Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Rental: Vineyard Haven’s Tashmoo

Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival 2009

On Thursday, September 10 through Sunday, September 13, the 2009 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival takes over Vineyard Haven! All four days will be filled with the best feature and short films from the biggie film festivals like Sundance, Berlin and Cannes – and new films that have yet to be discovered.

This year’s festival films come from every corner of the globe: Palestine, Russia, China, India, Norway, France, Israel, Germany, Spain, Japan, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, and more. Some highlights:

• Rudo Y Cursi – one of the top-grossing Mexican films of all time.
• Waltz with Bashir – an innovative animated drama from Israel that was nominated for a 2009 Oscar for Best Documentary.
• Munyurangabo – awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the American Film Institute festival, it explores the Hutu-Tutsi genocide from the point of view of an orphaned teen and is the first film ever in the Kinyarwanda language.
• Local Martha’s Vineyard filmmaking – lead by islanders Liz Witham and Ken Wentworth of Film-Truth Productions.

Of course, there is more to this Vineyard film festival than movies. An opening night cocktail party on the roof of the Mansion House kicks things off, and there will be nightly parties, art gallery and meet-the-filmmaker gatherings for the festival’s duration. Live music, DJ’s food from top island chefs and open bars round out the weekend.

Visit the website for a full schedule and tickets to films and exciting events.

Vineyard Haven Vacation Rental: Captain’s Home

I simply love this house. It’s got charm, history and location, location, location! Check it out:

Main Street, Vineyard Haven is only three blocks away which means some of the world’s best shopping and restaurants are steps away – not to mention the ferry. You can stroll down for dinner…or grab a cone at Mad Martha’s whenever you want. And you won’t have to worry about parking. What could be better than a morning walk along the harbor followed by coffee and muffins from the Black Dog?

Sleeps 10. Talk about spacious! This kind of big family and friend accommodation isn’t something we usually see downtown, but here it is. From the many bedrooms to the spacious dining table on the back deck.

Don’t forget the beach! This property is one block from Owen Park and its beautiful beach. Built in 1898, Captain Henry Stevenson’s House was, of course, located right by the water – with easy access to his ships and still has gorgeous waterfront views.

Contact me for more pictures, rates and availability!

Vineyard Haven Rental: The Ultimate Unplug

If you’re looking to really get away this summer, but you don’t actually fancy being in the middle of nowhere, check out this Martha’s Vineyard vacation rental!

Don’t be an island, be a peninsula. This house has water on three sides – as it looks out into Vineyard Sound, Herring Creek and Lake Tashmoo. You’ll be right on the cusp of the Lake’s stone jetty one of the sweetest beaches on the island. The sand is almost white, warm and soft underfoot and the waves are almost non-existent most days. Not only do you have your own private barrier beach 25 feet from your door, the house also comes with it’s own boat mooring – cruise the lake or take your vessel right out into the Sound and beyond…

So close, but still far away. The Tashmoo Pond area is found at the end of a classic Vineyard dirt road and it’s certainly off the beaten path, but the beginning of that tree-filled dirt road is good old State Road, at a juncture about 2 minutes from the grocery store and 5 minutes from Main Street, Vineyard Haven. So, you’ll feel like you’re in a remote island paradise, but civilization is close by.

Don’t forget about the house! It sleeps 6 and features a big open floor plan and tons of Island sunlight. You’ll likely spend just as much time inside as out and that’ll be easy with a wrap-around back and side deck. All that’s left for you to do – besides calling me to book the house – is to plan what you’ll have for your first dinner under the Vineyard sunset.

Finding Bliss: Yoga on Martha’s Vineyard

Long heralded as a health haven, the Vineyard has fresh air, locally grown food and TONS of yoga. With all we have to offer, you could rent a house and take yoga classes all day creating your very own island yoga retreat!

Here’s a sampling of yoga classes, teachers and styles around Martha’s Vineyard. Note: please check the local newspapers for class schedules!

Yoga Barn. Scarlet Jarrell was so in love and inspired by a barn she saw in Vermont that she had it taken apart and put back together in Chilmark (see the image above!). Scarlet Yoga offers a wide range of teachers and style throughout the week including Kripalu, Anusara, Vinyasa and Trance Dance. (908) 310-9133

Vineyard Complimentary Medicine (VCM) in West Tisbury offers a wide variety of classes and teachers including gentle, moderate and advanced.

