Friday, August 28, 2009

Martha's Vineyard with Grammy and Tommy

Grammy took Cousin Tommy & me on a sightseeing adventure to Martha's Vineyard. I was probably middleschool aged (so 1966-1968ish), and have no idea what prompted the trip, but I remember it well. It was fall - not too late, probably september or early october - warm enough and sort of overcast. Leaving Woods Hole on the ferry, I marveled at the boat and the levels of decks and indoor seating and outdoor seating. There were some pretty fair swells to ride up & down over, occasionally splashing over the bow a little - though I'd seen worse at the Brant Rock Seawall. We arrived at Vinal Haven and walked around town a bit. Some of the houses had enormous hedges taller than me and so thick you could barely tell how much yard might be behind them. We boarded a tour bus and headed to the far end where we were told how the indians inhabited the area of Gay Head, and we marveled at the steep dunes and endless views. Then around the southern shore line, past a fresh water pond separated from the ocean by some small amount of land measured in feet, long stretches of beaches, and touristy villages. We did not purchase any souveniers - I don't think it occurred to Tommy or me, and Grammy never volunteered. The ferry ride back was better than the first. The swells were noticably larger for a stretch, and I played with the odd effect of waiting for the boat to reach a high point, then as it started to drop, I'd try to step - which was difficult, because as you tried to place your foot down on the deck, the deck was falling lower, but when the boat rose up on a swell, boy did your feet hit the floor in a hurry.