Nantucket
Nantucket, a tiny, secluded island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is a popular summer vacation resort with dune-backed beaches. It's distinguished by unpainted cedar-shingled buildings, many of which are surrounded by manicured privets. Restaurants, high-end stores, and steepled churches line the wharves and cobblestoned streets of Nantucket. The Whaling Museum in town tells the story of the island's position as a 19th-century whaling center.
"Once upon a time, there was a man from Nantucket..." Go ahead and finish the remainder of the limerick in your brain before getting that laugh out of your system. Because, despite its reputation for rhyming obscenities (many of which can be seen written on trinkets around town), Nantucket is a classy vacation destination. And it's getting posher by the year. This little island, located around 30 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, embraces its isolation, enticing upper-crust prepsters and Northeastern bluebloods eager for a summer retreat.
Other tourists are welcome as well, as long as they are willing to splurge. Room rates and dinner plates are extremely expensive, yet some of the most popular island activities are reasonably priced. After all, a genuine Nantucket visit entails pedaling your rental bike around the cobblestone neighborhoods or relaxing on the beach with a beach-time read. So grab your bikini and leave your car at the ferry terminals: it's time to get away from the mainland.
Location: New England, United States
Best time to visit: early fall
Ranking:
- #5 Best Relaxing Getaways in the USA
- #8 Best Romantic Getaways in the USA
- #8 Best Weekend Getaways in New England
Website: www.nantucket-ma.gov
