I first fell in love with Nantucket at the age of 17. I vacationed there with my friend’s parents and thought the island held a magical charm. We walked to the beach every afternoon, ate lobsters drenched in butter and biked for hours to nowhere in particular.

Nantucket represented something different in our 20’s! That same friend and I went back in our early twenties and we thought we were hot shit! We thought we were so grown up… “Going to Nantucket for the weekend”! Looking back, we kind of were!

Nantucket for me now is my Happy Place! I have a whole new appreciation for “The Island”, now that I have children. I first fell in love with Nantucket at 17, but my love affair with Nantucket really began when I started to go with my now husband. And since our oldest child decided to come five weeks early, while there on our baby moon, The Island has really cemented itself in our family history. Yes, that’s right, we are proud parents to a Nantucket Native!

Vacations in Nantucket now run at a slower pace for us, if you can really say that with three little boys! The television is turned off, the electronics are put down (for the most part), and we really spend two weeks enjoying each other. Notwithstanding the occasional meltdown that comes with little children, our days are spent at the beach or pool, followed by lunch at Cisco Brewers, and end for us on a porch with a glass of wine!

Aside from just walking around to take in all the picturesque homes and gorgeous flowers that seem to grow wild everywhere, here is my must do checklist for Nantucket.

For the Children

Tennis Lessons at Jetties Beach

Feed and meet the animals at the Maria Mitchell Museum (many different options available, check out their website, http://www.mariamitchell.org)

Nantucket Aqaurium (http://www.mariamitchell.org/visit/aquarium)

Nantucket Whaling Museum (http://www.nha.org/sites/index.html)

Power Boat Rental with fishing rods (http://www.boatnantucket.com)

Bike Rental (http://www.nantucketbikeshop.com)

Jetties Beach and Children’s Beach

Crabbing at Brant Point (under the bridge)

Live Music and lunch at Cisco Brewery

Visit Sankaty Head Lighthouse

Bartlett’s Farm

Breakfast at Downyflake or the counter at Black-Eyed Susan’s

Donuts from Downyflake are a must try

Make wishes at the fountain at the top of Main Street- don’t forget your pennies!

Ice Cream at The Juice Bar

Dinner at The Sea Grille

 

For the Adults

Mudslides at The Gazebo

Surfside, Cisco, and Dionis Beaches

Cisco Brewers (check out the event listings before going or grab a handle of Beer and head over to Cisco Beach for sunset)

Shopping Downtown

Lobster Bake from Sayle’s Seafood

Gallery Browsing

Spa at The White Elephant

Mani/Pedi at RJ Miller Salon

Breakfast

The Downyflake (http://www.thedownyflake.com)

Black-Eyed Susan’s (http://black-eyedsusans.com)

Fog Island Cafe (http://www.fogisland.com/home)

Petticoat Row Bakery (http://www.petticoatrowbakery.com)

The Hub (to go) (http://www.thehubofnantucket.com)

Lunch

Provisions (curry chicken salad sandwich is the best you will ever have) (http://www.provisionsnantucket.com/Site_4/prodaddy.html)

Lola Burger (http://www.lolaburger.com)

Pi Pizzeria (https://www.pipizzeria.com)

The Lobster Trap (http://www.nantucketlobstertrap.com)

Dinner

Galley Beach (http://www.galleybeach.net)

The Boarding House (http://boardinghousenantucket.com)

Straight Wharf (http://straightwharfrestaurant.com)

American Seasons (http://www.americanseasons.com)

The Pearl (http://thepearlnantucket.com)

Brant Point at The White Elephant

Ventuno (http://www.ventunorestaurant.com)

Dune (http://dunenantucket.com)

Cru (http://www.crunantucket.com)

Toppers (take the boat charter from The White Elephant) (http://www.wauwinet.com/dining.aspx)

Accommodations

Jordan Real Estate for home rentals (http://www.jordanre.com)

The White Elephant (http://www.whiteelephanthotel.com)

The Nantucket Hotel (http://www.thenantuckethotel.com)

76 Main (https://www.76main.com)

21 Broad (https://www.21broadhotel.com)

The Wauwinet (http://www.wauwinet.com)