aboard your bike for the three-mile jaunt to Oak Bluffs. We suggest starting out on Beach Road and then continuing onto East Chop Drive. While this road may not be the most direct path to Oak Bluffs, its scenic views and lack of car congestion make the detour worthwhile. Along your journey, be sure to stop at East Chop Light for a quick photo-op and some rehydration. Once you arrive to Oak Bluffs, stay aboard your bike and peddle through the town’s famous gingerbread cottages, known for their whimsical colors and names. If you’re desperate to give your rump a rest, head to Offshore Ale Company for a bite and a brew.

 

We told you we were saving the best for last! Offering scenic views of State beach and Sengekontacket Pond, it’s no wonder that Beach Road, the six-mile path between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, is one of Martha’s Vineyard’s most popular bike routes. Be careful crossing the Pond though — we hear there are mighty big fish in these waters

 

Martha's Vineyard Bking
MV Challenge

 

Take The Full Martha’s Vineyard Biking Tour — 100 Kilometers

Okay, full disclosure: although Martha’s Vineyard might seem like a tiny island from the perspective of Google Earth, we’re actually rocking quite a hefty circumference. Coming in at about 100 kilometers, the full island loop is not for the faint of heart.

 

If you’re feeling froggy, take the Cycle MV Bicycle Challenge and depart from Edgartown towards Oak Bluffs. While the Down-Island Loopers got to take a shortcut between Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, we know you can handle the MV Challenge’s path down County Road and then back up on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven path (though we won’t tell if you decide to cheat). Here comes the tough part: take State Road for 17 miles, past Chilmark until you hit Aquinnah. We highly suggest grabbing some grub by at the tasty food stands by the lighthouse. And for goodness sakes, take a little break!

 

As they say, it’s all downhill from here (so to speak). Your Martha’s Vineyard biking route continues along South Road and then to Edgartown-Tisbury Road for about 19 miles. Keep an eye overhead for planes along this thoroughfare — or better yet, get a snack at the Plane View Diner at the airport. The last leg of your MV Challenge involves a quick ride down to Katama Beach where you can wash the sweat off your body before you head back to Edgartown.

 

No matter which Martha’s Vineyard biking route you choose to conquer, we’re ready to greet you home at Vineyard Square with a snack (and maybe even a massage at Sea Spa Salon. Don’t see your favorite bike route on our list? Share your go-to Martha’s Vineyard biking spots with us on Facebook or Twitter.

 

 

 

Tips for safe biking on Martha’s Vineyard

As you embark on a bike ride across the island, remember these tips (courtesy of the Martha’s Vineyard commission) to keep your ride safe as well as fun.

  • Bicyclists shall ride WITH traffic. DO NOT ride against traffic!
  • Bicyclists 16 and under MUST wear a helmet (adults should do the same).
  • Bicycles ridden at night (½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise) must be equipped with a white front light and a red rear light or reflector and have reflectors on both pedals (or cyclist’s ankles). Reflectors or reflective clothing visible from the sides is also required at night.
  • Narrow, rural roads are part of the Island’s charm, but they often have little or no shoulder for cyclists – especially Up-Island. Make it easier for motorists to share-the-road by staying to the right and, if riding in a group, spacing yourselves to allow passing.
  • Riding on sidewalks is permissible, except in downtown areas where posted.
  • However, cyclists ALWAYS have the right to ride in the road, even when there is an adjacent path.
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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.

 

Gingerbread Cottages

Wander Through the Whimsical Gingerbread Cottages

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).

 

Edgartown Lighthouse - Family TripYour Family Trip Gets Brighter at the Edgartown Lighthouse

No 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.

 

Hop on the Flying Horses

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.

 

Pirate Adventures Marthas Vineyard
Photo: Pirate Adventures

Move your Family Trip to the High Seas with Pirate Adventures

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.

