Day 279, Year 6 Family Sail to Martha’s Vineyard
Date: Saturday, July 30, 2011
Weather: Gorgeous Day, Temp in Low 80’s
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
New England can have all manner of weather in the summer, but this was one of those perfect days for a family summer sailing outing. The Cape and Islands public radio station kicked off their summer fundraiser this morning and our daughter had to be on-air from 7:00 to 9:30 am. Jed and kids, along with Justin, Jo, and Ziggy arrived in Woods Hole just after 9:30 and we actually got everyone onboard and made the 10 am bridge opening. We sailed with a three knot current and arrived in Martha’s Vineyard in just an hour and a half. It was a beautiful sail with calm seas, blue skies, and a coolness from the water that made the air temperature just perfect-not too hot and not too cold. By noon we had anchored, taken the dinghy to Vineyard Haven, and were on a public bus headed to the town of Oak Bluffs. Mark and I have been there before and I think Heather had biked across the island before, but it was a first trip across the island for Jed, Justin, and Jo. No one but Mark and I had really explored Oak Bluffs. We picked that town for a lunch stop because we knew there was a great shady place to picnic in Trinity Park. We took the advice of our bus driver and got take-out at a restaurant named Linda Jean’s. We had fish and chips and fried clams and it was yummy. The center of Trinity Park is the Tabernacle. This is a huge open tabernacle that in the 1800’s was the home of a tent revival. Around the tabernacle, people pitched their tents. The tent tabernacle became a permanent structure and eventually people built platforms for their tents and then went on to build gingerbread-perfect little homes on those platforms. Today the little gingerbread houses are privately owned on church land. And it is all located in a beautifully landscaped park that is perfect for an afternoon picnic with little kids. It is a huge open space where they can run and have fun. After our lunch and play time we got back on the bus and rode to Edgartown on the southeast corner of the island. Jonah and Ziggy fell asleep on the bus, so when we arrived Mark and I took them and sat with them on a shady park bench while they napped. Ziggy actually laid down on the hard park bench and slept soundly-he was out cold. But when we tried that with Jonah, he whimpered. So we picked him back up and Mark held him while he napped. Justin and Jo headed into town while Heather, Jed, and Sam ate Gelato at a little place next to the Visitor’s Center and bus stop. They returned to check on Jonah just as we woke up, so they explored the beautiful little park just behind the park benches where we were sitting and then walked into the downtown area. Soon after they left for their explore of Edgartown, Justin and Jo returned. Ziggy woke up and we went with JJ&Z to have Gelato. We all caught the 4 pm bus back to Edgartown. Once back on Windbird, the big kids, including four year-old Sam jumped into the water for an afternoon swim while the little kids-Ziggy and Jonah-got into the little blow-up kiddy pool on the aft deck. After about an hour of frolicking, we raised anchored and headed back to Woods Hole. On the trip back we motored with just the main sail up because there was very little wind coming from directly behind us. But until we reached the Woods Hole area, we had current with us and made the 7 pm bridge opening to get back into Eel Pond. We had dinner on the boat and then Mark and Justin entertained Sam, Jonah, and Ziggy by taking them around Eel Pond in the dinghy. Ziggy and Jonah weren’t enthusiastic sailors when we were in Puerto Rico. But now all three boys are sailormen.
Tomorrow morning we head to Ashfield in Western Massachusetts where Justin and Jo will visit with their friends and attend DoubleEdge Theatre’s summer show. Mark and I will go to the show with Ziggy and then leave with him if he gets restless. Then on Monday morning it is on to Boston.
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| 110730 Day 279 Cape Cod, USA–Sail to Martha's Vinyard |