Martha Abbott, Kripalu Yoga. Martha is a longtime Kripalu teacher and Kripalu is known for being a very heart-ful practice – embracing the needs of each individual student and paying special attention to the breath and compassion for the practice. Martha was a director of the Kripalu yoga teacher training and specializes in the art of movement. (508) 693-5364

Broga. Just like it sounds, this yoga class is for guys (and girls) who like a lot of arm work and strengthening. Every Saturday afternoon at the Island Cohousing Common House in West Tisbury. (774) 238-0176

Bikram & Hot Yoga. Get ready to sweat as you go through the classic Bikram flow at Vineyard Yoga in West Tisbury. (508) 696-7755

Power Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and Yoga for Men. Some of the Vineyard’s best including Sheri Sidoti (Fly Yoga) offer these phenomenal classes at Rise Studio in Vineyard Haven. (774) 238-0176

The Yard. Famous for their dance performances, The Yard also offers yoga classes during the summer. Soak up serenity in this world renowned studio in Chilmark. (508) 645-9662

Many of the teachers on the island (Sherry Sidoti, MJ Bindu Delekta, Martha Abbott, Megan Grennan and more) offer private classes as well!

Don’t forget to check the local papers for correct times once you arrive on the island and NAMASTE!

Free WiFi on Martha’s Vineyard

Our hope, of course, is that you’ll come to the island and totally unplug. Things really do move slower around here, but we realize that it’s hard to disconnect completely sometimes. Luckily, many of our local cafes and such feature free WiFi. Here’s a list of some tops spots that are ‘connected’:

• Beetlebung Coffee House, Vineyard Haven, is close to the ferry and has both indoor and outdoor seating.
• Black Dog Cafe, Vineyard Haven, one of my favorite WiFi spots with big couches and overstuffed chairs as well as great coffee, baked goods and sandwiches.
• Mocha Mott’s, Vineyard Haven, classic coffee house right on Main Street, note: loud music.
• Espresso Love, Edgartown, with muffins so good even President Clinton couldn’t get enough of them, Espresso Love has indoor and outdoor seating, full bakery, lunch and dinner.
• Harbor View Hotel, Edgartown, one of the most beautiful hotels on the island, WiFi is available in the lobby, dining and hotel rooms.
• Offshore Ale Co., Oak Bluffs, good food and great entertainment right off of OB’s main strip.
• Steamship Authority Terminal, Vineyard Haven & Oak Bluffs, not only can you enjoy WiFi on the ferry, you can also use it in the terminal and in the standby line from your car!

Many of our rental houses have either wireless internet or cable hook-ups, just let me know if you have to have internet access…or if you’d rather not even be tempted!

Image courtesy of Jem

Martha’s Vineyard’s Kids: Drama, Fun and the Vineyard Playhouse

It’s the little things that make Martha’s Vineyard so spectacular…fried clams on a hot august afternoon, finding the perfect purple clam shell on the beach, the sound of the foghorn in the distance as you fall asleep after a sun-soaked day at the beach. It’s also the ‘little people’ that make our island special – because of the joy they bring, but also because of the events and activities available to them.

One of my favorite kid things on the Island is called The Fabulists. This fabulous kid-friendly extension of the world famous Vineyard Playhouse - whose stage has featured the likes of Ted Danson, Amy Brenneman, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal – is one of our greatest summer treats.

Every Saturday morning in July and August, kids from all over the island gather in a magical theater made of grass and trees to see an original, hilarious play that always includes audience participation. Deep in the woods of Tisbury, just outside of Vineyard Haven, follow the trail to The Fabulists’ outdoor amphitheater where you’ll watch mermaids and pirates and geese and all other manner of make believe and real Vineyard characters come alive.

IT IS SO MUCH FUN!!!

(Great for ages 0-100)

Tickets are available at the door:
$7 general admission.
Children under 2 are free.
Group rates available.
Cash or check only.

Directions to the Amphitheater From Vineyard Haven:
The Tisbury Amphitheater is located at The Tashmoo Overlook in Vineyard Haven on State Road. Drive out towards West Tisbury just past the Tisbury business district on State Road. Just beyond West Spring Street on the right, there is a pull-out and parking for the overlook and theater. There will be Playhouse personnel on hand to guide you.

