The Island of Martha's Vineyard off Cape Cod
© Herminia Festin

Edgarton

My husband Fred and I vacationed in Edgarton, MA for a week. Edgarton in Martha's Vineyard was spectacular and expensive. First, we took a Bonanza bus from South Station in Boston to Woods Hole on Cape Cod. The bus trip took one hour and a half. From there, we caught a Steamship Authority ferry to Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard; the ferry ride lasted one-half hour. The round trip cost from South Station to Martha's Vineyard was 39 dollars/person. We landed at Oak Bluffs, a town adjacent to Edgarton. A bus could take you to Edgarton for a dollar while a taxi would deliver you right to your doorstep for 12 dollars. Since we didn't know how far Daggett House, our ultimate destination, was from the bus station in Edgarton, we took the taxi. It was too late when we arrived that we realized that the bus stop was only four short blocks away from Daggett House! It was within walking distance.

The 16th - century Daggett House, where we stayed, was relatively inexpensive for one hundred fifty dollars a night. The going rate for a night in the town's hotels was $300. It was located on Waters St. overlooking the fabulous Edgarton harbor. One of Daggett House advantages was it was within a short walking distance from the busy waterfront of Edgarton. Furthermore, Daggett House was next door to the public library where a person may sign up for 15 minutes of free e-mail use. There is usually a 15-person-long queue to use one of the four computers allotted for short-term use. A cybercafe charged us 10 dollars for 30 minutes.

One could smell the sea everywhere in Edgarton. Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven rooms cost about 1/3 less than Edgarton. And there were more people in these neighboring towns.

When we arrived in Edgarton, we were mesmerized by the abundant flowerbeds in full bloom. It seemed that every garden had many beautiful flowers. Most of them had started to wilt, though, by the time we left.

Timing is everything! The streets were paved with cobblestones and were lighted with gas lamps. The town of Edgarton reminded me of a prosperous old Maine town. The difference was that while we saw fishing boats in Maine, here we saw yachts docked in the marina. New Yorkers are aghast that people kept their houses unlocked.

Across the bay, one could easily see the huge houses in Chappaquidick island, that island made infamous by Sen. Ted Kennedy driving off the bridge into the river. Ted Kennedy went on to be the longest-running senator Massachusetts has ever had. As you can see, Massachusetts' voters are forgiving.

There was no restaurant in Chappaquidick. All we saw were big houses, roads, forests and beaches. No restaurants. So we passed up the few minutes' ferry ride from Edgarton to Chappaquidick. (Cost: two dollars/person). The story goes that the Chappaquidick bridge, where Ted Kennedy's car fell into the river and which connected the island to Martha's Vineyard, was being chipped away by tourists who would take small wooden pieces of the bridge as a souvenir. So the bridge was replaced by a modern, massive, concrete structure.

Martha's Vineyard was more active than Nantucket Island in the summer. A popular way of touring the island was by rental bike or rental car. A well-kept secret among tourists on a small budget was to tour the island using public transportation for a day pass of five dollars. A chartered bus tour cost 30 dollars and it only brought you to celebrities' houses and to Gay Head. But the public bus dropped us off in the center of each of the 7 towns of Martha's Vineyard. We even made it to the fishing village of Menesha where we ate a fresh swordfish sandwich. There, we strolled along the dock and came face to face with a fishing vessel straight out of the movie "The Perfect Storm." That movie was filmed in Massachusetts.

We then re-boarded the bus that took us to Gay Head, a high cliff overlooking a sandy beach. Its working lighthouse was colored brick red, quite unusual for a lighthouse, which was usually painted white. The light consisted of a bright white light and, on the opposite direction, a strong red beam. This two-light system kept rotating continuously. We saw Widow's Walk which was peculiar to this former whaling town. They said that, in the past, deep-sea whaling would take fishermen on a trip that would last three years. Many of them failed to return. Widow's walk was a balcony-like platform on the roofs of houses. The wife or mother would be on that platform, pacing and looking into the horizon, hoping to see their spouses' or sons' ship return. That's the reason behind the name Widow's Walk.

There were lots and lots of beaches in the island -- private and public. I heard that a small private beach would cost an astonishing 6 million dollars. Fred and I trekked to the white lighthouse in Edgarton. Unfortunately, it was closed so we didn't get to see the inside. But it was working. There was also a shelter for people who do line fishing from the harbor. On one corner, one could clean a fish with a water hose on a wooden table before storing it in a cooler. We notice that the optimists would bring big coolers while the pessimists would bring tiny coolers.

Restaurants were expensive in Edgarton. It was almost close to our stay in Edgarton when we stumbled onto an inconspicuous area where the cheap eateries were located----at the dock. As usual, on vacation trips like this, we ate sinful foods like pasta alfredo and linguica. But the freshly caught seafood was delicious. Don't leave town without tasting the gazpacho, a healthy soup of vegetables mixed with salsa. Edgarton got its summer help from Brazil and Ireland so they brought their own distinct culture to Martha's Vineyard.

There are lots of Portuguese people in the island. When we arrived, they were celebrating the Feast of the Holy Ghost, an important feast in Portuguese culture. The whole town was well maintained, well planned and well designed to cater to tourists. I saw a beautiful white building called the Mindoro Real Estate Company. That name sounded familiar.

Fred and I walked and walked until our feet ached. Nakakalaban din si Fred sa lakaran as he brought up the rear. Tourists strolled in the streets up to very late at night, taking the sights in. We could not find any McDonalds or CVS in town. We were told that we had to take the shuttle bus to get to a hardware store or pharmacy. No way would we bring a car to Martha's Vineyard. Ferrying a car to the island would cost $350 and there was a two-months' wait. What a hassle! Overnight parking was prohibited in most streets. There was an airport so Martha's Vineyard was accessible by air.

Edgarton would like to maintain its old town image. The brick walkways and the gas lamps reminded you of the bygone years. The image of the Black Dog, popularized by ex-Pres Clinton, was everywhere --in T-shirts, bakery shops, marquees, etc. We enjoyed strolling up and down the sidewalks, even late at night. Don't forget to bring a sweater. Even in July, there were a few cool days in Edgarton.

Staying in Martha's Vineyard was like going back in time except for the modern, air-conditioned, clapboard cape cod houses, mostly painted white or with shingles left weather-beaten grey. Our room was small as people in those days were smaller. There were no more large vineyards on the island There were a few, small privately owned vineyards. The story went that a British man bought the island from the Indians for a very small sum and promptly named it after his daughter Martha.

I think Martha's Vineyard is active only from May to October The rest of the year, they probably fix their houses and gardens. They say after Columbus Day in October, they charge half-price for lodging.

We had an interesting and a restful vacation. No wonder, US presidents find this island a favorite vacation get-away spot. It is ideal for honeymooners too.

After the trip, we discovered that we could have gotten an express bus (including ferry ride) to Martha's Vineyard at a bus station close to our house. Maybe, next time…