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

While everyone hopes for perfect weather when they go on vacation, there’s no avoiding the occasional bad weather day (we haven’t perfected our weather-fixer, yet). Don’t let a little rain or snow cloud your Martha’s Vineyard vacation. There are endless indoor activities on the island that are perfect for the whole family. Stop into a museum, take a class, or just relax and eat. With so many wonderful indoor activities to choose from, a rainy vacation day may just outshine the ‘perfect’ ones.

Indoor Activities: Dance
Photo: Caleb Carr, The Yard

Featherstone Center For The Arts

If you are an art lover, none of Martha’s Vineyard’s indoor activities can beat a visit to Featherstone Center for the Arts. This art center is the premiere destination for local artwork in the area. Stop in and see one of their rotating exhibits, or go to one of their weekly events like Musical Mondays or the Photographers Salon. You can also attend one of the center’s classes open to individuals of all ages.

 

Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena

A day of indoor activities doesn’t mean giving up being active. Burn off some energy by skating at Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena. If, by some chance, you forgot to lug your skates all the way to the Vineyard, they’re available to rent on-site. Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena also host open skating hours throughout the week, or you can sign up to take a lesson and learn to skate circles around your friends and family. When the weather is just too damp or too cold to skate outdoors, keep your fingers, toes, and nose from freezing off by skating in this indoor arena.

 

Indoor Activities: Museum
Photo: Martha’s Vineyard Museum

Martha’s Vineyard Museum

Learn about the rich history, art, and culture of the island at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. This museum began collecting items in 1922 and has only grown its collection since. Discover the island’s history through pre-revolutionary war artifacts or visit one of the museum’s exhibits featuring modern artists. A visit to this museum has been known to inspire revolutionary war reenactments and the desire to eat whale blubber (just kidding about the whale blubber).

 

Indoor Activities at The Yard

Brighten up your day with a community dance class at The Yard. Taught in an open air barn, these classes make you feel like you’re outside, without actually confronting the weather. If the day’s gloom has you in the mood to rest rather than rhumba, you can sit and watch one of their monthly performances instead. The Yard hosts residencies for prominent dancers, so you may have the chance to see the next great dancing phenomenon!

 

Spend The Day At Vineyard Square

When the temperatures drop or the rain pours, sometimes you just want to cozy up inside all day. Luckily, with all the indoor activities at Vineyard Square, you won’t have to brave the weather. Spend the day getting treatments and massages at the Sea Spa Salon, where the sound of rain will only aid relaxation. In the evening, share a leisurely meal in our in-house restaurant, and watch the snow fall while sipping on a hot beverage. End your day of indoor activities by returning to your snug room and warming up by the fire.

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

Martha’s Vineyard is at the heart of many a family tradition — generations gather here on the Island for weddings, reunions, and casual getaways. Kids grow up thinking of this place as a magical second home. If you’re ready to add boats, lighthouses, and the beach to their earliest memories, these things to do with kids on Martha’s Vineyard can help round out your trip.

 

MV Pirates
Photo: MV Pirates

 

Set Sail With MV Pirates

We’re going to be blunt here — this is hands down the coolest thing to do with kids we’ve seen in a long time. Martha’s Vineyard Pirate Adventures sails its own custom-built pirate ship out of Oak Bluffs harbor and teaches your group of landlubbing 2-10 year olds the ways of the sea. The kids get costumes and face paint, go on a hunt for buried treasure, engage in a [water]cannon battle with rival pirates, and take home some worthwhile loot. Give the adventure description a read and join us in wondering if we’re too old for eye patches ourselves.

 

Mini Golf at Island Cove Adventures

If the kids aren’t quite ready for a round at the Royal and Ancient Chappaquiddick Links, they’re sure to have a blast at Island Cove Adventures in Vineyard Haven. Streams, a cave, and plenty of obstacles will keep even the most skilled golfer in the family chasing par. You’ll putt past a pond full of fish and finish in sight of a family-friendly version of the 19th hole that serves snacks, grilled food, and ice cream. Island Cove has a rock climbing wall, too, with a bird’s eye view of the course.

