Martha's Vineyard

Off of the coast of Massachusetts is a little island called Martha's Vineyard. After staying there in the summer for fourteen years of my life, I can personally say this is one of the best vacation spots. It is relaxing and has many activities that everyone can enjoy. I have experienced many new things here, which makes it such a memorable place.

One of the things that makes Martha's Vineyard such a wonderful place to go is the beaches that surround almost the entire island. Each beach is suited for different people that visit them. There are some beaches that have nice calm waves, most of the time, and hardly any undertow. These beaches are a perfect way for small children and families to spend a summer day. There are also other beaches such as South Beach, which has a bigger undertow and can get very crowded. Private beaches are also available in some parts of Martha's Vineyard so that the beaches are less crowded. Whichever beach a person plans to go to, they will aways find themselves relaxed. On sunny, summer days on these beaches, there is a soft, salty breeze blowing and the hot, summer sun is beating down on the beach. The sand feels warm from the baking of the sun and the waves are softly crashing on the brim of the beach. Children can play in the sand and in the cool ocean water. This is a perfect way to spend a summer's day on Martha's Vineyard.

Some people are not the beach type or they just have had enough of the sandy beaches. For these people, there are many other activities to do. The little townson this island are filled with shops, restaurants, and fun for the whole family. Lining the streets of most towns are little shops and boutiques that hold everything from jewelry to clothes to toys. All of these shops hold little treasures that are just awaiting to be found. Although a lot of things can be a lot more expensive on Martha's Vineyard, the merchandise is worth the money and they bring back many memories of this special vacation. For children their are a few arcades throughout the island and many toy stores. While mothers and women like to spend their day shopping, children love to spend the day in a toy store. I know this because I was once one of those children who loved to go to toy stores while my mother was off shopping. She used to bribe us to go shopping with her on Martha's Vineyard, which my little sister and I hated, by telling us that we could stop at a toy store along the way.

In the little town of Oak Bluffs, music fills the crowded streets from The Flying Horses Carousal, which is the oldest carousal in America. As you walk down the streets you can hear the children laughing and the music flowing out of the open windows of this tiny brown building. The carousal squeaks when it starts up, but this carousal is no ordinary carousal. As the carasual goes around and around, people grab little silver metal rings. People then put these rings on the head of their horse and whoever gets the last ring, which is a brass ring, gets a free ride. This is very exciting to children and adds more excitement to the ride. Each horse is old and falling apart, but they have a certain magic to them when a person climbs on them to ride the carousal. Attached to the Flying Horses Carousal, is a little arcade, which has a variety of fun games for children or adults to play. Although it is small, it keeps children happy and entertained.

One of my favorite parts of Martha's Vineyard was all of the different kinds of food that I got to try and experience. Since this is a island, there is a huge variety of fish that is sold there. In the town of Menemshia, there are the docks where people can go and watch the fisherman bring in their fish they have caught. People can there and on many other parts of this tiny island go and buy the fish to prepare for themselves. If they are not in the mood to prepare their own meal, they can go to the restaurants on Martha's Vineyard, which sells a fine variety of prepared fish. From stuffed quahogs that leave a tingling feeling in a person's mouth from the spicy and rich flavors to finely cooked lobsters smothered in butter, there are a fine variation of foods from deep within the sea. A person has not experienced their stay on this island until they have tried some sort of exotic seafood. When I was younger, my dad made my sister and I try all sorts of seafood that we have grown to love over the years. He even had us try fried calamari, which is octopus, one time and we ended up eating the whole basket. There are other places to eat on this island that have food other that seafood like Giordanos. This little Italian restaurant is across the street from The Flying Horses Carousal in Oak Bluffs and has magnificent food. The line for this restaurant is always out the door, but the wait to get a table is worth it. In the less crowded part of Martha's Vineyard, there is a little chocolate shop called Chilmark Chocolates. This little store makes their own fudges and chocolate candies to sell. The line is almost always out the door on the few days that this store is open, but it is definitely a part of this island that I highly recommend experiencing.

As you explore this little island, you will find surprises and fun things to do around every corner, which makes this vacation memorable and special. Whether people are going to the beach on those hot summer days, shopping, or just spending quality time with family, there are many activities to experience here. Every time I have to leave this little island, a wave of sadness hits me and I realize I have to wait another year to return here. This island offers a wonderful vacation to every person who visits here.

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