Nantucket Day 1 - Friday July 29th
I was so excited to go to Nantucket, I could barely sleep the
night before our departure. Eric slept great because he wasn’t as excited as I
was (he later regretted that sentiment).
We awoke from our slumber at 7am on Friday, July 29th (my
wonderful mother’s birthday), and departed for the ferry by 8:15am. The drive
from Boston to Cape Cod on Friday morning was super easy and there was no traffic. Our ferry was scheduled to
depart at 11:15am from Hyannis. Eric corrected me after I mispronounced the
name of this popular Cape Cod town. I kept saying “HIGH-ANUS” but Eric promptly
let me know its correct pronunciation is “HIGH-ANN-IS.”
Anyway, we’ve traveled to Martha’s Vineyard three times
in recent years via the Steamship Authority ferry, and the experience is quite average. The Hyline ferry to Nantucket was a whole new “high-end” experience. We pulled up to the lot and a lady at the booth scanned our
pre-paid parking pass. She commented that she was happy we booked
online and paid in advance, which made the whole process much easier. She pointed towards the luggage check-in and
told us to drop our bags. We would then pull into lot number 5, which is the parking lot closest to the ferry terminal.
Eric and I looked at each other confused…What was a “luggage
check-in?” We were used to clinging onto our heavy bags until boarding the ferry and
then dropping them with a crew member hoping they make it to the island in one
piece. It turned out to be quite a
pleasant surprise! There were half a dozen young lads who swiftly grabbed our
luggage and loaded it onto a numbered cart, so it would be easy to find upon
arrival. WOW, impressive! They had absolutely no issue storing my garment bag, our beach umbrella, and 3 suitcases. Awesome!
It was raining, so we went inside the café, and enjoyed
cups of tasty coffee. I brought food from
home (always trying to save a buck) so we sat and had breakfast with our coffee. There weren’t many tables so
I stood near the exit and ran to the next available table when it opened up.
After eating, we went to the designated waiting area and hung out for another
half hour. Finally it was time to board,
so we walked outside and got in line. The line went quickly and before we knew
it we were on the boat! The round trip ferry and parking for 7 nights cost just
over $300, but it was worth it! The whole process was super organized,
efficient, and timely. All kinds of yummy snacks brought in from local vendors
(some even organic!) were available for purchase on the boat. Of course there
was also champagne, wine, and beer on tap. The couple sitting next to use
brought their own bottle of champagne and orange juice to make homemade mimosas
while in transit. Smart!
The ride was relatively smooth considering at one point
there was a massive downpour. When we arrived there was a steady rainfall, but we figured it was fine because we had umbrellas. It was super easy to find our luggage. My garment bag made it in one piece so I was relieved.
The events that took place in the next 15 minutes were probably the worst we’ve ever
experienced in all of our travels. The rain was really coming down and there were
people and cars EVERYWHERE. It was complete CHAOS. There wasn’t a cab in sight, and we didn't know what the hell to do! Our hotel was only
0.3 miles away so we figured it made more sense to walk than spend time tracking down a cab in the pouring rain. This
turned out to be a horrible mistake.
The cobblestone roads were treacherous!
The entire sidewalk was jagged with massive puddles every
two feet. It was extremely difficult to get ALL our bags (while holding
umbrellas) down this path full of people and cars! Eric finally gave up on the
umbrella and got soaked, along with some of our luggage that got dragged through the deep puddles.
Even through this torturous experience, as I wobbled down the path with my hands completely full, I felted stunned by the charm of this town! Immediately I knew why Nantucket has such an incredible reputation. I was blown away, and as the week went on I was never once disappointed.
To say we were relieved to enter the lobby of our cute hotel would be a major understatement! We planned to stay all 7 nights at 76 Main, which is a historic building that had been renovated into a luxury boutique inn. We booked the cheapest room available, or a petite queen in the main house. We preferred a king but couldn't justify the hefty price-tag.
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| View of Main St from our lobby |
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| Fresh fruit infused water always at the front desk |
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| Stairway to our room which was located on the third floor. No elevators |
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| How quaint is this lobby? |
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| Eric reading Wine Spectator magazine |
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| Door to our room - cute! |
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| Hallway on the third floor - I appreciate every detail |
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| We loved our adorable room, less than 150 SF! |
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| High quality products in the bathroom, replenished daily |
There was a lady sitting at the front desk with pleasant smile on her face. The check-in process was swift and we were quickly escorted to our room by the manager of the hotel, who referred to me by name throughout our entire stay (love that personal service!). We asked her for an upgraded room but unfortunately the availability was very limited. The manager, Korin, said she would do some research and get back to us. In the meantime, we settled in and made ourselves comfortable.
Only a mere 30 minutes into our stay, and we already felt impressed with the superb service and beautiful decor. I loved that they preserved the old woodwork in the building, but added modern New England decor. It felt like we were staying in someone's mansion, complete with an open kitchen and large outdoor courtyard.
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| Each floor had a mini kitchenette available to guests |
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| We settled in and got ready for our first night out with a nice bottle of sparkling wine from Napa |
Thankfully the rain subsided a few hours later and it turned out to be a gorgeous night. Eric actually logged on his laptop and completed a few hours of work while I showered, relaxed, and got ready for the night. We brought a bottle of sparking wine from home and put it in the refrigerator to enjoy before dinner.
Our plans for the evening included a reservation at Cru, which is undoubtedly a Nantucket hotspot. It's located right on the marina, and a short walk from the hotel.
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| Posing in front of our hotel before walking to Cru |
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| Outdoor seating at Cru |
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| My "Crucomber" was excellent! Vodka, lemon, cucumber, & toasted sesame...wish I had the recipe |
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| Eric's "sassy fashion." He was quite pleased with the quality! |
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| Nantucket Lobster Cocktail - Excellent! I'm not much of a lobster person and I loved this. SO FRESH |
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| Eric's oysters - he thought they were amazing |
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| Me feeling very lucky to be in Nantucket with Eric! |
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| Scallop Special |
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| Eric's grilled arctic char was not only the best meal of our trip, but also one of the best seafood dishes we have ever eaten. I didn't even know I liked arctic char! |
The scene at Cru truly lived up the hype. I originally heard about it from another blogger (Element of Style) and liked that it was located right on the marina. The food was phenomenal, the service perfect, and the people-watching doesn't get better. It was a more of middle-aged wealthy (wealthy "looking" at least, I'm sure there were a few posers) crowd who were there to "see and be seen". At any moment I was expecting a Real Housewife to walk in! The place was hopping the whole time, and it was best first night in Nantucket!
By the way, I made all dinner reservations for the trip a month in advance, which is a necessity in the summer months.
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| You would never know how horrible the weather was earlier that day! |
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| We walked around the marina after dinner. Eric said he'd never seen so many mega yachts in one location |
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| One of Eric's old friends from college is a waiter at the Nautilus, so we stopped in to to say Hello |
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| Our cocktails at Nautilus. The food looked good, but we never made it back for dinner |
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| This is 21 Broad, the sister property to 76 Main, located only 5 minutes away |
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| We took a short walk around town |
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| Nantucket on a beautiful July evening |
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| 76 Main at night |
Despite the rain, we had a wonderful first day in Nantucket. I couldn't wait to see everything this island had to offer!
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