An All-American Weekend in Nantucket
Luxury Director of BRIDES Magazine Annemarie DesLauriers took a break from planning her own upcoming nuptials on Harbour Island to chat with me about her dreamy Fourth of July weekend in Nantucket. Read on for her tips for the perfect, all-American beach weekend.
How do you get there? We took a direct flight on United, it’s about an hour-and-a-half long. The airport is so tiny and charming, much like the one in Martha’s Vineyard. We left Thursday night and got back Monday morning.
Where did you stay? We stayed in a cottage at the White Elephant. They have a lot of different properties, including the hotel, cottages, lofts and private homes. We were right on the Boat Basin where all of the fabulous yachts and boats dock. There are little shops near there and it's a really pretty stroll at night. We were there over the 4th of July weekend, so the yachts were all lit up, with people playing music and having parties late into the evening.
How do you get around? We went almost everywhere on bike, and nothing was more than a 20 minute bike-ride away. You don't need a prior reservation, there are bike rental shops everywhere. We took a cab to a restaurant maybe twice.
What are the beaches like? The main beach is called Jetties Beach. There’s a restaurant on it and a little shop where you can rent chairs and umbrellas. Jetties Beach was a bit too crowded for us, so we ended up walking down to more secluded beaches like Steps Beach. You can wander along the beaches to find others that are pretty, quiet and feel more local. All of the beaches are public, although there was one called Great Point Beach that was really beautiful and reserved only for guests of nearby Wauwinet Inn (you didn't hear it from me, but don't mind the signs). That was the only private beach we came across.
What’s the best thing you ate? We had ice cream every day at a place called The Juice Bar. The line is around the block day and night, but it’s worth it. They have a million delicious flavors, interesting juices like watermelon and lime, and homemade ice cream sandwiches and waffle cones...I could go on, it was just the greatest. My fiancé also discovered a yummy tart beer from Maine called Peeper Ale. We had never seen it before, so we ordered that everywhere.
How do you compare Nantucket to Martha’s Vineyard? They are very similar--and both are so lovely! But I think I liked the restaurants better in Nantucket better and it felt bigger…but maybe that’s just because we explored more. I also read that it’s the most architecturally and environmentally accurate representation of a late 18th/early 19th century New England seaport town. Because it's a landmark, they have building mandates, so all of the houses look exactly the same. It’s this little island of sprawling identical homes on really beautiful land and beach plus a tiny town.
Would you go back? Absolutely. It feels like an endless summer there. You roam around like a little kid. I felt so relaxed coming back, as opposed to coming back from the Hamptons where you're hungover and you don’t want to talk to any more humans, haha. In Nantucket, you're sipping wine and eating delicious seafood on the beach, biking along the greenest backdrop and closing the days with waffle cones. It's the perfect weekend getaway.
Annemarie’s Itinerary
Thursday Night
We ate dinner at Galley Beach. It feels very Crow’s Nest... you have drinks in the sand outside under little mini-cabanas and then you’re inside for dinner.
Friday
Morning: We had breakfast at Black-Eyed Susan's. The standout dish is the Tofu Scramble but I should also mention that on almost every breakfast menu we noticed the option to add pesto in your egg scrambles--it's actually so good! We walked around town and found an adorable food truck with fresh fruit and flowers and tons of cute little shops. Then we hopped on bikes and went exploring. We rode to a lighthouse (Brant Point Lighthouse where it's customary to throw a penny in the water to ensure a return visit) and then to Jetties Beach. We parked our bikes and walked over to Steps Beach.
Afternoon: We rode back into town and had lunch at The Club Car. It’s an old train car from when Nantucket was originally established and they serve lobster rolls, shrimp salad, clam chowder.
Evening: We had dinner at The Pearl which everyone recommended, although the atmosphere is a bit strange...It feels like you're under the sea, with blue lights and glass displays around you and an older crowd when we went, but food was delicious. The signature dish (which I strongly recommend) is the salt and pepper wok fried lobster lo mein.
Saturday (4th of July)
Afternoon: We rode our bikes to Cisco Brewery. They had a live band, and three different areas where you could order all kinds of different beers and cocktails. There were food tents serving fresh oysters and shrimp plus a lobster roll truck with clam chowder. We spent all afternoon there, and I definitely recommend going for some day drinking fun. They also have brewery tours. Right next door is Bartlett’s Farm, where you can go strawberry picking. There’s also a little grocery store where you can buy yummy home grown goods.
Evening: We went to Ventuno, a garden wine bar, and then we ate at American Seasons.
Sunday
Breakfast: We had drinks and brunch the next day at Boarding House. It has a southern-inspired menu, with unique appetizers like cinnamon biscuits with some delicious sugar sauce and fried chicken with waffles. The Bloody Mary’s are excellent.
Afternoon: We shopped at Murray's Toggery Shop, which has a whole room devoted to Nantucket red--a million hats, overalls, shorts, dresses, all in Nantucket red. You must get a hat there, they are so cute.
Evening: We took a taxi to Wauwinet Inn, where everyone had recommended we go for sunset cocktails and dinner. The restaurant itself was a bit stuffy for us…a lot of families that had been coming there for years and big heavy curtains. But the lawn outside was absolutely gorgeous. It's huge, with cozy lounge chairs set on really green grass overlooking the water. This place and Galley Beach were by far the best places for sunset cocktails.
Stay: White Elephant; Wauwinet Inn.
Eat: Millie's; The Juice Bar; Galley Beach; Boarding House; Ventuno; American Seasons; The Club Car; Black-Eyed Susan's; The Pearl; Cru (for oysters & cocktails).
Do: Cisco Brewery; Bartlett’s Farm; Steps Beach; Sconset Beach.
Shop: Organic beauty store Follain; Murray's Toggery Shop; TownPool.
