Right in the middle of Edgartown, among the Greek Revival style whaling captains homes sits the ornately charming and gracefully beautiful Victorian Inn. 

Built around 1820 by whaling Captain Lafayette Rowley it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The owners, Stephen and Karyn Caliri have turned it into one of the most highly rated bed and breakfasts on the Vineyard.  I first visited in 1994 and have returned time and time again to enjoy myself there.

  You step into a small foyer from the street and are immediately greeted by one of your hosts.  Just beyond the foyer you can see into the breakfast room.  

  During the spring, summer and early fall, weather permitting,  breakfast is served in the garden at the back of the inn.  Not only is it nice to start your day in such pleasant surroundings but breakfast itself is quite a treat.  Juice, grapefuit and coffee start you off and then Stephen appears with a basket of muffins and… homemade strawberry butter which is to die for.  If that’s not enough you also get your choice of French toast, or omelettes or some other clever and delicious treat that Karyn has come up with.  If you’re able to stand up after such a feast then wander over to the parlor and check out brochures of what adventures the Vineyard has to offer.  Stephen and Karyn are also a wealth of Vineyard information and will make sure you enjoy your time on MV to the utmost.

  On cold autumn afternoons or chilly spring evenings it’s nice to curl up in the parlor by the fireplace.  In the afternoon tea and cookies are available to tease your taste buds. 

There are 14 rooms at the Victorian Inn… from two small ones with twin beds on the first floor to large and airy ones on the third floor with balconies, you can find one to fit your taste.  

  This is a tree top view from the a third floor balcony looking at the center of Edgartown. 

Over the years I’ve been intrigued by the inn… I was always taking pictures of it and wondering what it looked like inside.  I got my chance when we first stayed there in 1994 and I wasn’t disappointed.  Infact I was sort of startled !  For years I had dreams about a staircase… I didn’t know where it led to as I never got to the top… but when I walked out of our room on the second floor there in front of me was that very staircase that had been in my dreams!!!  According to the book “Haunted Island” the home/inn had at one time been haunted by at least one spirit, he was known as the amorous ghost.  Martha’s Vineyard and especially Edgartown has more then its share of spirits wandering about but whether one still resides at the Victorian Inn you’ll have to find out for yourself.

In the meantime enjoy the hospitality and friendliness of Karyn and Steve and Higgins their four-legged host.   

Welcome sweeties to the gingerbread houses of Martha’s Vineyard.  They are found in the Campground in Oak Bluffs.  Don’t miss seeing them, they are colorful, charming, architecturally interesting and a photographers delight…a delicious feast for the eyes.  To find them walk up Circuit Ave, turn by the store the Secret Garden and there you are. 

Every year in September, Oak Bluffs hosts its annual street fair and block party known as Tivoli Day.  Where did the name come from… and where can you find the Tivoli !   You can’t, only memories of it remain.

The two story, full block Tivoli Dance Hall stood from 1901 until 1964 where the Oak Bluffs Town Hall is today.  The bottom floor housed shops and an ice cream parlor.  My godmother worked in the ice cream parlor and I always enjoyed visiting her there… one time in particular jumps to mind.  I was 3 years old and had newly mastered winking and was anxious to put it to use.  Sitting at a table behind my mother and facing me was a sailor.  Being that I was wearing a sailor dress I figured we had something in common and so I began winking at him…  it did not take long for my mother to notice.   She turned around and as she did the young sailor headed for our table.  He smiled and said he was alone on the Vineyard for the day and wanted to tell my mother how charming he thought I was. (Blushing here).  Not only did my mother invite him to join us at the table but she invited him home for dinner (this was the mid 1940’s).  I was amazed at how powerful this winking thing was.  I don’t know if we ever kept in touch with him but obviously I’ve never forgotten him… but I do keep the winking thing to a minimum.

The entire second floor of the Tivoli Dance Hall was just that, the dance hall.  It was huge, at least in the eyes of a 4 year old being dragged there against her will for a dance lesson.  I loved all the windows and how far you could see out of them, I liked the clicking noise my shoes made on the floor, I liked the brand new sundress  I had on… but, I did NOT like the group dancing part.  I remember reluctantly getting in line with the other victims, er children, but my feet did not move, they planted themselves firmly in one spot and stayed there.  Everyone danced around me but I did not care to join in.  My mother was not happy with me… not only didn’t I dance or even talk… but we didn’t even come home with a sailor for dinner. 

