Fourth of July in Nantucket – Part Two

Hi friends, welcome back to part two of our trip to Nantucket! If you missed part one, you can catch up here 🙂 Jon and I slowly started our first morning in Nantucket strolling through the cobblestoned streets to Handlebar Café for coffee. We ended up going here every day of our trip we loved it so much!

I ordered an iced latte and Jon opted for the nitro cold brew.

We found a bench on Main Street to enjoy our coffee, talk, and people watch. We did this every morning on the exact same bench, it was one of our favorite parts of the trip and the perfect way to start the day! Usually our trips are more adventure packed, so this change of pace felt refreshing.

Afterwards, we headed to Young’s Bike Shop to rent a moped for the day. Jon and I planned to head to Siasconset (Sconset to the locals) on the east coast of the island, so I figured this would be the most fun way! You can also take a shuttle bus that goes around the island or rent a bike for the roughly eight-mile journey. We had a lot of fun zipping around, but the moped isn’t allowed on sidewalks/bike paths and only goes up to 30 mph,  so we got passed a lot on the 45 mph main road.

We parked the moped and set out to start the Sconset Bluff Trail. This walking trail is unique because it literally runs along the backyards of some of the most beautiful houses in Nantucket. I hope I didn’t look like a stalker taking pictures… but I couldn’t resist! I am in love with everything about these homes and I dream of renting a home for a few weeks one summer!

 

I’m obsessed with the landscaping on these homes!

 

I can imagine how wonderful it would be to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee or good book overlooking the ocean! What a dream!

After oozing over the beautiful homes, Jon and I grabbed the moped and headed to Sankaty Lighthouse. This is the second lighthouse on the island that is easily accessible to people. The third, Great Point, is only accessible with a four-wheel drive car and a beach permit. We didn’t go to that area, but judging by the number of jeeps we saw, it’s a popular activity.

 

In 2007, Sankaty Lighthouse moved about 400 meters inland due to erosion of the bluff. When the lighthouse was originally built in 1850, it stood 280 meters from the edge, but due to erosion from storms, the lighthouse was only 75 meters from the edge of the bluff and risked tumbling into the ocean. The lighthouse stands near the fifth hole on land owned by the gorgeous Sankaty Head Golf Course.

The building in the background is the golf course clubhouse, maybe one day we will play here! It reminded me a bit of St. Andrews in Scotland because of the grey, misty day and bluff surrounding the fairways.

Next, Jon and I headed to Sconset Beach and the weather started to take a turn for the worse. It was cold, a little windy, and a little rainy, not a good combo for the moped. We hung at the beach for a bit and I spotted something unusual in the ocean. I wasn’t sure if it was a fin at first, but I kept watching and saw about four seals swimming in the waves. I’ve never seen seals so active before so I was very excited to spot them! They looked like they were body surfing in the waves 🙂

 

Jon and I endured a cold drive back to the bike shop to return our moped. It started to down pour after our drop off so we hung out in our room until the rain died down and it was time to head to dinner. When we were looking on Yelp for restaurants, most got mixed reviews, so we decided to just wing dinner. We are spoiled with amazing restaurants living in NYC, so when we travel we don’t’ necessarily have to eat out every night. Honestly we’d rather eat a sandwich than pay a lot for a disappointing, mediocre meal. However, B-ACK Yard BBQ got great reviews so we gave it a try.

B-ACK Yard BBQ is a more causal restaurant that doesn’t take advance reservations, but we walked in and sat down right away. We started with a Lady Day (Smirnoff Pink Lemonade & White Sangria) for me and a Burning Hell (Smoked Sazerac with Bulleit Rye & Candied Bacon) for Jon.

For our appetizer we ordered the lobster empanada and it tasted delicious (and came with one for each of us)! If you read my Fat’s Duvall post, you know I have a new love for empanadas, so I had to try a lobster one! They paired it with a spicy aioli sauce that tasted great.

As an entrée, I ordered the Pulled Heritage Pork Sandwich with a side of cornbread and Jon went with the Chopped Smoked Brisket Sandwich and a side of fries. The table has three options of barbeque sauces to use Sweet, Gold, and Hot. I liked the Gold best and put it all over my sandwich, this tasted like a more traditional BBQ sauce with a hint of sweetness.

Jon and I ended the night walking through the downtown and surrounding houses. We both said one of our favorite parts of the trip was walking around the island. It’s so relaxing and quaint, and I just love all the character in the houses! Nantucket has some of the most historic homes and they are all kept in amazing condition and well preserved. Such a neat place unlike anywhere I’ve been before!

Thanks for reading – stay tuned for part three of our holiday weekend in Nantucket 🙂