Martha's Vineyard: Introduction: Overview

The first time my family traveled to Martha’s Vineyard, the island located off the southern coast of Massachusetts’s Cape Cod, was at the invitation of one of my father’s business colleagues, who arrived to greet us at the ferry wearing faded khaki shorts and worn leather Top-Siders, fresh flowers in hand and a crusty French baguette under one arm. Having returned to the Vineyard several times since then, I still think of this first impression as the perfect introduction to an island where locals and visitors happily forgo formality in favor of a relaxed, beachy lifestyle. Not that there aren’t sophisticated restaurants, shops and hotels (and prices to match), as well as a handful of exclusive private beaches, but at its heart the Vineyard is about the simple pleasures of summer.

Need proof? Go for sunset in the fishing village of Menemsha when the beach is crowded with families, groups of teenagers and couples who sit on blankets and feast on fresh seafood from Home Port or Larsen’s Fish Market. Without fail, as the last gleaming rays dip into the ocean and the expansive sky blushes crimson, everyone from young to old erupts into enthusiastic applause.