  From mostly flat terrain down-Island (eastern end), to hills up-Island (western end), you will find the Vineyard a beautiful place to explore with a bike.

  The dark lines on this map indicate the main bike paths.  You can of course bike the other parts of the Island but those roads are shared with cars.  From short rides flat rides like the 3 miles from Edgartown to South Beach (Katama), or long hilly rides like the 20 miles across MV from Oak Bluffs to Aquinnah… you can find a terrain and mileage that meets your criteria.  Martha’s Vineyard is 100 sq miles, it cannot be biked in a day.. at least not to my knowledge. 

One of the prettiest bike paths is the 6 mile stretch from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown… for a good part of the ride the ocean is on one side and Sengekontacket Pond on the other… it’s just lovely.  Another pretty ride is the 8.5 mile ride from Edgartown to W Tisbury which goes alongside the state forest  

You can rent bikes at several locations in Oak Bluffs, Edgartown and Vineyard Haven.

   So get a bike, grab a map and let biking on the Vineyard put a smile on your face. 

                                             Happy Mother’s Day                   

   On Saturday, June 14, 2008 the MV Chamber of Commerce will hold its first ever lighthouse challenge.  This is a great opportunity to see all five lighthouses of Martha’s Vineyard. 

Tickets include admission to four of the five lighthouses… West Chop is closed due to unsafe conditions but the grounds are open.  The $95 ticket includes the opening night reception as well as the Sunday morning awards ceremony.

Click here to find out more information about the challenge and read about the history of the lighthouses. 

This is a great way to not only see the lighthouses but to enjoy the beauty of the Vineyard as well.

My friend Seamond is the daughter of the last lighthousekeeper at West Chop… I am hoping she adds one of her delightful and informative comments to this post.  Take it away Seamond…

A few images of the Vineyard in April.

Carly Simon, who is a long time resident of Martha’s Vineyard was in NYC to perform at Joe’s Pub on April 29th, the day her new CD “This Kind of Love” came out.  I was lucky enough to be there and share in the excitement of the show. 

Joe’s Pub is very small and intimate, it’s dark and cozy but not exactly photo friendly… I did my best.

Accompanying Carly were her son Ben Taylor, Jimmy Webb, Peter Calo, Jimmy Parr, Ben Saw and a beautiful young woman whose name I’m sorry to say I forget (I think she’s Carly’s manager) and if I forgot anyone I’m truly sorry.   The almost two hour show consisted of a blend of new songs and old familiar ones. The title song from “This Kind of Love” is very lush and I love the Brazilian beat.  They brought down the house though with a new arrangement of “You’re So Vain” which in the opinion of everyone there, should be recorded.

As is usually the case when you’re having a really good time, it eventually comes to an end.  I’m glad I was there, congrats to Carly on a wonderful new CD and here’s to friends she helped bring together. 

  The Agricultural Society was begun in 1858. The Agricultural Hall, or Ag Hall as it’s commonly known, is located in W Tisbury.  This building is a 100 year old post and beam barn that was transplanted from New Hampshire in 1997 piece by piece.

       This picture which hangs in the entry foyer of the Ag Hall depicts a barn raising scene. 

   Posts and beams.

   The inside of the building is huge.  This is where the annual MV Agricultural Fair is held every August.  Weddings, artisan shows, pot luck suppers, and meetings are just a few of the things the hall is used for. 

On Sunday, the day after the festival we were invited by Susan and Patrick to visit the farm and see the babies who were too young to be at the festival.  Oooooooooohhhhhhh, just look at these sweet baby faces. 

The moms kept an eye on us, especially on Chappy, but let the kids come and sniff at us and let us pet and snuzzle them.

Oregano is Logan’s favorite and it looks like the feeling is mutual.

Susan and the kids.

And so there you have it, just a few of the babies born so far this year.  All the names for these cuties were herbs and spices.  Among them, Basil, Chive, Sage, twin girls named Saffron & Sassafras, Cilantro, Tarragon, boy and girl twins named Rosemary & Oregano, Juniper, and dear sweet sprig of Parsley who we miss.  (If I forgot anyone I’m really, really sorry).