When you think of Cape Cod Vacation Ideas you should always think of Nantucket… a piece of Heaven in the Northeast. The Platinum Pebble Boutique Inn owners spent a day touring the island, by scooter, to bring you the highlights. It’s an easy day trip, especially if you leave from Harwich on the Freedom Ferry.
As you pull into Nantucket Harbor, by ferry, you pass Brant Point Lighthouse. A picture opportunity to be sure. The ferry passes close enough that it would be difficult to take a bad shot. It is quite the introduction to Nantucket too. The harbor opens up just past the lighthouse and… Welcome to Nantucket! This is what it felt like a hundred years ago, roughly. This is classic New England.
lighthouses
As you disembark the ferry you enter Nantucket’s downtown area. A great idea would be to rent a bike or scooter, the island is just big enough that walking is not the best option. With wheels you can see so much more and get to explore some of the best beaches in the country. If you want to live like a local while day-tripping, rent a jeep! Some of the beaches of Nantucket are off road friendly and the Great Point Lighthouse is an awesome expedition.
getting around
We stopped at Nantucket Bike Shop and rented a scooter for the day. They have three locations and were very helpful with instructions and a quick tutorial. Having the scooter meant we could easily visit Surfside Beach on the South side of the island. It is a huge expanse of sandy beach that gets the full brunt of the surf pushing up from the South. If you are looking for waves, this is the place to be. One of the beaches we missed was Cisco Beach, also the location of Nantucket’s Cisco Brewery. Definitely worth a stop if you want to see how the island’s best beer is made.
The town of Nantucket is also a great spot to walk and enjoy. The cobblestones are noteworthy and the genuineness of the town makes you feel like you have gone back in time. We stopped in some great bakeries, toured a couple of the boutique properties, and truly enjoyed the feel of authentic New England. One of the Cape Cod Vacation Ideas that we regret missing on Nantucket was the Whaling Museum. We found out after the fact that whether you like museums, like whales, or not…this is a stop not to be missed. Apparently they have done a phenomenal job and with whaling being such a huge part of this region’s history this is a museum that is worth a tour.
We had a day to explore one of our favorite Cape Cod Vacation Ideas and it was a day well spent. There are certainly some options we did not get to explore so all the more reason to return! The Freedom Ferry in Harwich Port is a seven minute drive from the Platinum Pebble Boutique Inn and offers free parking for day-trippers. It is so close and easy to get to, why not take a trip to Nantucket and explore off the beaten path?
