Yesterday was my 38th birthday! David’s been gone since the beginning of February and I’ve just been working and watching the kids for the better part of the last month and a half. With the help of my in-laws, I was able to take the day off and go on my own adventure.

And surprise, surprise, I have lived in Massachusetts my entire life and I’d never been to Martha’s Vineyard. I have a friend who lives on the island and she made a little itinerary for me and even met up for breakfast.

I stayed at the Inn on the Square in Falmouth the night before because I was planning to take the 7AM ferry the next morning. The accommodations were comfortable and the inn was right down the street from the parking lot for the shuttle. That way I wouldn’t have to wake up at an ungodly hour and drive to Falmouth. Haha.

 

I did still have to get up at 5; since there’s no parking at the ferry terminal, I had to park at their lot and take the shuttle. I got on the 6:15 shuttle and got to the terminal in no time. It was super foggy out but the ferries had no problem going across the sound.

The trip took about 20-25 minutes. My friend Marnely was at the terminal to pick me up and we drove to the Harbor View hotel for breakfast at Bettini. The hotel is beautiful and the food was absolutely delicious. It took a bit for our food to come out and our server didn’t seem to be in the best mood, but we made the most of it and certainly had no shortage of things to talk about.

Eggs Benedict | Blueberry Pancakes

After lunch, we walked around Edgartown. I picked up the autobiography of Mel Brooks at the Edgartown Books and a vanilla latte at Rosewater Market.

After walking around, Marnely had to step away for work and I spent the last few hours exploring by myself. I visited the Martha’s Vineyard Museum which used to be the old island hospital.

There were exhibits about life on the island as well as the seafaring aspects (hence the giant Fresnel lense.) There was a room that highlighted big moments in history, beginning in the early 20th century. Of course Jaw’s was mentioned, and the most recent piece of history was from 2021: a vial of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

After the museum, I walked around Vineyard Haven, stopping in to Chicken Alley Thrift Shop, then walked about a mile to the Little House Café for lunch. I sat by the window and dug in to my new book.

Turkey Sandwich | Strawberry Shortcake

The shortcake was so good! Sometimes the biscuit can be too dry but this was not the case here. Everything was delicious and the service was fantastic.

I walked a bit more around town and back down to the dock. My plan was to take the 3:45 ferry home, but there was a 2:30 coming up, and with my phone starting to die (and wanting to get back to the kids), I hopped on that one.

With all of the walking I did (about 5 miles) I was pleasantly surprised by how well my new sneakers held up. I had heard about All Birds around the blog-o-sphere and I’d been wanting to get a new pair of stylish sneakers. They were so comfortable and the no-show socks never slipped down. They’re apparently machine washable but I haven’t tried that yet, to see how they hold up.

So all-in-all, a fantastic birthday getaway. When I got to my in-laws, to pick up Eleanor and Lincoln, they had some birthday cake treats for me, and even a card and present (a butterfly suncatcher). And when I got home, there were beautiful flowers waiting for me, that David had ordered, since he wasn’t going to be around. And before bed, I enjoyed a glass of pinot noir and started the Mel Brooks book.

Here’s to another fantastic year!