An Unexpected Reunion on Nantucket

As Joe mentioned in the last blog, I just found out that my good high school friend, Daphne, and husband, Bob, were coming to Nantucket this week to stay with their daughter, Fae, and family, who vacation on Nantucket every summer.  On Monday we met Daphne and Bob at the ferry and had lunch, then Tuesday, we rented bikes and headed out to Surfside Beach, close to where they are staying.  We had a wonderful beach day, enjoying the sun, surf, and watching Daphne's grandsons rollick in the surf for hours, long after we retired to the beach chairs.  They were trying to see how many waves could knock them down.  In the evening we were invited to join them for lobster, corn, and salad back at the cottage that they rent.  The pictures say it all!

Today, Daphne and Bob joined us on the bus to Sconset, a small. original Nantucket village out on the eastern most end of the island.  There is bus service all for the last eight years over the island for $2 a ride, with a 50% discount for seniors.  Sconset has a small supermarket and 2 restaurants, and the highlight being small, cedar shingled cottages with the most beautiful gardens ever!  It was a delight to walk up and down the narrow lanes, marveling at each yard.  Of course, there is also a beach, as Nantucket is ringed with beaches everywhere.

When not visiting with Daphne and Bob, I had a chance to go on a historic house tour of three houses from the 1700's, 1800's, and 1900's, highlighting the families and industries that built this small island.  In the 1700's, the island was populated by Quakers, who wanted to get away from the strict Puritan community in Boston.  Farming had its challenges here on an island with no fresh water, so the islanders began to learn from the Indians about the use of whale oil.  During the 1800's, Nantucket had an international presence with ships all over the world and families running those businesses were very wealthy.  Some of the early settlers were names known to us now- Folger(coffee), Macy(the department store).  The 1900's brought many artisan's to the island, so that home illustrated the last group of people to make this island their home

We plan to leave on Friday and head back toward Martha's Vineyard and Jamestown, RI where we will have a little work done on the boat. 

Joy