My family and I visit Martha’s Vineyard the day before July
4th during our family vacation in Cape Cod.
An early morning ferryboat takes us from Hyannis to
Martha’s Vineyard in about an hour.
Passengers with freckled faces and sunburned necks wear baseball caps,
baggy, plaid shorts, and polo t-shirts.
We land at the ferry dock in Vineyard Haven. Teenagers at Martha’s bike shop
assemble bikes, helmets, and baskets for us to rent. They tell us we are among the few who sign the liability
waiver.
The sun shines on us as we start our ride along the marshes
and coast. Arriving at the quaint Edgartown,
we admire the wooden Victorian houses.
Taking in the view of the sea, we stop at a marsh for photos. A lady jumps out of her car to take our
photo.
A short ride away, we swing by Humphrey’s of West Tisbury
for sandwiches. They bake their
own bread and roll in dough. I
order a “Californian” with avocado, sprouts, and turkey breast on homemade sour
dough bread.
We do not bother to lock up our bikes as we assume theft
does not happen during a patriotic weekend on a vacation island. After the brief food break, we continue
to ride our bikes through the woods along the highway. Struggling with the gears of my rental
bike, I lag far behind everyone else on the trail.
Arriving at the Scottish Bakehouse, we lie down and stretch
out our muscles on the grass lawn outside. Coconut water hydrates us. The Brazilian staff serve us black beans, spicy sweet
potatoes, kale, coconut tofu, black rice, and vegetables at the outdoor picnic
table. Our appetites grow with
each delicious bite.
Sore and tired, we hop back onto our bikes, and return to
the highway. Traffic does not slow
for us even though it is a narrow road on a steep hill, and the drivers seem unnecessarily
aggressive. Returning the bikes to
Martha’s Vineyard bike shop, the staff tells us that drivers from New York are
still uptight and will relax more on the roads after they decompress over the holiday
weekend. Hopefully, they
decompress soon because they almost compressed us on the road.
Taking a taxi to Vineyard Haven, the Bulgarian driver, who returns
to work on Martha’s Vineyard during the holidays, allows us to negotiate the
fare.
While waiting for our return ferry, we wander Vineyard
Haven. Reminding us of childhood,
we stroll through the indoor Flying Horses Carousel. The tantalizing aroma of fudge wafting down the street
guides us to Murdick’s Fudge.
People watching, we admire the tattoos of motorcyclists from New
Hampshire. Finally, we return to
the docks, pet the dogs and praise the children of fellow passengers, and
finally board the ferry back home to Cape Cod.