Day 72- July 24

We Arrive in Martha's Vineyard

By Al

We had a noon flight to Martha's Vineyard out of JFK airport, so we took the subway to the Airtrain to the airport.  LaGuardia is much easier to get to from our house.  Yes, house.  In New York people call their condos and apartments their house.  Anyway, it is about a hour and a half trip, but gives one lots of time to read. 

The plane was small but quick. 

It was good to see my cousin Carol again.  It has been a few years.  We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking a bay in Edgartown.  We were sitting outside.  It was a nice day and good food.  We then walked around town a bit.  It is definitely a town that depends on high end tourists and seasonal trade.  A lot of clothing, curio and antique stores, and art galleries.  Also, a lot of places to get smoothies. 

We then went to Carol and Herb's house.  It was close to the other end of the island and the drive impressed me with how big Martha's Vineyard really is.  It is one thing to say that it is 24 miles long, but another thing to drive on narrow two lane roads that wind over the hills and dales.   Carol and Herb have a very nice house at the end of about a mile of narrow dirt road.  It reminded me of living in the woods in Northern Minnesota, although no pine trees, all deciduous.

That evening we went to a show by  Dalvid Crohan.  He is a jazz pianist and singer.  He had several young people performing with him.  They were very good for young people, but we had hoped to hear a more professional show.  It was enjoyable.  He was very talented and finally brought up some professional musicians that were excellent.

The show was at the Tabernacle at the Camp meeting Grounds in Oak Bluff.  The grounds started as a meeting place for Methodist camp meetings.  The people would come for the meetings and stay in tents.  Eventually, they started making small wooden structures that they called wooden tents.  As time went along they added to them and upgraded them.  They are now permanent homes.  They are on streets that are in concentric circles around the Tabernacle. There are 300 of them.  The Tabernacle is the physical and spiritual center of the Campground. It was built in 1879 by John W. Hoyt of Springfield, Massachusetts. Church services are held weekly in the Tabernacle during the months of July and August, and a variety of cultural events are held there each summer. 

The Tabernacle

Inside

Inside with people

Houses around the Tabernacle.


Sally's Day
We flew to Martha's Vineyard (the choices are to fly or to take a bus and then a ferry).  The flight is 37 minutes, and so low that I could see the water and coastline the whole way.

The airport is the prettiest airport I have been to.  The waiting area is outside with wooden benches and rockers on a covered patio.

Airport waiting area.  There is also a playground for children,

People my age and older remember the infamous Chappaquitick (sp?) incident of Edward Kennedy.  This is the waterway between Ch. and the main part of the island. The only access is by ferry. 

More lovely houses.  These are along the shore.