Postcards from Nantucket

I have a ton of posts coming down the pipeline (brace yourself 😂) from Nantucket, but I thought I’d kick things off with some photos from my iPhone. Get ready for some photo overload!!! If you can believe it, I narrowed down my photos quite a bit.

This was, without a doubt, my favorite trip to Nantucket so far. I’m such a perfectionist and sometimes my expectations for things aren’t met. (It’s not a fun way to live, let me tell you, so I’m constantly working on that…) In this case, though, the trip was better than I could have even imagined.

Before we get started, here’s my Nantucket guide. I’m not an expert but ever since I came for the first time in 2013, I haven’t been able to get enough of the tiny island. 

I booked the house for a week back in January while I was on a (well below) freezing ski trip. For pretty much every other trip I take, the earliest I’ll book is a month out, but to secure a good rental on Nantucket, you have to be proactive. It is nice to have something to look forward to though. The rental looked great online, but you never really know what it’s going to be like until you physically walk up to it and through it.

So for this trip, the house was better than the photos and descriptions. It was a true oasis and perfectly located to have access to everything, while still having privacy and space. We were about half a mile north of Surfside Beach so we could easily drive east to ‘Sconset or west to Madaket or north into town.

I brought Carter along so we could get as many great photos for the blog as possible, and ended up having three campaigns to shoot while we were there. My sister and one of her roommates took the week off of work and were able to join! My friend Meghan rearranged her schedule at the last minute so that she could make it too. Just like how you never know how a rental will be, you also never know how traveling with certain people will be. I kind of hold my breath and hope for the best. This was SUCH a fun group. My sister and I don’t get to spend that much time together outside of holidays and quick weekend trips so it was especially great that she was able to come. Her friend Marlow is also a doll and we want her to start a blog! This was my first trip with Meghan and will definitely not be our last– my sister and wholeheartedly agreed that she could easily be a third sister. (You should have heard the three of us singing along to Dear Evan Hansen in the car!)

In the past, when I go to Nantucket, I’ve been taking the New Bedford ferry. It’s a slow ferry (aka it takes two hours), but you avoid the Cape– and most importantly Cape traffic. Unfortunately, you can’t take your car with you on that ferry. I booked the car ferry through Hyannis and kind of dreaded the longer drive, but it ended up being the best decision for the trip. My ferry ticket was just over $200 for the car plus two passengers and renting a car on island runs you at least $400/day after taxes and fees and everything. It was a no-brainer and so worth the extra driving time.

Having my own car was actually my favorite part of the trip. Driving around the island, whether it was to explore a new beach or pick up groceries for the house, was the best. Having a car was my favorite part about living in Connecticut and it’s something I really miss now that I’m in Hoboken.

Lake Pajamas

As nice as staying at a hotel can be (and trust me, I love hotel living), renting a house is the best way to go if you’re staying for more than a few days. I would prefer to make meals at home, especially breakfast. The rental had sheer blinds so the bedroom was flooded with light the second the sun rose. The dogs had a hard time sleeping in so I was up around 5 am most mornings. I liked being able to bop downstairs and get the coffee started. (It was also the best time to get some work done uninterrupted!)

I did do a little bit of cooking at home for dinner. I’m no chef so it was a fun challenge for me!

Skirt // old Stubbs and Wootton but you can use code “CARLY10” through August 31st for 10% off a pair!

We did end up going into Town for a few lunches. Provisions remains my number one sandwich shop, but Met on Main is a great spot for a nicer sit-down lunch. I met up with Mackenzie and Amy for lunch there before Amy’s flight home on Monday. We ended up making our way down to Handlebar Cafe for coffee too. We sat out in the secret garden and continued chatting. (Speaking of Handlebar Cafe, they have oat milk which I’d never had before but now I’m hooked!)

If you want some major house and hydrangea envy, go to the entrance of Steps Beach. Serious goals everywhere you turn! That one driveway is the best collection of hydrangeas I feel like in the world. I wouldn’t mind coming home to that all summer long 😉

The dogs had a great time. Between the expansive yard and house full of hands for belly scratchies, they were in heaven. We took them out around the island about once a day, but I swear they were the happiest on someone’s lap back at the rental.

‘Sconset was in FULL BLOOM. We kept driving up and down different roads doing our own little home and garden tour. If you are in need of inspiration for gardens at your house, ‘Sconset is the best place to start. I am a big fan of the immaculate hedges and, of course, the climbing roses.

A trip (or two) to Downyflake is always necessary. Meghan and I hopped in the car early one morning to pick them up. We had planned to do a workout with Mackenzie back at the house and the doughnuts served as the best motivation. The three of us did a BBG workout by Kayla Itsines and, even though it’s only 28 minutes, it’s a HARD 28 minutes. It hurt to sit the next day! At one point, we were doing toe touches and Meghan said she was imagining doughnuts looped on her toes… pretty much sums up the workout!

Usually, Nantucket’s weather is very unpredictable. I had the best luck this time around as it wasn’t ridiculously hot but it was still glorious enough for some great beach time. We spent every afternoon at the beach. We’d grab sandwiches or bring snacks and set up camp with towels and chairs and our books. One of the coolest parts about Nantucket is that there are beaches all around the island and each beach has its own vibe. We spent the most time at Surfside (family friendly, wide beach) since it was close to the house, then Jetties (family friendly, lots of swimmers), and finally Steps (absolutely beautiful). I don’t think you can wrong with any Nantucket beach though.

As much time as we spent at the beach, we also thoroughly enjoyed the house. It was so inviting and gorgeous that we didn’t feel like we had to leave to have a good time. I spent a lot of time on the porch swing and my sister and Marlow logged many hours on the lawn with their books. While we were outside, the dogs would just run around playing with each other, or curl up in someone’s lap for a nap.

I think the above is my favorite photo from the entire trip. One evening we drove down to ‘Sconset. It was ridiculously windy, but we still got out of the car to take in the sunset. Sankaty is a gorgeous lighthouse no matter when you see it, but seeing it in this sunset took my breath away. The picture only scratches the surface for what it looked like in person. The long grass almost looked like water with the way it was moving in the wind and the sky was glowing.

Hat // Sweater // Shirt // Shorts

I’ve done an Endeavor sailboat charter every year since my first visit and it never gets old. It’s worth every penny. We seriously lucked out with the weather and it was warm enough where we all dipped our toes in the water during the sail!

And wrapping up the post with a photo of my all-time favorite, Juice Bar. I dream about this ice cream, mostly the waffle cones though, which are still warm when they hand it over to you. The smell alone is delicious and could easily be made into a best-selling candle! I usually always get one scoop of coffee ice cream with sprinkles but ventured into the specials this time for “Coffee Oreo” ice cream. New favorite, but unfortunately it was only available for a day. Had I known that, I would have gone for a two-a-day scoop! Actually, I take that back: three-a-day. Don’t be scared away by the long line. It moves fast and is worth every minute in line.

Can’t wait to share more on here and my Instagram! Stay tuned…