Martha’s Vineyard, as in Jaws

I’ve finally gotten around to editing some more photos from Andy and my USA trip, since a lot has been going on here in NZ (you know, getting engaged). So where were we? After Jen’s epic wedding, we had a couple days of down time before heading off to Martha’s Vineyard for three nights with my brother and parents. For you non-New-Englanders, Martha’s Vineyard is an island off the coast of Massachusetts, and it’s where Jaws was filmed.

We packed into the car and drove east from Palmer, over the bridge to Cape Cod and finally to the ferry terminal at Woods Hole. The ferry to Martha’s Vineyard is VERY popular during the summer, so my mom had to book a spot for our car almost a year prior. Once we were parked on board with the emergency brake firmly in place, we headed up to the top deck to secure a good viewing spot for the journey.

The boat trip to Martha’s Vineyard is only about 45 minutes, and we had fabulous views. The sea wind made us feel right at home, just like Windy Welly.

You wouldn’t know from his smile, but I may have forced Andy to take this photo. It was so windy that my shorts turned into a balloon. Rose totally would’ve worn a morepork shirt, right?

I think the “after” photos are my favorites.

We got great views of the Vineyard coastline as we chugged along. Lighthouses were everywhere.

Martha’s Vineyard has some very exclusive homes, and it’s easy to see why well-off New Englanders would want to escape here.

There were lots of sail boats taking advantage of the wind and sunshine, but these two were the coolest by far, like sailing butterflies.

Before long, it was time to get back in the car and disembark at Oak Bluffs. We drove to our rental cottage in Tisbury and then headed straight for the beach.

It was definitely a popular day to be by the seaside. Luckily, no sharks in sight!

Hello there!

Time for another photo op with my mostly willing partner.

Love it, even if my legs look partially dislocated. And is that a smile or a grimace from Andy? We may never know.

The five of us had a great first evening visiting Bad Martha, a local brewery, followed by a delicious home-cooked meal at our cottage.

The next day after a tasty breakfast (food is a theme here), we set out on a hike at a spot my mom had read about.

There were photo ops aplenty.

As you can see, I’m not the only one in my family who likes climbing trees!

After about a half hour, we emerged into the open and were greeted with fantastic coastal views (after the group in front of us finished their multiple family photo/Christmas card attempts).

We dipped back into the scrub forest for the final descent down to the ocean.

A rainstorm was clearly brewing out at sea, but we couldn’t resist a quick wander along the rocky shore.

The dunes were calling to Andy, and he couldn’t resist some sand scaling. If only we had boards like we did in Aussie.

It was time to head back, just as the raindrops began to fall.

Moments after this last photo, I had to quickly stash my camera in the dry safety of my pack, as the heavens opened and we all got soaked. As is often the case with New England weather, it blew over quickly and all (except us) was dry when we got back to the car. Well worth it for a beautiful hike, though!

Up next, some charming New England architecture and more MV adventures.