Nantucket Travel Guide

"Little Toad"

This summer, I spent five glorious days on the island of Nantucket while filming the next episode of The Desha Show! This mini cultural travel documentary will focus on diverse perspectives of the island's culture, as well as featuring tons of fun, family friendly activities. We were incredibly lucky to stay with our local guides, who took us to the best places on the island, which I'll share with you in this guide. I must say that I kind of felt like a rock star, or maybe a folk rock star (he he) on the island, as we were treated like celebs during our stay. I left with a feeling of pure gratitude for the generosity and kindness we experienced, as well as confirmation that I want to keep doing this kind of work, which I lOVE!

Nantucket offers a wealth of art, culture, shopping and natural beauty, and while it's impossible to share everything, I'd like to provide this mini travel guide to highlight some of the best things we discovered in Nantucket. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments section below~

Day 1
We drove three and a half hours from Brattleboro, VT to Hyannis MA and took the fast ferry to the island where we met our local guides, Juliette, Dominique, and Mark Sutherland. The Sutherland family has summered in Nantucket for three generations and offered us an in-depth history of the island. After taking a dip in the clear, cool waters off Quidnet Beach, we settled into "Little Toad"an adorable little cottage owned by the Sutherland's. Sorry, Little Toad is only available for friends and family, but you should check out the stunning  Cottages at Boat Basin where we stayed the last evening.

Day 2

Corazon del Mar surprised us with our own Desha Show Menu!

Upon Juliette's recommendation, we had breakfast smoothies at Nantucket Ice Cream &  Juice Guys. Absolutely delicious! They are located right downtown by the Harbor and the smoothies are "money" as cutey pie manager Doug would say!

After exploring a bit of historic downtown, we went on an amazing tour of the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge and Great Point Lighthouse with the Trustees of the Reservations. This semi-remote coast-scape is located at the peninsula's point and offers simply gorgeous views for miles and miles. This tour is normally prohibited for tourists at this time because of the nesting plovers, but they made an exception for The Desha Show, as we hope to shed light on how the Trustees are conserving this area and protecting the nests.

After a full day of fun, we were ready to relax at one of the best Latin seafood places on the island and beyond, at Corazon del Mar. Located in the heart of downtown, Corazon del Mar features the perfect blend of flavors from the Latin world in a fun and hip environment. We enjoyed our experience so much, I had to write a separate post about the meal, check it out here.

Diones Beach, Nantucket

Day 3
After sleeping in a bit, we headed to Diones Beach, a gorgeous white sandy beach located on the western side of the North shore. It's loaded with sea shells, and the waves are little so it's great for little ones. As you can see in the photo at left, there were hardly any people there, so refreshing and calm!

That afternoon, we paid a visit to the Nantucket Historical Association's Whaling Museum. Here, our informative guide, Claire, described how the whaling industry has influenced Nantucket. You'll see the restored 1847 candle factory (whale oil was used to burn lanterns) and a 46 foot skeleton of a Sperm Whale. My daughter loved the Discovery room, where she made art with Patty who has worked there for 25 years- a gem! There's also an amazing view from the rooftop observation deck, which overlooks Nantucket Harbor. 

Young's Bicycle Shop, since 1931.

Day 4
Just after breakfast, we hopped on bike's from Young's Bicycle Shop and peddled from Polpis to the most adorable little village of Sconset. I highly recommend seeing Nantucket on bikes, it slows you down just enough to really enjoy the natural beauty that the island is known for, you cut down on traffic and it's great exercise! 

Our last night in Nantucket, we stayed at The Cottages at Boat Basin, in a lovely little cottage right down town. It's furnished with a little kitchen and a gorgeous deck overlooking the harbor. It's great for families and you can even bring your pet!

Day 5 

View from the deck at The Cottages

After a lovely night's sleep on the most comfortable beds ever at The Cottages, we were sad to have to pack our bags and head back to the ferry to make the journey back to Brattleboro, Vermont. It always makes me a little sad to leave a place I love, but I know we'll return to Nantucket, as it holds a special place in our hearts now.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all our sponsors, to Juliette Sutherland and her family, and finally and to my favorite band of all time, Red Heart the Ticker for your music and friendship. xoxo


Look for Episode 7 of The Desha Show: Life on Nantucket, coming out this week!