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Finding Romance 20 Miles at SeaBy Brooke Cunningham
Arriving on the ferry, we looked down onto a busy dock full of people waving hello and saying goodbye surrounded by mounds of blue hydrangea, small buildings covered in weathered shingles and some of the world’s truly astonishing yachts. The welcoming of Nantucket appeared to be as beautiful as we had heard.
We were booked into the Century House Inn on Cliff Road. Having no idea where that was relative to the harbor, we grabbed a cab at the end of the dock for a quick lift with our luggage to a charming wide white porch dripping with flower baskets and covered with small tables and chairs partially hidden by thick green flowering vines. Behind the charming porch was our home for a few days, one of the oldest inns on Nantucket.
Our room was a romantic mix of old and new. Provincial wallpapers, recessed paneled ceilings, wide windows that open, large fireplace with mantel for charm, plus air conditioning, television and large bathroom because convenience is a modern thing. And then there was the bed, oh goodness what a bed it was! So delicious that naps became something that we eagerly looked forward to, and getting up in the morning was a thing for debate!
One morning we got up very early and were greeted in the whiteout fog by our taxi for a ride to meet our fishing boat. After a slow ride across the island we met Lynne Heyer, our guide and captain of the 26’ FlyAway. Through the “pea soup” Lynne carefully got us on the shoals by South Beach and did we ever hit fish!
The sun began to burn off the fog and warmed our skin as the sparkling water began to appear. There was a light breeze, it was 75 degrees under a wide clear blue sky and we brought in 14 bluefish in the course of the morning! We could hardly bring ourselves to go back “on the hard” after such an exhilarating morning at sea!
Most afternoons we would wander by The Rope Walk, a very comfortable pub on the dock with fresh sea food and a very local atmosphere. Each evening we walked to a different restaurant for dinner. You could probably stay for a month without running out of great places to dine or visiting anything twice.
One evening we did a cocktail cruise through the harbor on the Anna W. You bring your own cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and for roughly an hour the open boat takes you visiting among the yachts in the harbor. Great fun and very romantic.
The week went very quickly and we found ourselves torn about leaving our cozy room (and remember that delicious bed?) but the consolation was that now we knew how much relaxation, charm, excitement and excellent food could be had by returning to our romantic room at the Century House and leaving the world behind by 20 miles. How to get to Nantuckethttp://www.nantucketchamber.org/visitor/gethere.html Harbor Cruises on the Anna W II The Rope Walk Gail’s Tours, Inc. CrossRip Fishing charters , Capt. Lynne Heyer Nantucket Restaurant Guide Menu from Company of the CauldronAppetizer of Pan-Seared Nantucket Bay Scallops over Brussels Sprout Leaves with Fresh Basil and Truffle Oil Ingredients: 1 lb Nantucket Bay Scallops Step One: The Brussels Sprouts Cut bottoms of sprouts off and remove individual leaves. * sprout leaves Step Two: The Scallops Remove the abductor muscle and check for sand. Do not
rinse. Step Three: Plating Arrange sprout leaves in the center of a large plate. Place 1/4 scallops on and around the sprouts. Drizzle basil and truffle oils over entire plate. Serve immediately. |
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We discovered on our first venture on foot that we were
actually perfectly well placed for biking into town and evening sunset strolling
about. Probably 10-12 blocks from town it was an easy walk past gardens and
galleries to the waterfront, restaurants and shops while far enough out that we
did not hear the traffic and hubbub of people moving about. The cobble streets
are a thing to be mindful of though, this is not the place for amateurs in high
heels! Bicycles are perfect for getting around, and we found them just down the
street at Cook’s Rentals for $18/day.
We took a tour our first afternoon, with Gail’s Tours just
to get the lay of the land. We discovered that she was a wonderful guide after
she picked us up at the Century House in her very comfortable van. She took us
on a lap around the island which happened to include John Kerry coming out of
the driveway and looking as if the bicycle he was about to mount was not his
friend. We saw many features of the island in an hour and a half, and spent the
next few days revisiting some of them. So here we were in a romantic, elegant
hotel 20 miles at sea with a list of things that we wanted to see and do for the
next few days. Really a perfect way to start our new life together!
