Day 6 of our Va-cap-tion: Martha's Vineyard!

On our last day visiting Cape Cod, our friends picked us up and all we hopped a ferry to Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. We picked up some bikes we had rented for the day and set off on the bike path that runs along Beach Road from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown on the eastern coast of the island. We rode by parks, neighborhoods, marshes, and had some beautiful coastal views along the way.

Some of the marshes along the bike path

The view from the American Legion Memorial Bridge, aka “The Jaws Bridge” which was featured in the movie. (Nice views but the bridge is a bit underwhelming.)

Some of the large (but not the largest!) homes along the coast.

When we arrived in Edgartown, we stopped to see the Edgartown Harbor Light. We thought this was just a replica lighthouse and built as a memorial for children who have died, but it is, in fact, a functioning, now solar-powered lighthouse (although not considered a critical one anymore) with an interesting backstory.

The beautiful Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown - a favorite accommodation for celebrities, athletes, and politicians.

The Edgartown Harbor Light.

View of the coast from Lighthouse Beach

While in Edgartown, we grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant called Espresso Love, where they had a nice outdoor patio. We spent a little time walking around the town which seemed pretty quiet, since it was shoulder season. We could imagine that it’s probably a lot more active during the summer months.

Finally, it was time to turn around, and for our ride back to Oak Bluffs we chose to go inland on another bike trail to see what we could see. We soon had some regrets, as we were riding uphill a lot of the time and into the wind, making it difficult at times, and the scenery wasn’t as awe-inspiring as it was along the coast (or maybe we were too busy trying to get up those hills to pay attention to the scenery!). We did, however, stop to check out a nice beach where hardly anyone was, which provided a nice break from the bikes, as our bums were starting to get pretty sore from the tiny seats!

Back in Oak Bluffs, we returned our bikes (much to the relief of our bottom halves!) We found yet another ice cream place with vegan options (!) and spent a little time eating ice cream and walking around the famous storybook Gingerbread Houses. These adorable little houses were built in the late 1800s by the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA), a group of Methodists who used them for camps and summer gatherings. There are 300 cottages and they are now used as summer and year-round cottages that sell for between $600K-$1M for between 600 and 900 sq. feet (we checked)! Some cottages are also available to rent.

The Gingerbread Houses in Oak Bluffs.

The Gingerbread Houses in Oak Bluffs.

We caught the last ferry back to Cape Cod and it was getting pretty chilly by then. A few of us braved the cold and went to the deck of the ferry to take pictures of what was probably the most incredible sunset any of us had ever seen! It lasted around 45 minutes, too! What a terrific way to end a wonderful vacation!

The next day our friends had charted out the length of our ride, and figured out we had ridden 22 miles! Pretty epic for some of us not having ridden a bicycle in quite a while! Renting bikes to ride around Martha’s Vineyard was a great idea, and we would definitely do it again; however, next time we’ll spend the extra money to rent electric bicycles and maybe just stick to the coastal paths! And the island blew us away with its gorgeous sea views and charming small towns - definitely worth a day trip if you’re in the area.

Thanks for checking out our pictures from this memorable trip!