Nantucket June 2010

The yearly trip to Nantucket finally arrived and nothing but fog and rain greeted my arrival at Boston Logan airport! I finally figured out the ultimate way to make the most of my trip east - I took the red eye from Denver to Boston, arriving at 5am where my wonderful college roommate picked me up and drove us the quick drive at that hour to Hyannis where homemade Bloody Mary's awaited us.

I have heard many people describe Nantucket as magical and I've certainly used many adjectives to describe this tiny island in the past. However, after this year's vacation, "magical" is definitely the way I would describe my favorite place.

Two days of pretty heavy rain were followed by three of the most amazing weather days I've ever had on Nantucket, with blue skies and warm sunshine. We were so impressed with the weather that instead of renting a small Kia, we were talked into the big red Jeep and kept it for 2 days. Once again, Lou, the White Elephant concierge got us a remarkable off season rental rate of $99 per day for the Jeep which comes with its own beach permits.



We changed things up a little this year and headed straight to Bartlett Farm where we knew we could get fresh sandwiches made to order to take to the beach. However, as we were leaving, we finally noticed that Cisco Brewery was right next door. Since we had contemplated going there over the years and had never made it there, we felt we had to stop.



What a beautiful day and what a beautiful location for a stop. The brewery is small and as you approach, there is a patio area with chairs and music playing and two buildings on either side of the patio, the "tasting rooms." We walked in to look at the t-shirts and other merchandise for sale and immediately were greeted by a bartender standing behind a small bar with no more than 5 stools asking us what we would like to try. Turns out they have a tasting menu for $8 where you get to sample all 8 of the local beers in a tiny little beer mug. It was great. I found a beer I liked, ordered the bigger size, did my shopping while I drank and met up with some of the other guests of the White Elephant who were doing the same. They had ridden their bikes out to the brewery and the thought of riding them back into town kept them at the bar longer than they should!

Quite a few hours passed in this fashion and it was finally time to leave as we were missing a beautiful day. We headed straight for Madaket Beach, the westernmost beach on the island as the sun was heading down the horizon. What a smart choice.

This beach is deserted and is now my new favorite beach. We drove to the end of the road where it dead ends into the sand. We had to stop to let the air out of the tires down to the safe 18 lbs and then headed out onto the beach.



There were no more than 3 other cars out on the entire beach. We headed as far west as we could and set up our beach chairs and had a late lunch watching the sun get lower and lower.



As I was afraid of falling asleep, I headed farther west on a long walk where I found the most amazing sea shells and the end of the beach. At this point the sun was setting and I hated to turn around to head back, but I was out of land to walk on.




We quickly headed back to the hotel to change and drive back out to the Galley Restaurant at the Beach as the sun was setting and we had 8pm dinner reservations. As I quickly checked in, I begged the host to let us have a drink on the beach before seating us so we could watch the final minutes of the sunset. Of course, he was most agreeable as that was where everyone was. This is the ultimate location for a drink at sunset on the beach. It just doesn't get any better than this and if I could end each day at this location, I would be a happy girl.



We went inside for our Restaurant Week dinner which I am disappointed to say was almost the exact same menu as last year and not quite as good. However, we were given a wonderful table where we could watch the sky grow dark and as it did, we had a wonderful view of the boats approaching the island in the dark. It was as always, well worth the trip.

The next day we felt we couldn't give up the Jeep as it was another beautiful day and we still had plenty of the island to explore. We started off by having breakfast at a local hotspot, the Downyflake. Known for its donuts, it is a local favorite. I can tell you, the donuts are awesome. Just like my grandmother used to make.

We then headed out of town on Polpis Road towards the Wauwinet. We had decided to head out to Great Point despite the fact that we couldn't drive all the way on the beach due to the conservation lands. We stopped at a little guard shack just before the Wauwinet and bought a special beach permit for $35 which it turned out was well worth it. Here we had to lower our tire pressure to 15 lbs. If you go, be sure to make one last bathroom stop here at the porta potty as there is nothing up ahead!


We drove out on the beach as far as we could and abandoned our Jeep for what was a 3 mile walk (each way) out to Great Point Lighthouse. We knew this going in, but had we not gone together, we each might have abandoned our goal. It was well worth it as we had the pelicans and the seals to accompany us.


When we finally made it to the tip of the island, we got as close as we could to the Great Point Lighthouse.

