Martha's Vineyard

Day 7 Wednesday 8 June

With the weather forecast looking worse for the end of e week, we decided to take the trip to Martha's Vineyard today and drove down to Hyannis for the fast ferry. This takes about 55 minutes and is a good service. It's expensive, though, at about $140 return for the two of us. Still, you don't fly so far and then not go to somewhere that you've wanted to go to since you first heard of it.

Maybe I was expecting too much. Maybe it was the heat (mid-90s) but I was a little disappointed.

We arrived at Oak Bluffs at about 10:25 and started to walk to Vineyard Haven, about 3 miles away. Soon reminded ourselves that US roads aren't made for walking, so turned to the town and found the bus stop to take us there for $2 each way. Quickly found The Black Dog Tavern (and shops...) as recommended by Nigel at home and had an early lunch at a table overlooking the harbour. Once again, a sandwich is not a sandwich... A bought a hat to keep the sun off her neck and A bought a t-shirt.

Vineyard Haven is quite a charming little town, especially along Main Street, but as with most of the places here on the Cape, it's very geared towards tourists and feels false. Waited for the bus to bring us back to Oak Bluffs in the full heat, with little shelter offered, and then spent a nice hour in the shade near the camping ground tabernacle. An interesting place, with an interesting history. Paid a visit to the little museum and met a couple of chaps relaxing on a porch, who enquired after A's hat and whether we had attended the wedding. That's the second time someone has asked us that. It's clear that Americans were much more interested than most British people I know.

Returned on the 16:15 ferry to an asparagus supper.

Will write about my impressions of this "slightly more real than Florida" America later.