It is a frequently asked question!  Most renters that make the Vineyard an annual vacation destination are now in the decision making process of when, where and how.  Because The Steamship Authority will be opening up vehicle ferry reservations for the summer months soon, many regulars are now trying to fit together the puzzle pieces.

Historically the primary turnover day for weekly rentals has been Saturday.  We now see almost half of our owners use Sunday as the turnover day.  This has occurred for a couple of reasons.  The steamship authority is no longer able to handle the volume of cars being brought back and forth on Saturdays alone and owners have also been having difficulty finding a cleaning crew that can turn over that number of rental houses in one day.

We also now see a few owners consider mid week turn over days for the same reasons.  Many of our tenants tend to like this as it gives them a full weekend on the island instead of having to pack and leave on one of the busy Saturday or Sundays.

When making your Martha’s Vineyard vacation plans you should try to book your rental home in advance of your ferry reservation so you know what days you will need to travel on.  If this is done far enough in advance you should not have a problem come travel time!  Many of our owners will try to be flexible on the turn over day as it gets closer to season if they can.  Many of their weeks will be boxed in with prior bookings.

It always pays to plan ahead for your Vineyard vacation!

1. Chilmark Chocolates
2. Aquinnah Shops
3. Menemsha Sunset w/ Lobsters on the Beach
4. State Beach bridge jumping
5. Kayak with the Trustees - Cape Pogue (chappaquiddick)
6. Tour a Lighthouse
7. Shop for fresh veggies at Morning Glory Farm or West Tisbury Farmers Market
8. Walk on the beach and then Ice Cream in town one or more evening(s)
9. Carousel in Oak Bluffs, even if you don’t have kids, take a ride!
10. Biking from town to town

Hope to see you out there next season!

This house and guest house not only offer great proximity to the highly desirable south shore beaches at Wasque but also a mooring for your boat near the Chappy ferry.  Enjoy beautiful summer days and nights with the ocean breezes and lovely sunsets right from the deck and screened porches on this property.

The master suite on the upper level with an enhanced view out to the sea also has a cat walk to a screened gazebo style porch making this a lovely romantic getaway.  There’s not much more you could ask for in a Chappy rental!

For more information please contact Anne Mayhew at annemayhew@gmail.com

For those of you that have been to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, you know that the process of bringing a vehicle along on your Vineyard vacation can be very trying if you don’t know the process!  Our island population goes from around 15,000 year round residents to 100,000 August visitors.  You really do need to take a ferry to and from the island.  It is a 45 minute ferry ride from the Cape.

Once you have booked your Vineyard vacation rental, you will need to work on making arrangements for getting here.  The Steamship Authority does not take reservations for the summer season until sometime in January.  This year they open reservations online and via mail on January 20th.  Mark your calendars!  They will open the phone lines up on January 27, 2009.

Sometimes it feels like you have won the lottery when you get just the right times for your reservations for your August vacation.   The process can seem unbearable much of the time but following are some tips that might help:

• Go online to the Steamship Authority and sign up for your profile number and pin prior to making your reservation.
• Go online as soon as you can on January 20, be patient as you may get bumped off the site due to high volume.
• Book any time you can on the day of travel or as close to the day of travel and request to be wait listed for your preferred times.

You should know that the wait list system does seem to work out for most travelers that are reserving their tickets this far in advance.   The steamship has represented in the past that they do not completely book all of the boats so they will have some flexibility.  Things do shift around but you may not know for sure right up until travel time.  They do also have a day of sail number you can call to try to change your reservation while you are on the road.

I once had a customer call and book a house one Saturday in August, drive down and get right on the boat and arrive at my office to pay for their vacation home and pick up their key, all in the same day.  This is not the norm and I do not recommend you wait to see if this works but, please realize that some of the systems that may seem very flawed can work well in the end!

It is also a great time to surprise your family with the summer vacation rental plans.  There are so many vineyard vacation rental options available whether for a crowd or just your family.  I like the following rental.  It offers the quiet tranquility of the island with it’s beautiful waterfront location yet, is just minutes to the town center and beaches.  Experience to full vacation experience at your own pace!

Whether large or small the Vineyard need not feel so very far away during the holidays!  Wishing everyone a very Vineyard Holiday.

This is the time of year when I take a few moments to contemplate the holiday season and what my holiday giving will be. The Red Stocking Fund is an annual giving avenue for me and will continue to be because they are so active on a local level.

I have found another great opportunity to give to a very great organization this year.  It was brought to my attention by some really great travel bloggers who have organized a fundraiser called Passports with Purpose.  It is a raffle with many great prizes and you can participate too!  Raffle tickets are $10 each and you can choose which gift(s) you would like to take a chance on.  I have contributed a $100 gift card for Amazon.com.

