Drive. Pray. Scream?: Day 81: Martha's--"It's a Good Thing"

Our "Go Boston" card, a prepaid tourist card that got us into most of Boston's sites at a discount, included a roundtrip ferry ride to Martha's Vineyard, and so we cashed it in today, the card's last day. The island was a wonderful place to loaf around. We rode the perimeter of the island using the bus system, walked a bit in three of the six towns, and had a delightful picnic watching the "Chappy Ferry," also known as the "On-Time Ferry," as it moved passengers, cars and other vehicles across a narrow strip of water between Edgartown and Chappaquidick Island. The ferry's time in the water channel was about one minute; the speed with which vehicles were driven on, ferried across and then off-loaded was unbelievable. A very smooth operation.

Edgartown was the center of the island's whaling business in the early part of the 19th century. As seamen's pockets grew deep with the success of the industry, their conscience became more inclined to growing closer to spiritual things, perhaps in an effort not to become "worldly." During the fundamentalist revival that swept the country in the 1820s, the Methodist church began to offer summer "camp meetings" in a grove five miles up the coast from Edgartown. The meetings grew in popularity and became an annual event, highly anticipated by thousands across New England. Tent villages in the early years of the meeting slowly developed into a large group of permanent, brightly-painted gingerbread cottages, now known as the town of Oak Bluffs. Long after the religious components faded, these cottages continue to draw people toward the old Tabernacle at the village center, in which there are weekly sing-alongs (now folk songs rather than hymns). Many of the 1,000+ original cottages are maintained as part of a darling community, and it was so much fun to walk around them. Kelsey and Kendall were drawn to any that bore pink paint (many of them did!).

The last town we explored was Vineyard Haven, on the island's northwest coast. It's the home of the Black Dog Tavern, now a well-known icon featuring the sillouhette of--you guessed it--a black dog. Opened in 1971 as a local gathering place for some of the 15,000 year-round residents, the logo on clothing (mostly caps and sweatshirts) is now recognized around the country, though I would guess few people know its origins. We thoroughly enjoyed a snack (and beers for the older half of our family!) in the actual tavern, which is still very much a local hang-out. And of course, our fondness for the place might have something to do with our love for Midnight, our black Labrador. :-)

We certainly understand the draw of Martha's Vineyard as a resort destination for thousands every year--including the Obama family last week. The farm on which they stayed is now one of the places pointed out by the bus driver (when he can safely navigate around the huge number of cyclists and be in "tour guide" mode). We also caught a glimpse of the Kennedy compound on our cruise out of Hyannis port. Now having seen distant views of the vacation homes of Presidents Bush, Kennedy and Obama, we're expecting Robin Leach (of TV show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous") to pop out from behind a bush and escort us to the next place.