We had not brought our shoes and the sand was white hot. We were the only ones there as none of the other visitors to the area had made the journey out to the lighthouse. It was perfect.



A dark cloud followed us back down the beach along with the seals to our Jeep so we headed out to Surfside Beach and got the famous burgers from the shack there which we enjoyed on the beach until a brief rainshower hit.

After heading out to Sconset to visit our favorite little store and shop the real estate in that area, we finally discovered the third and final lighthouse on Nantucket, Sankaty Lighthouse.

After our 2 day Jeep adventure, we took advantage of having the Jeep by having dinner out of the downtown area and then returned to town to see a movie at the Starlight Theatre. If you can, try and see a movie here. It has its own restaurant and bar and you are more than welcome to bring your drinks in with you. It is a classic theatre and a perfect way to end the night. www.starlightnantucket.com.



I want to end with a couple of photos of what I see every morning on my walk from the White Elephant out to the Galley Restaurant on the beach area. I love this walk and I never get tired of the views.

This place is indeed magical.

Spring Break is all about Baseball!

When I think of spring break, I think of baseball spring training in Arizona. For years, I have been going to the Cubs spring training facility in Mesa, Arizona to watch games. Every year I take my nephew for his school spring break, but I have also started going at the beginning of spring training by myself or with the girls. Adults deserve spring break too!


From Colorado, it is a quick and easy flight to Phoenix with remarkably cheap airfares on Frontier and Southwest. If you plan your trip by January, it is easy to get a round trip flight in the neighborhood of $139. I generally stay in the Scottsdale area as most of the good resorts are in that area. For the past few years, we have been meeting friends from Chicago there and have discovered lots of good family resorts with great pools. One of the early favorites was the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak (www.hilton.com) as it has a remarkable water park on the premises. It even has a Coyote Camp where you can check the children in for the day. If you book far enough in advance, you can get great rates. But it fills up fast as most of Chicago and other areas have the same spring break and they all come down for spring training with the family. Because of the water park, it is a popular choice.

For a few years, we ventured farther north to the Desert Ridge area of Phoenix, up by Kierland and all the new shopping destinations. We stayed at the JW Marriott and it's sister property, the Canyon Villas which are condos and timeshares just a short walk across the parking lot. In the early stages of the Villas, it was a nice enough property as there were no crowds and staying there gave you full access to the JW Marriott. However, as more and more condos have been built, the crowds have come. But if you're travelling with a family and want the convenience of a full kitchen, this is a good choice. It's farther away from some of the ballparks, but easy access to the 101 freeway offers many other choices of activities and sporting events.



After many years exploring, I've found my home in Scottsdale and it is the Arizona Biltmore. (www.hilton.com) It is a property rich in tradition and history and the service is impeccable. The Biltmore was previously owned by the Wrigley family and there is still a Wrigley Mansion on the grounds which is open for lunch and dinner and free self guided tours. The grounds on which the hotel sit include a golf course, walking and running trails and lawns with every flower imaginable. The hotel is extremely spread out with 8-10 buildings and 4 or more swimming pools hidden between the buildings. It would take a day just to stay at the hotel relaxing and exploring.



But of course spring in Arizona is all about baseball. The Cubs spring training facility is located at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ, just a short 15 minute drive from the Biltmore and the nearby Phoenix Airport. All games are at 1pm and the field opens at 11am. Parking can be had on the grass outside the stadium for $5 and lawn tickets currently are sold for $8, up from $5 just a couple years ago.

Between baseball games everyday and the pool at the hotel, it's hard to find time for anything else while on these trips. But there is plenty to do in Phoenix this time of year. Two years in a row, the NCAA March Madness Tournament was in town and we were able to get tickets at the last minute and even attend UCLA's practice session the day before for free. Visiting other teams ballparks has become a new favorite as there are so many to check out and some are brand new. One year we were able to attend an ASU baseball game and tours of the new football stadium in Glendale are a not to miss event.

A worthwhile side trip if you haven't been is the Grand Canyon. Located just past Flagstaff, it's a good 3 hour trip from Phoenix but well worth it. I had forgotten however, that there are no fences along the side and it is extremely easy to slip and fall, so wear good shoes and keep the children tethered.


Don't forget a trip to Trader Joe's and a burger from In N Out and it's a perfect getaway from the snow and winter up north!