The Hy-Line carries passengers from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs.

It is also possible to take the Island Queen from Falmouth.

Victorian homes line the Ocean Park, where the bandstand is located.





A wrought iron gate and a sign welcome you to the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association.

At the center of the campground is the Tabernacle, which is still used today for concerts of local artists such as Livingston Taylor.

The area started out in 1835 with a group of Methodists who camped in tents for a retreat. Eventually the gingerbread cottages replaced the tents.

Nearby is Union Chapel, an interdenominational chapel built in 1870.

Our Lady, Star of the Sea is the Catholic chapel.

The Oak Bluffs Inn is surrounded by beautiful hydrangeas.

Cottagers' Corner houses a local charitable organization.

Our favorite attraction in Oak Bluffs is the Flying Horses, which date back to 1876. The horses just go around on the carousel but do not go up and down.

My daughter was delighted to catch the brass ring and get a free ride!

This Civil War monument stands at the bustop for the public bus to Edgartown.

The Kelley House, one of the best known inns on the island, was built in 1742.

We ate lunch at The Newes then walked around Edgartown and saw some lovely gardens.

We passed St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and the Lilly Pulitzer shop as well as another shop called Sisters Too.

We caught a glimpse of the steeple of the Edgartown Whaling Church through the trees.

On a later trip, we had a better chance to get a shot of the Whaling Church.

Getting a good picture of the Edgartown Town Hall is proving to be a challenge.

Across from the bus stop is this quaint white gingerbread cottage.

Just down the street is the elegant sunken garden on the grounds of the Fisher House where functions are held.

The bright flower boxes and buntings give this home a patriotic look.

The lemonade stand and porch swing are reminiscent of summers long ago.

This gateway welcomes you to the Harbor View Hotel.

Edgartown Light can be viewed from the front porch of the hotel.

This Westie had eluded its owner.

It's a short trip to Chappaquiddick from this private dock.

We returned to Oak Bluffs to take a tour bus since it was a friend's first visit to the island. We drove past the bandstand in Oak Bluffs.

Martha's Vineyard has its own sea monster called Vanessa.

South Beach was very popular on this beautiful summer day.

Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water, we passed over the bridge where Jaws was filmed.

On an earlier visit, our friend, Clem, let us borrow his car while we were on the Vineyard, so we were able to visit some places we couldn't get to by public buses. We stopped at Chicama Vineyards in West Tisbury, where they grow grapes and make them into wines and vinegars. The grapes are covered with netting to keep the birds from eating them.

There was a butterfly bush on their grounds which had attracted a Monarch Butterfly.

We then drove to Aquinnah at the far western end of the island. This town was formerly known as Gay Head, but recently renamed, with the name the Wampanoags had given it.

The Outermost Inn is a charming place to stay in Aquinnah.

Gay Head Light sits atop the clay cliffs of Aquinnah. The lighthouse is built of bricks and alternately flashes a red and white signal. The multicolored layers of clay in the cliffs almost make them look as though they have been painted.

When we travel to the Vineyard, we usually take the public bus directly to Edgartown, so I had never realized just how rural the down island towns were. I was surprised to see these bulls relaxing in the shade in Chilmark

The Agricultural Hall is topped with a cow shaped weathervane.

Next to it is an arena and field for horse shows.

The countryside is lush and there are some lovely views of the ocean.

The old Menemsha School in Chilmark has two entrances, one for boys and one for girls.

This antique shop is in West Tisbury.

The Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven, also known as Tisbury, became well known when President Clinton ate lunch there while vacationing on the island.

The owner of the Black Dog has refurbished a boat called the Shenandoah.

We returned to Oak Bluffs to take the ferry home. These Gingerbread Cottages have been around since the mid-nineteenth century.

The Dockside Inn is painted in similar pastel shades.

"There's nothing like the smell of homemade fudge, drifting through the island air...", proclaims the jingle for Murdick's Fudge which has been making fudge on Martha's Vineyard since 1977 and selling it in their shops in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven. Their recipe goes back to 1887 in their original shop on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

The Island movie theater shows recent releases.

No trip to the island is complete without a stop at Mad Martha's for their delicious home-made ice cream.

This little white dog obviously enjoys riding along in his master's inflatable boat.

Jetty Beach was busy on this hot July afternoon.

We left the island feeling very relaxed, although because of the ferry schedule, we didn't really have time to see everything we wanted to so we will have to make another trip back. We passed an osprey nest on a point of land near the breakwater and got a glimpse of the beach as we turned toward home.

On our way home, we passed a fishing trawler and a modern fishing vessel.

East Chop Light is visible from the ferry.

We returned to Hyannis Harbor to see this serene sight.