When Should You Book Your Vineyard Vacation?

On Martha’s Vineyard, we begin booking rental homes for the following season before the current one ends!  Many families decide they like coming to the island every year for a least one week.  If they like the rental property they are staying in, and know they will be back, it makes sense for them to commit to the same house while they are here.

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.

Retail-Therapy: Martha’s Vineyard Style

When you walk through the shopping districts here on Martha’s Vineyard, you’ll notice the absence of a few of the standards you may be used to. You guessed it – no Gap, no Old Navy, no Anne Taylor, no Nine West. Believe it or not, you won’t even find a Starbucks or a Barnes & Noble on the whole island.

There are virtually no chain stores or restaurant franchises anywhere here. Instead, locally owned bookstores, coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques offer shoppers a wide variety of options and a whole lot of personal attention. And for those of you out there who are in need of a little retail-therapy or just a dress for an unexpected special occasion, you’ll be wonderfully surprised at the quality of the boutiques scattered all over the island.

Heading Up-Island to Menemsha for fried fish and sunsets? Don’t forget to stop by Pandora’s Box – one of our favorite places to shop for gorgeous dresses, designer jeans and even some good sales. This two-room boutique on Basin Road has a dedicated following of some of the island’s most stylish garb and once you step inside you know why shoppers return here year after year.

If you’re in Vineyard Haven, shop at the Green Room on Main Street – winner of the Best of the Vineyard for the past three years. This fantastic shop offers everything from lingerie to shoes to designer swimsuits to super-stylish jeans. Men can shop here too and the downstairs is filled with everything for the surfer in the family from boards to Roxy Girl bikini’s to shades.

In West Tisbury, you’ll love Citrine – a boutique/home accent store/bead-shop combined. Located on State Road in West Tisbury, you can shop the small, but tastefully chosen clothing racks or check out the gorgeous lamps, textiles and jewelry brought in from all over the world while the kids choose from an array of amazing beads to make their own bracelets and necklaces.

On Dock Street in Edgartown head straight for The Great Put On. This true Vineyard standard has been in business since 1969. However, no other boutique on the island could claim to be as up-to-date or as stylish as this very high-end shopper’s paradise. Carrying lines such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Moschino and Vivienne Tam (to name a few) there is no event too sophisticated for an outfit from The Great Put On.

Village Spotlight: Vineyard Haven

The village of Vineyard Haven, located in the town of Tisbury, is the main port for Martha’s Vineyard. The harbor is the year-round home to the island ferries run by The Steamship Authority (passengers, cars and freight) and the New England Fast Ferry (passengers only), and it is filled with private and charter sail boats throughout the year and especially each summer. Once you step ashore, some of the best the Vineyard has to offer is within walking distance.

The famous Black Dog Tavern, bakery and retail shops stand steps away from the ferry, and most visitors mark their summer visits by purchasing their annual Black Dog t-shirts. Sitting on the porch at the tavern happily devouring your lobster dinner remains a highlight and is always worth the wait. No reservations accepted, but it’s a joy to sit on the small beach and watch the harbor while you wait for your name to be called.

Bike and car rentals are close by to help you get around, but you don’t even need them to explore Vineyard Haven’s Main Street. This picturesque, shopping extravaganza of a street boasts unique boutique style shops filled with clothes, cool stuff, books and art. Some of our favorite spots are The Green Room (men and women’s clothing), Bunch of Grapes (one of the greatest bookstores ever) and Rainy Day (literally filled with too many fantastic items to list here). Art galleries abound and showcased artists often capture the spirit and beauty of the island.

Vineyard Haven offers excellent dining (Le Grenier) and quick eats (ArtCliff)…and plenty of ice cream (Mad Martha’s) – just to name a few hot spots. The Mansion House hotel, spa, health club and restaurant (Zephrus) stands right on the corner of Main and State Road giving guests full service inside and total access to the town. If it rains, duck into the Capawock movie theater, a refreshing change from the multi-plex, or find the Vineyard Playhouse which features a summer packed with world-renowned plays and actors in a unique Vineyard setting.

And if you have time, wander just a block or two past Main Street, up away from the harbor. You’ll find the a beautiful, seaside, New England town – white clapboard homes, lush gardens and tons of character.

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