Are you staying in Martha's Vineyard and planning a day trip to Nantucket? This is the read for you. Here's my must-see list that you can do in one day!
Travel Tip: If you take one piece of advice away from this entire blog post - make reservations a month in advance. You may think I'm crazy, especially if you are not a planner, but you will regret it. Most of the hot restaurants open reservations a month or more in advance. Book early!!!
Breakfast
There are many cute places to eat breakfast in Nantucket or to grab a quick breakfast sandwich. However, lines are typically long and will eat into your day. Assuming you are taking a ferry over, I recommend bringing breakfast sandwiches and coffee with you to enjoy on the long ferry ride. If you are traveling from MVY, I recommend the Dockside Black Dog Cafe located right on the dock where you board.
Lunch - Brant Point Grill at the White Elephant
As a fan of the White Elephant in Palm Beach, Florida, I had to see the sister resort in Nantucket. The property was immaculate, had more hydrangeas than you can dream of, and had incredible 5-star service. If Nantucket is your leading destination or you have time for an overnight, you don't want to miss the opportunity to stay here. For a one-day trip, I highly recommend making lunch reservations at the Brant Point Grill. Open aired looking out onto the Harbor; this restaurant is the perfect spot to enjoy incredible food and some great cocktails. Try the ACK Sunshine, The White Elephant, and the Nantucket Mule! For our appetizer, we enjoyed the seafood ceviche. The Summer Vegetable Gnocci and the Lobster Mac and Cheese did not disappoint for our entrees. At the end of our meal, the staff surprised me with a birthday cake!
We happened to experience a Sak's Popup Boutique while we were at The White Elephant. I couldn't resist coming home with a new pair of Celine Sunglasses!
Shopping
If you want to live out your preppy dreams, Nantucket has the shops for you. As a big sundress gal, I was in heaven. A few of my favorite boutiques we visited were The Lovely, The Skinny Dip: A Summer Collective, and Salt. Are you looking for the classic Nantucket sweater? So many shops have the same sweater with just different colors. If the sweater is over $80, keep moving, you'll find it less at another shop.
There is a ton of non-clothing stores we checked out as well. Pop into Nantucket Looms and Nantucket Bookworks! Don't forget to check out the right side of the docks, Old South Wharf. There is a cute little seashell pathway with tons of artisan shops, boutiques, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
We visited on Saturday and lucked out seeing the local artisan marketplace. The market featured local artists, photographers, jewelry makers, and vendors selling locally crafted products with tents set up for you to purchase! There was some fantastic photography I recommend checking out.
Art Galleries
Nantucket is home to many art galleries scattered throughout the different retail shops. Take the time to explore them!! There are so many hidden gems you don't want to miss. If you are in the market for new art, we found many incredible pieces for affordable prices. Support local business and art all in one!
Dinner
We ended up grabbing some drinks and ice cream a little late in the afternoon, so we decided to wait for dinner until we returned to Martha's Vineyard. Check out The Gazebo for a drink while waiting for the ferry and Jack + Charlie's Ice Cream. If you can stay for dinner, here are a few of my recommendations: Cru, Bar Yoshi, and Straight Wharf.
To say I fell in love with Nantucket might be an understatement. We have already started looking for a summer home to rent next year! From the all-American charm to nautical heritage, we found ourselves a new summer vacation tradition.
Comments