Highly Recommended!

I was fortunate enough to visit a beautiful, quaint island this weekend… it is an absolutely beautiful place, surrounded by the ocean with old style, colonial homes, amazing restaurants, bakeries and shops! Martha’s Vineyard is an amazing place to visit and possibly live, maybe retire there one day and live on the beach, running a little cafe of my own.

Granted it was cold this weekend and very windy by the sea, but the delicious food, warm lattes, beautiful views from the top of our hotel, crashing ocean waves against the rocks and sandy beaches and in the company of my handsome, sweet husband…. it was an amazing weekend and my sore throat didn’t stop me, thanks to all the lemon tea I drank, courtesy of our awesome hotel.

If you haven’t visited the Vineyard yet, I would highly recommend it. It is definitely an expensive visit, taking into account the ferry prices, the hotel, the restaurants, the transportation on the island and all the shopping you’ll want to do there, but it’s well worth it for a little romantic getaway. I’ve heard it’s a very busy place during the summer months but right now, it’s very quiet and serene and you have the place to yourself. It’s awesome!

Here are some highlights from our trip and things to consider when you visit the Vineyard.

Our stay at the Vineyard Square Hotel and Suites (formerly the Colonial Inn) was amazing, located right on North Water Street in Edgartown, across from one of the many beaches in the Vineyard. It is a very clean, contemporary style hotel, with friendly staff, white rocking chairs on the porch and a gorgeous view from the rooftop. They offer tea and coffee throughout the day as well as a free Continental Breakfast every morning.

Down the street from the hotel is one of Martha’s Vineyard’s five lighthouses, the Edgartown Lighthouse. It’s absolutely gorgeous and has a rich history behind it. You can read about it if you click on the above link.

Dinner at Chesca’s, conveniently located right outside our hotel, was absolutely DELISH! There are so many amazing restaurants in Edgartown, as well as the other parts of Martha’s Vineyard, but since I was in the mood for a little mix of Italian and Seafood, we settled on Chesca’s. Well, let me tell you, even though it is extremely pricey for very small dishes, it is worth every penny! When I ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Scallops for $36, Mike joked there would only be 4 raviolis and guess what, he was right, except there were 4 jumbo size scallops too. I also ordered an appetizer of Shrimp with a Thai Chile Sauce over creamy polenta. I wanted to pick up the plate and lick it, but since that wouldn’t be “good manners”, I took some of the fresh bread on the table and cleaned up my plate. The appetizer and entree were to die for! Believe it or not, these two small dishes filled me up, along with a nice glass of my favorite, Riesling wine.

I am in love with Espresso Love, also in Edgartown. Their Mocha Hazelnut Latte was so sweet and delicious… so perfect, that I went back for another one a couple hours later! They also offer freshly baked goods, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups, pizza and salads. We brought home some “love” with their Espresso Love mug…. which I’m drinking some Lemon tea from right now.

There were more delicious baked goodies at MV’s Gourmet Bakery in Oak Bluffs too. I got a sweet and yummy almond croissant. For those of you who don’t know my weakness when it comes to baked goods, it’s the croissant, every kind of croissant, plain, almond, cheese and chocolate! If I ever visit Paris, I’ll come back 20 pounds heavier from eating croissants all day, every day!

Here are some more amazing photos of the island.

If you’ve never been there before, don’t wait any longer to visit the Vineyard. I can’t wait to go back!