Island Hopping In One Day: Martha’s Vineyard To Nantucket

Island hopping. The ultimate day trip. Did you know or have you ever taken the Hy-Line ferry from Martha’s Vineyard to Nantucket?

Perhaps this is the summer for you to visit the sister Island, even if it’s just for the day, like I decided to with my friend Catherine.

The Hy-Line ferry leaves from the Dockside Pier, on the Oak Bluffs Harbor at 9:30 a.m. in the morning. Travel time dock-to-dock is about an hour and a half. The trip is not only easy, but beautiful. Traveling across open ocean, knowing that you’re off on an adventure is a special experience, even if the trip can’t be a long one.

I love seeing the Brant Point Lighthouse right before you pull into the harbor to dock. When I went this week, there was a beautiful, large American flag on the lighthouse. That along with all the people swimming and fishing helps you get in vacation mode.

When you get off the boat, you’ll find yourself at Straight Wharf. The beautiful cobblestone walkway is lined with great little shops and eateries. Since it was almost lunch when we got there, you could smell all sorts of yummy food being cooked.

We were short on time, so we had an itinerary. First, a cocktail at the Gazebo. This place holds special memories for me, when I used to visit Nantucket in the summer with my husband, before moving across the water. We have had many fun times there along with his family. Plus, it’s great for people watching and as someone from the Vineyard, I definitely enjoy the scene.

Then, it was on to check out a couple of stores around Main Street. Downtown is so beautiful and picturesque. You can’t help but feel special. It was truly a mini vacation.

Stores on Nantucket tend to be a lot different than many of the stores on our Island. The cashmere, the luxe shoes, the handbags, the jewelry, the home goods. You can drop some serious cash easily.

However, it was fun to shop. I fell in love with a pair of earrings from Milly & Grace. When in Nantucket, one must get a souvenir right? A memento to celebrate the visit? New fabulous statement earrings always make this girl happy.

After a bit of shopping, it was on to lunch. We had known were we wanted to go even before we docked. Cru. It had to be Cru. This waterfront bar is one of my favorite places to go. With lots of seafood and Rosé options and stunning harbor views, there was never a question.

Even though many people have left for the season, Nantucket is still busy. At Cru, we had to wait a bit for a table, but ended up at the bar instead. Here, we enjoyed our Rosé, laughed, admired the yachts, and had a delicious lunch.

We decided to share the mussels and the oyster po’boy sliders with fries. Just the right amount of food to share when you know you’re having ice cream too, before boarding the boat.

It was so hard to leave Cru. We were having the best time, making friends, relaxing, feeling like we were on someone else’s vacation. We even tried to make last minute childcare plans so we could take the 6:40 p.m. boat but were unsuccessful.

Begrudgingly, walking a little slower, we said goodbye and made our way back to Straight Wharf. However, I was able to manage to grab a couple of t-shirts for the family, and a couple other trinkets for the kiddos. Everyone likes a little treat when mom goes away, even if it’s only for 6 hours.

We were able to finish the trip with some delicious ice cream from Stars. I can’t even tell you the last time I got ice cream without my kiddos. What a special treat it was, a great way to end a marvelous, unforgettable couple of hours.

Island hopping is easy but only from now until Labor Day. Think about how fun it would be to pop over, whether you live here, are here for the week, or the entire summer. It’s a great time!

The Hy-Line inter-Island ferry departs from Dockside in Oak Bluffs at 9:30 a.m., 12:55 p.m., and 4:50 p.m. Returning that same day (if you have to, spend the night if you can) 2:30 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. The cost is about $65.00 round trip. Worth every cent, something magical happens in those hours there. For more information, click here.

Also, be sure to check out the store Townpool . See if you can win the rubber ducky game! Another great find is Oath Craft Pizza, right next to the ferry. I wish I got a t-shirt from there. The motto is “Crust fund” baby! Are you kidding me? I laughed so hard and still laugh as I type this. As a pizza lover, the humor is priceless.

Many of the restaurants and stores have great Facebook pages where you can get the most current happenings. You can click here to book your own inter-island trip! And don’t forget to “Like” Point B Realty on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Linked In, Google+, Pinterest and Youtube.