Chappy, short for Chappaquiddick, our family dog is standing in front of a sign post in Oak Bluffs that tells you how far it is from many destinations to Martha’s Vineyard… but how do you actually set foot on MV !

Planes, trains, automobiles, ferries… take your pick.   Eons ago you could take a train directly to Woods Hole and merely walk a few steps and board the ferry.  More people started traveling by cars and so an era ended and the area became a parking lot for the Steamship Authority.     The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket Steamship Authority is the ONLY way to get a car from America to the Islands… and you MUST have a reservation especially if you’re traveling in the summer months.  Personally I make my reservations in February for August but I’m obsessed that way.   There are fast ferries out of New Bedford etc that can be found on the website…since I’ve never used the fast ferries I don’t feel qualified to give information about them and perhaps be wrong.   You can fly to MV also… Cape Air goes out of Boston, Providence, New Bedford and Hyannis.  

Personally though I love the transition the ferry allows you…. leave your everyday life on the mainland and arrive on MV carefree and ready to enjoy your adventures.  It’s cathartic and healing and  the excitement as I  get closer to MV makes my heart race.  It might only be 7 miles and a mere 45 minutes … but it’s like transitioning to a different life. 

Contrary to what some people have heard… there is not, nor ever will be, a bridge or tunnel to Martha’s Vineyard.   The fact that it takes some planning and plotting and jockeying for the perfect ferry reservation makes the process of arriving on MV all the better.  It’s a sense of accomplishment combined with glee once your tickets arrive.. you have done it… you’ve attained a coveted reservation on the ferry, you have been blessed by the reservation gods… it is good.