We’ve had quite the busy summer of travel, but we were excited to get away as a family of 3 to Nantucket for along weekend. The weather was almost perfect and this quickly became one of my favorite trips of the summer, probably one that we’ll have to make annual now that we’re back in New England!
Where We Stayed
We got a cozy room at the beautifully decorated Roberts Collection. A group of inns right in the heart of downtown Nantucket. The location was so perfect, the town is so walkable and many of the activities we did were just a few minutes away, including the ferry which was only a 5 minute walk. The Roberts Collection has the most gorgeous courtyard, many different room options to choose from in the various buildings all right next to each other, and even an included light continental breakfast that was great for grabbing some fruit, coffee and milk for Wyatt.
What We Ate & Drank
Lemon Press // Breakfast
This place was the perfect breakfast spot, and had a variety of options for an easy order at-the-counter situation. They don’t skimp on ingredients and everything was so fresh. The decor was gorgeous as well. We ordered Avocado toast with an over easy egg on top, an LP Breakfast with two eggs, bacon and a side of garlic kale (amaaaaahzing), and a cold brew for Tim and Grey Lady coffee for me (also so delish!)
Black Eyed Susan’s // Breakfast
We waited in a line even at 8 am at this breakfast spot right out side of our hotel. The place itself is tiny, so they can’t seat many at a time, but breakfast (unlike brunch) is usually a relatively fast meal, so it was a quick 15 minutes. We got the Buttermilk Pancakes which were absolutely amazing (The Pennsylvania Dutch Cakes and Sourdough French Toast look to die for as well), and the Eggs Benedict which has a nice (and abundant) hollandaise. A classic breakfast joint that really hits the spot, cash only. 
Provisions // Lunch
Provisions is an easy sandwich and salad place, we took ours out to the courtyard in front of it to eat our sandos al fresco. The sandwich bread is fluffy and flavorful & the fixings are fresh. We got the Curried Chicken Salad & The Other Turkey Sandwiches. Easy grab & go option for on your way into or out of town!
Cisco Brewers // Happy Hour & Dinner
We took an 8 minute uber ride out to Cisco and were happy we did! On a Saturday afternoon, we had to wait a few minutes in line to get it (it moved quickly), and the place was jam-packed. There is a whole food truck scene at the brewery so you can keep your belly happy as your drink your way through Cisco’s own beers, beer cocktails & other wine and drinks, you can find the daily truck listings here. We got a New England Scallop Roll & Lobster Roll from the Lobster Trap truck…both perfection! The place was HOPPING, and when we got there it was a little tricky to maneuver through the crowd with a stroller, but we quickly found a spot, and then our own table & made an afternoon of it! We also ran into a few people we know here, small world!
CRU // Dinner
CRU Oyster Bar is located right on the docks, its waterfront location & outdoor patio makes it the perfect spot for happy hour. The dinner menu was chock full of delicious seafood dishes. We like splitting a bunch of smaller dishes so we got the Blue Crab Cocktail, Tuna Crudo, Fried Chicken Sliders, Brocolini & Herb Frites. I got the Crucumber cocktail to drink & Tim got a Truth IPA. Not a thing disappointed including the gorgeous decor (ambiance is big for me while eating out!), and all three of us left happy campers! We made an easy reservation online.
Juice Bar // Ice Cream
This is a must-go when on Nantucket. As soon as you get off the ferry and turn the corner you’ll notice the line no matter what time of day. The smell of waffle cones helps you get through the wait, but it moves pretty fast. We got a warm (!) waffle cone with cookie dough ice cream for Wyatt and split a Nestle Tollhouse Sandwich with cookies & cream ice cream inside. The hype for this place is warranted, the ice cream was well made & tasty! Cash only.
Jack & Charlie’s Ice Cream // Ice Cream
With multiple ice cream shops in town, I didn’t let us go to the same one twice so we had to try out Jack & Charlie’s on night 2 (and how could you pass up that cute curb appeal!?) I love all ice cream, so I can’t complain, and there waffle cones were WARM which is always a bonus…but if I were to recommend one spot…Juice Bar (see above) would win…just higher quality ice cream- denser blend, not as much air added and the flavors were a little more flavorful.
What We Did
Beach
There are tons of beaches on Nantucket, and what’s a summer trip without a beach day?! We stopped by Children’s Beach after dinner the first night just to get a little energy out on the playground and digging in the sand. On Saturday we headed to Jetties Beach, there’s a nice sandbar that is perfect for kids! There’s also a beach bar if you need a bite or a drink.
‘Sconset Bluff Walk
This 1 mile path leads from ‘Sconset along the east side of the islands along the bluffs between the water and beautiful private homes. I wouldn’t consider this hiking, but the path is uneven in spots and is not very stroller friendly or wheel chair accessible. We did however ignore warnings about it not being stroller friendly and brought our stroller, because we didn’t want to mile walk to take 2 hours with a toddler. We made it, although at parts we wanted to get off onto the public ways that lead back to the main road because it was truly tricky with a stroller. However, having the stroller was really worth it in the end for the remainder of the walk on the road to the Sankaty Head Lighthouse and our walk on the road back to town.
Sankaty Head Light
Gorgeous red and white lighthouse on the eastern coast of Nantucket built in 1850. If you go out to ‘Sconset and do the Bluff Walk, this is a must-do at the end, just another half mile up the road.
Brant Point Light
A classic white lighthouse with a huge American flag that makes you have all the Patriotic feels. Right downtown, you see this beauty on the ferry ride to ACK.
Wander Around Town
Nantucket is just down right gorgeous. I could have spent all weekend just walking around looking at the beautiful shake shingle houses and yards overflowing with hydrangeas. Everything is clean & pristine from the storefronts to the cobblestone streets. This town in New England charm through and through.
Shopping
I only got about an hour of husband & baby free shopping time, so it was more of a tease than anything, but there are amazing stores on the island. Some of my favorite places I stopped in were Skinny Dip (you can purchase my Nantucket & Wyatt’s ACK sweaters here), C J Laing, and Town Pool. Again I only had an hour, there are TONS of cute stores. You also need to go into a shop that has Nantucket Baskets, which you’ll notice women toting all over the island. We met one woman who was 75 years old and was carrying a Nantucket Basket that was her GRANDMOTHER’S, they’re beautiful pieces with a rich history that make great heirlooms.
Getting There & Around the Island
Ferry
We live outside of Boston, so it was about a 2 hour drive to Hyannis where we picked up the ferry. There are two ferry company options, Steamship and Hy-Line. You usually will have to take a free shuttle from the parking lots to the actual ferry, check the websites for the latest parking info for which lot to park in. We took the fast ferry both ways, it’s an hour ride versus 2+ hours on the slow ferry, however it’s about double the cost (~$36 per person per way). It was totally worth it with a toddler though.
Nantucket also has an airport (ACK) that you can fly directly into.
Uber
We brought our travel car seat on the ferry and to the hotel because we knew we wanted to uber a bit while we were on the island. Uber in Nantucket is easy like anywhere else, however you could do just fine staying more centrally in the town. (We ubered to Cisco Brewery & Sconset). Many people also bring or rent bikes, and of course you can opt to bring your car on the ferry as well.
What I Packed
Be on the lookout for a full post about what I pACKed for our Nantucket trip. Word to the wise, always pack some extra layers, it can be chilly in the evening and especially when the fog rolls in…there’s a reason they call the island the Gray Lady!
– SHOP THE POST –
As they say, we can’t wait to come bACK!
What do you think?