Vineyard makes Mother's Day
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Nearly every Mother's Day we head for Martha's Vineyard, one of my favorite spots in the world -- except in the summer. When President Clinton and his crowd moved in, we moved out. The Vineyard has became hotter than a ferry reservation in August, so we avoid the high season. Instead, we go in the late spring or early fall, when the weather is still decent, ferry reservations available, and prices cheaper. (And even if you can't get a reservation on boat or land, you can simply take your bikes and backpacks, and camp out.)
Since the children were babies, we've bundled them on the back of a bike and simply taken off from the ferry. A perfect Vineyard day must include biking -- and sun. We always make the requisite stop in Oak Bluffs to visit the Flying Horses, the oldest platform carousel in the country. The horses were carved in New York in 1876, and have been maintained by the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust. For kids, it's a good mix of the old and the new, with a game arcade and a counter that serves ice cream, cotton candy, and hot dogs.
Even if you don't bring a bike, there are plenty of rentals on the island, which has about 25 miles of bicycle paths. It's a flat, head-turning ride that offers scenery ranging from quaint towns to ocean views to wooded back roads. There's always a place to stop, for refreshments or to check out that great blue heron in the marsh, or to let the kids splash in a tidal pool. A great bike ride is to take the ferry over to Chappaquiddick, then ride on that lonesome road all the way to the Wasque Reservation at the end. Your reward, besides the ride: a pristine Vineyard beach, with few people.
Back in Edgartown, the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary offers year-round family programs. If the kids are into birds, there are bird walks -- "from herons to hawks, waders to warblers" -- as they're billed. ("Mama, no more birds!" commanded my then-toddler, after one such program.) They are more likely to enjoy the programs on native and exotic reptiles and turtles. Family kayak trips are offered, and you're sure to see some local wildlife. In West Tisbury, the Polly Hill Arboretum also offers nature programs for kids and parents.
Ocean swimming on the Vineyard, for this Southerner, is not an option: Hypothermia isn't my idea of fun. Apparently, I'm not alone. Often, the only people I see in the ocean are the very young and the very foolish. (Usually, they're one and the same.) So my family heads over to Seth's Pond on Lambert's Cove Road in West Tisbury. It's warm and small enough so that the stronger swimmers can head over to the other side and back. For the little ones, there's a sand beach to build castles. We save the ocean beaches for sunbathing and kite-flying. Ocean Park, across from the gazebo in Oak Bluffs, is great for flying kites, or just watching.
There's miniature golfing just outside Vineyard Haven, horseback riding from several farms, and, if you're fanatics, year-round ice skating in the Martha's Vineyard Arena.
If the kids are artistic, go to Beadniks in Vineyard Haven, where they can pick out their own beads and make their own jewelry (I have an impressive Mother's Day collection of fine, handmade pieces.) Just down the street is the Melting Pot, where the kids can pick out a piece of pottery and paint it. (I have an impressive Mother's Day collection of fine, hand-painted pottery.)
On Mother's Day, we spring for a nice brunch at the Harbor View Hotel or the Shiretown Inn in Edgartown. The Black Dog Tavern, on the water in Vineyard Haven, is another favorite. But if it's just a regular weekend, we find fish and chips at a seafood shack, or head for The Newes, a pubby place in the basement of the Kelley House in Edgartown. Giordano's Pizza in Oak Bluffs is a good family place, as is the Main Street Diner in Edgartown, with booths, good food and shakes, cones and sundaes.
The trip is not complete without a mandatory stop at one of the Murdick's Fudges (watch them make it) or Mad Martha's Ice Cream parlors -- three of each on the island. Ben and Bill's in Oak Bluffs also has homemade candy and ice cream to die for.
Over the years, our kids have loved the Farmers Market and the Artisans Fair. This year, both open June 8 and continue until Sept. 28, at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. The Farmers Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, and the Artisans Fair takes over the same spot on Sundays. On June 21, the 12th annual Oak Bluffs Harbor Festival starts at noon, with music, crafts, food, and street vendors.
Mother's Day may mean breakfast in bed to many moms, but give me a bike, the Vineyard, local fudge, and homemade ice cream anyday. Oh yeah, and my kids, of course.
For single parents
Single parents make up more than a quarter of all US households -- and they are traveling in greater numbers, about 25 percent more in the past decade. The Single Parent Travel Handbook caters to that group, and there's also a Single Parent Travel Network website (www.SinglePar
entTravel.net). The number one complaint of such parents is the single supplement, or an extra charge for people in tour groups or cruise ships in single rooms, according to author Brenda Elwell. In her book, she gives travel tips to guide single parents through the planning process, including both pitfalls and good destinations. A bonus: funny stories from single dads traveling with kids.
Bella English can be reached at english@globe.com. All Along, her column on family travel, appears the first Sunday of the month.
