the happygirl guide to. . .3 happy days on Nantucket (day 2)

(See Day One here)

There is something about ocean air that just makes you want to get out and breathe it all in. After a full first day on Nantucket and a sound sleep in my bed at The White Elephant Hotel, I woke up at 6am and laced up my running shoes. The White Elephant sits on the harbor on Easton St. and is an ideal place to start a morning run. The concierge provided me with a jogging map that I tucked into my shorts (in case I got lost), I put on my earbuds and headed out the door for a hour's run.

 A brisk run in the ocean air is a good way to start the day 

The thing about Easton (and Hulbert where I eventually turned onto) is that it is just steps from the ocean. As I ran small, wet bombs dropped around me smashing into bits on the pavement. I ducked and looked up. Smart seagulls were catching shellfish with their beaks and dropping them on the pavement, like a giant nutcracker. "Clever," I thought as I listened to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" which became my theme song of my stay. It's hard not to be happy when your feet pound to lyrics like "Hark now hear the sailor's cry. Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic."

After my run I showered, changed and went over the day's schedule with the concierge. I grabbed a quick cup of coffee (coffee and pastries are complimentary in the morning at The White Elephant) and started Day 2 on Nantucket. I tried to create a 3 day itinerary with as many different kinds of activities as possible from historic adventures to dining and shopping. Let's go!

A perfect salsa omelette at Black Eyed Susan's 

Day Two on Nantucket

7:30am Breakfast at Black Eyed Susan's (10 India Street, 508 325 0308)
This well-known restaurant is loved by locals and serves hearty food fast. It's perfect for fueling up a busy day of sightseeing. Bring cash because they don't take check or credit cards.

Also try:
The Downeyflake Restaurant for their doughnuts and blueberry pancakes (18 Sparks Ave. 508 228 4533) 

Sailing around Nantucket is the only way to see sites like this. It's a nice little cottage, isn't it?!

10:00am-11:30am  Sailing aboard the Endeavor (Slip #105, Straight Wharf $40, 508 228 5585)
If there is anyone on Nantucket who loves sailing, it's Captain James A. Genthner. Board the Endeavor for a 90 minute sail around Nantucket and get an idea of what it was like for bygone sailors who made this island their home. This is a must do on the island. The Endeavor sails at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and at sunset daily.

Also try: 
9am - 12noon The Natural History Tour (Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Reserve $40, 508 228 6799)
Explore Nantucket with the help of an experienced guide during this 3 hour tour of the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Reserve. On a beautiful day, this is the way to explore.

12:30 Lunch at Provisions (3 Harbor Square, Straight Wharf 508 228 3258)
Grab a Caprese sandwich, a bag of chips and an iced tea and sit outside on a bench taking in the sunshine and the people. Provisions offers simple, well made, hearty sandwiches to go.

Also try: 
Fog Island Cafe (7 South Water Street, 508 228 1818)  for clam chowder and the Fog Island Cuban Sandwich.

1:30pm Sightsee on a Beach Cruiser (6 Broad Street, 508 228 1151)
For $18 (2 hours) rent a bike from Young's on Straight Wharf. Take in the sights around Nantucket at a leisurely pace then stop for an iced coffee at The Hub.

3:30pm Drinks at The Jetties (4 Bathing Beach Road at Jetties Beach, 508 228 2279)
Enjoy a Sam Adams Summer Ale or a Nantucket Red (champagne  + cranberry juice) beachside on Jetties Beach. This beachside restaurant and bar is THE place to enjoy a drink with ocean breezes.

5pm The White Elephant Hotel for a quick nap and refresh

6:45pm Dinner at Corazon del Mar (21 South Water Street, 508 228 0815)
There is something about tequila + tacos that is just the right fit for a beach atmosphere.  At Corazon del Mar, try the Tecate Battered Fish Tacos + Anejo Tequila Flight for an extraordinary Latin dinner. If I could have eaten here every night for a week, I would have. The guacamole is so good, I almost wept.

Also try:
TOPPER'S at The Wauwinet (120 Wauwinet Road, 508 228 8768)
Take the launch from The White Elephant and enjoy a leisurely boat ride before dinner al fresco at Toppers, located at The Wauwinet. For a spectacular evening, order the Buttered Lobster followed by the Warm Ganache of Dominican Chocolate.

The church looks just a little ghostly at night, doesn't it?

7:30 pm The Raven's Nightwalk: A Ghostly Adventure (Meet at the intersection of Main & Federal 508 257 4586)
Though on any other walking tour, a light rain would not be welcome, somehow on this night as we embarked on this ghost tour of Nantucket, it seemed fitting. Led by knowledgable tour guide Robin (and her Raven), our intrepid group walked the narrow cobblestoned street through some of the most notoriously haunted places on the island. As we stopped at each location, Robin spoke about the lore surrounding each place from mysterious footsteps in a church to a long dead sea captain who sometimes shows up in photographs.

Robin knows her history and lore and keeps the walk at a pace that's easy for even the least comfortable walkers. While you may or may not choose to believe the otherworldliness of this adventure, it was hard to deny the goosebumps that we all suddenly felt on the warm, humid, foggy evening outside the Owen Chase House on Orange Street.

Also try: 
9pm Stargazing at the Loines Observatory (59 Milk Street 508 228 9198 
On Monday, Wednesday or Friday take a trip out to the Loines Observatory, part of the Maria Mitchell Association. This is a must-do on a clear night as the astronomers give you a tour of the night sky, planets and nebulae.

As I closed my eyes after falling into my bed at the hotel, it was the most content I had been in a long time. Happy island life.

Tomorrow: A graveyard tour and shopping!