Edition #14, 7 April 2008

Hello, my name is Cynthia, a mermaid from the cool waters of New England. Thank you for visiting my website on coastal New England. A new article is posted here every two weeks.

If you missed any of my previous articles, you can find links to them here.

I prefer to swim, but you may choose to travel to Nantucket by air, by ferry from Cape Cod, or by ship. Nantucket Memorial Airport is located in the south central part of the island. The Hyannis-Nantucket ferry arrives in the Nantucket downtown area at the east end of Broad Street.

Lovers of the sea will want to charter a boat and do some whale and seal watching. You can also explore the pristine shoreline and learn more about Nantucket's maritime history. A number of fishing charters are available. With a little luck, you may bring home a striped bass, bluefish, shark, tuna, fluke, or cod.

Time to put on your swimwear! Nantucket is a beach-lover's dream. Not two or three, but 16 beaches to choose from. Visitors to Nantucket's beaches are reminded to help keep them beautiful. Clean up your litter and respect any areas that have been roped off.

Those with small children will enjoy Harbor Beach on the North Shore. An easy walk from downtown, just take S. Beach Street to Harbor View Way. The beach is located at the east end of Harbor View Way. Harbor Beach features a playground, lifeguard, restrooms, showers, food, and picnic tables. Another family friendly beach on the North Shore is Jetties Beach. Jetties features lifeguards, changing rooms, playground, volleyball nets, showers, restrooms, telephones, restaurant, and take-out food. Ride your bicycle to the beach or take the shuttle bus from town.

The beaches on the South Shore will experience a stronger surf than the North Shore beaches that face the Cape. For more information on the beaches of Nantucket, see this excellent beach guide.

In order to keep traffic at a reasonable level, visitors to Nantucket are asked to remember these three words: Wheels, Heels, and Pedals. Wheels refers to public transportation: tour companies, taxis, and the NRTA (Nantucket Regional Transit Authority). Heels, of course, refers to short distance travel on foot. Slightly longer distances can be covered best by bicycle, the Pedals part. The island contains over 25 miles of bicycle paths. Read more about Wheels, Heels, and Pedals at the web site designed and hosted by Nantucket.net.

When dining in Nantucket, you may want to try these popular restaurants: Provisions in Harbor Square is a delicatessen and diner that earns rave reviews. Black Eyed Susan's on India Street serves American, vegetarian, and seafood. It is also one of the best places for breakfast, but you may find a line when you arrive. Also worth a mention are Queequeg's on Oak Street and Cioppino's on Broad Street.

More information on Nantucket can be found at www.nantucket.net and www.nantucket-ma.gov.  If you should see me in the water, be sure to wave!

Love,
Mindy

Hello Mindy,
Thank you so much for your letter. I will definitely be doing an article on Block Island in the near future. Take care, and happy sailing.

Hugs,
Cynthia

If you own a business and would like to sponsor a future article, please write to me for details.

Find out how you can do your part to Keep Oceans Clean!

Love,
Cynthia