 

Mad Martha's Edgartown Ice Cream and Sweets

A Martha’s Vineyard sweet tooth tour isn’t just for grownups, though we accept no responsibility for extreme sugar highs and year-round dependency on Murdick’s Fudge (don’t tell the kids, but they can ship it to your door off-Island). Families love the old-fashioned jukebox at Mad Martha’s here in Edgartown, not to mention specialty dishes like the Clown Sundae. Consider topping off any of these things to do with kids on Martha’s Vineyard with a special treat.

 

Katama Airfield

We wouldn’t necessarily send our youngest guests on one of the Vineyard’s famed open-air biplane rides, but the airfield is still well worth a family stop on the way to South Beach. Planes and gliders taxi right past the Right Fork Diner so the kids can get an up-close look while they tackle their pancakes. The area is surrounded by native plant species and is extremely scenic, too.

 

The Island Movie Experience

Martha’s Vineyard movie theaters are a little different from the shopping-mall experience elsewhere. Two of them, the Strand and Capawock, have just reopened in all their vintage glory after years closed. The Island’s newest provides a state-of-the-art viewing experience, and Entertainment Cinemas here in Edgartown has been going strong for years with two screens and a rotating schedule. If the weather isn’t quite right, most of the theaters will host impromptu rainy day matinees.

 

When it’s time to rest up for another day of family fun on the Island, we’ve got you covered here at Vineyard Square. Families fit comfortably in our two-bedroom luxury suites, and we can also make arrangements for larger groups.

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
Daddy and his Shadow girls
By Pink Sherbet Photography

Diversity is a buzzword people like to throw around, referring mostly to people who look or behave differently from one another.  Rarely does it refer to anything much beyond the surface.  The fact is that true diversity occurs deep within.  It can rarely be seen from the outside but must be experienced personally.  I contend that Martha’s Vineyard offers a variety unlike other places.   There are so many different things to do for so many different kinds of people in so many different types of places.

A diversity of places…

The terrain, dwellings, and sights on the island are so varied that you might be tempted to think you are in more than one place at the same time.  Hills, farms, beaches, forests, busy streets, and quiet parks are among the habitats available to enjoy.  If you have a change of mood, a change of environment is only a short drive, walk, bike ride, or bus trip away.  In fact, you could become disoriented just by turning around in some locales.

There is even variety in similar ecosystems: State Beach can be as calm as a lake while South Beach can be so tempestuous that it can toss you like so much dirty laundry..

…with a diversity of activities…

From the serenity of kayaking in a placid lagoon to the insanity of parasailing on the turbulent air currents above State Beach, there is truly something for everyone here.  I like to sit on South Beach and read, but if I decide to soar silently over that beach, gliders await at nearby Katama airfield offering that option.  I can bike on the flat paths around the airport or challenge the hills of Aquinnah.

What youngster can resist the lure of the brass ring on the Flying Horses?  (What parent can resist helping said child?)  If that’s too tame for the older kids, they can take real horse rides through the fields and trails of West Tisbury.  The Aggie is a blast while neighboring Polly Hill Arboretum is a tranquil refuge.

Dining offers the same variety.  The Quarterdeck, a classic walk-up clam shack, is mere steps away from the upscale L’Etoile, but don’t try wearing the same apparel to both.

…for a diversity of people.

Families, singles, infants, and elders will all find appropriate diversions.  The crazies and the lazies will similarly find their niches.  Rich retirees from New Jersey coexist with newlyweds from Chicago.  The acclaimed and the obscure can rub elbows in shops and bars.  During the summer, you might be served ice cream by a college senior from Bulgaria or buy a drink from a senior citizen native islander.

I love many things about the Vineyard, but high on the list is that I feel as if I can visit many different places with a single visit to the Island.

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