All of the proceeds will go to Heifer International.  This organization focuses on ending world hunger and believes that they can accomplish their goal and has been successful to date based on the following Cornerstones:

• Passing on the Gift
• Accountability
• Sharing and Caring
• Sustainability and Self-Reliance
• Improved Animal Management
• Nutrition and Income
• Gender and Family focus

ON THE

• Genuine Need and Justice
• Improving the Environment
• Full Participation
• Training and Education
• Spirituality

“PASSING ON THE GIFTS”

The holidays can be stressful but I find making these kinds of contributions brings me back to the core and resets my outlook on what the holidays mean to me.

Rental home bookings continue through the fall and right up until the beginning of the season.  Critical things to consider when trying to decide when to book your vacation home:

• Most owners know whether their repeat tenants are coming back by the end of September.  If you are a new tenant or looking to change houses it may be difficult to get a commitment prior to that.
• Steamship Authority (vehicle ferry) opens up ticket sales for the summer months around mid January.  Tickets sell out quickly for the weekend turnover days during the season.
• January is a strong booking month because of the ferry ticket sales and many popular houses will book up quickly.
• Rental homes are listed through out the season, to a certain degree, making last minutes bookings a strong possibility.

All in all, you should consider booking your Martha’s Vineyard vacation home ahead of time, especially, if you have specific criteria, price and dates in mind.  If you can be somewhat flexible, any time is a good time!  We have a house for you with over 500 listings in our inventory.

Being the last house prior to the hotel gives the guest of this house the versitillity of enjoying their own private vacation rental with the ability to utilize the restaurant amenities right next door.

Enjoy summer days on the front porch admiring the view of Edgartown Harbor with the Edgartown Lighthouse and beach just steps away.  Don’t like to lounge out front with an open view from the street?  No problem.  Lovely den on the upper level in the back of the house.  Can be used as office or just a quiet reading nook.

This property brings you back to what old Vineyard summers must have felt like (only with upgraded amenities for today’s comforts).  Perfect house for multi-generational family with separate guest accommodations off the back of the house.

Love this property, let me know what you think!

Christmas in Edgartown weekend is my favorite way to get into the holiday spirit.  This is the 26th year we have been celebrating the weekend event.  It will be held on December 11-14, 2008.  There are so many activities for everyone!  The weekend is packed to entertain and enthrall adults and children alike.

My favorite event is the Evening of Enchantment at Donaroma’s Nursery just outside Edgartown center.  It is a stunning display that families big and small can enjoy at no charge.  They also offer boxwood tree and wreath decorating session throughout the weekend with a charge for supplies.

The streets of town are decorated, the shop owners welcome visitors with holiday cheer and you can even find some unique and special gifts to tick off your holiday shopping lists.

The mini singer concert is offered on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon at the Old Whaling Church right downtown.  It will truly warm even the grichiest of hearts.   Visit the Edgartown Board of Trade website to see a full schedule for the weekend.

Love Jamie Oliver’s recipe.  Cooking in the shells feels like I’m getting the fullest flavor possible from our sea treasures.

BAKED IN THE SHELLS - Jamie Oliver, COOK withJAMIE

Scatter a good layer of salt or rice over the bottom of a roasting pan and flatten down.  This is going to keep the shells upright and prevent them moving around on the pan.

FLAVORED BUTTER - mix together using clean hands, add pinch of salt and pepper

• 4 Cloves Garlic, grated
• handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter

Put a little chopped spinach in the deep side of each shell and lay 2 scallops on top.  Smear a little of the garlic butter on top of the scallops and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Place the the other half of the shell on top and bake in 325 degree oven for 12 minutes.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Mayhew family favorites:

BROILED BAY SCALLOPS

Dip scallops in melted butter, roll in Ritz cracker crumb and pop under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes, turn them and broil for another few minutes, just until no longer translucent.  Serve immediately with tarter sauce and lemon wedges.

SPINACH SCALLOP SOUP - bon appetit

I have substituted bay scallops for sea scallops but both work great!

Yield: 2 main course servings

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) thinly sliced spinach leaves (about 2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 10 ounces sea scallops, halved horizontally, or use Bay Scallops
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and sauté until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add broth, spinach, cream and crushed red pepper. Cover pan and simmer until spinach is tender, about 3 minutes. Add scallops and simmer uncovered until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Mix in basil. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

These are just a few ways to enjoy the gift of bay scallops from our precious seas.  I have found that the bay scallop can be substituted for sea scallops in most recipes but have so much more to offer on their own.  They also freeze very well so we can enjoy them for months to come.