Nantucket

I made my first trip to Nantucket in September 2023 with my four closest friends. We were on a girls trip to Cape Cod. When I found out that we could catch a fast ferry to Nantucket from Hyannis, I cajoled my friends into spending a day on the island. I had fallen in love with the place depicted in Elin Hilderbrand novels.

That single day on Nantucket was enough to wet my appetitive for more.

As I’ve said before, much of my travel consists of adding on days to an already scheduled business trip. When we scheduled the Northeast & Caribbean Injury Prevention Network meeting in Providence in conjunction with the 2026 SAVIR Conference, I immediately began planning a side trip to Nantucket for the weekend prior to the conference.

There are a few things to note. My meeting and conference were scheduled for the second week in April, which was still technically considered the off season, hence many shops and restaurants were not open. The Annual Nantucket Daffodil Festival was scheduled for 2 weeks later and is usually the kickoff to Spring on the island. While the daffodils were blooming, the hydrangea bushes were not, and many were still covered to protect them from freezing temperatures.

That said, the 1½ days I spent there gave me a chance to explore more of the island at a less frenzied pace.

There are several ferry options to get to Nantucket. Because I flew to Providence, I chose to rent a car and drive to Hyannis. I would have preferred to take the ferry from New Bedford, MA, which was a little closer, but the ferries out of New Bedford didn’t start operating until the week later.

I chose a fast ferry from Steamship Authority, but Hy-Line Cruises also has fast ferries to Nantucket. It only takes an hour to get to Nantucket via a fast ferry from Hyannis. Tickets for both companies are about the same price – less than $100 roundtrip.

I was able to book a room at The Martin House Inn for a reasonable rate. Although I’m not really a Bed and Breakfast person, the Martin House Inn was only a half mile from the ferry terminals. It was an easy walk, even though I was dragging a larger suitcase. The Inn was clean and cozy. Each room had a private bathroom. The only problem was there is no elevator, and even though I’m used to carrying a heavy suitcase upstairs, it’s not something I enjoy.

As I mentioned earlier, many of the iconic restaurants mentioned in Hilderbrand’s novels (The Club Car, Cru Oyster Bar, and the Sandbar at Jetties Beach – the inspiration for The Blue Bistro) had not opened for the 2026 season. However, I did manage to find places to eat.

Since I arrived on Nantucket after 7 p.m. on my first night, I selected Sister Ship at Faraway Hotel, because it was close to where I was staying. The restaurant serves Mediterranean and seafood using local ingredients. The food was good, but pricey.

I was pleased to find out Lemon Press Cafe was open, and that’s where I headed for breakfast on Saturday morning.

Since it was my first time there, they gave me a free shot of straight lemon and ginger. I wasn’t a fan, but lemon ginger tea has been shown to have health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects. What I did love those was their oat milk chai with a shot of vanilla, which may have been my favorite chai ever. I also loved their acai bowl!

Although ride share is readily available on Nantucket, my intent was to walk as much as possible. One of the places mentioned frequently in Hilderbrand’s Nantucket novels is Bartlett Farm. After breakfast, that’s where I headed – on foot. There are plenty of multi-use bike paths on the island, so it was relatively easy to navigate. It was a 3 mile trek via Hummock Pond Road from Lemon Press (6 miles roundtrip). I’m used to walking approximately 10 miles on any Saturday in Dallas (the entire length of the Katy Trail roundtrip is 7 miles), so the walk didn’t faze me.

Because it was still early April, the number of blooming plans in the greenhouse was limited (but it was the only place I saw hydrangeas on this trip). However, the produce in the store was plentiful. Had I been on a trip with girlfriends who cook, we could have found plenty of items for dinner and/or lunch. Next time!

When I got back to town following my trip to Bartlett Farm, I grabbed some fish tacos at Surfside Taco Stand, wandered around the downtown area, and then walked to Jetties Beach.

I ended the day at Brotherhood of Thieves, an 1840s whaling bar, for a light dinner and glass of wine.

On Sunday morning before heading to Brant Point Lighthouse to capture more photos, I was on my way to Lemon Press for another oat milk chai, when I passed Cymbals and saw their sign for homemade donuts. Although I’m trying to limit gluten, I couldn’t resist trying one of their donuts. After all, I had walked 13 miles the day before!

After my walk to Brant Point Lighthouse, I walked around the harbor taking photos, enjoying the crisp April air and the quietness of a Sunday morning. All too soon, it was time to go back to Martin House Inn to retrieve my suitcase and catch the ferry back to Hyannis.

By the time I got back to Providence for my work week, I was already planning another trip to Nantucket with my girlfriends.

Park City/Sundance, UT

Washington, DC