#RealTravel: We Had The Most Amazing Family Vacation in Nantucket. Ever.
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Beautiful Nantucket (Photo: Kenneth Garcia/Flickr)
Montage of the Kaplan family’s Nantucket vacation shots (Photo: Keith Kaplan)
Who: Sydney Kaplan, 14.
Where: I went to Nantucket, Massachusetts, with my parents, Keith and Cari, and my brother, Jakob, 16, and sister, Ellie, 11, over summer vacation. We took an hourlong ferry ride from Hyannis to get there.
Travel Inspiration: My friends told me, “It’s the best trip you will ever go on!” I’ve traveled all over the United States, and I’ve recently been to Italy, where I had fabulous pizza, pasta, and fruit, so I was a little skeptical about how this excursion was going to compare, but excited.
Related: Smackdown! Nantucket vs. Martha’s Vineyard
White Elephant Village Residences & Inn in Nantucket. (Photo: White Elephant Village/Facebook)
What I Loved: It’s a beautiful little beach-y place where everyone looks like a Vineyard Vines model. We traveled almost everywhere by bike. The locals were very welcoming to a group of newbies like my family.
Where I Stayed: A cute two-bedroom suite at the White Elephant Village Residences & Inn (where the accommodations tend to be larger than the White Elephant hotel). It was called the Surfside Room.
The sandy beach path to Dionis Beach (Photo: Indabelle/Flickr)
Best Beach: From town, it’s a four-mile bike ride to quiet Dionis Beach. My family and I climbed the sand cliffs and enjoyed the view. One day we rented a Jeep to drive on the beach.
Related: The Weekender: The Perfect 3-Day Guide to Cape Cod
Cru’s dockside location makes for a perfect tableside view. (Photo: Cru Oyster Bar/Facebook)
Best Restaurant: We had amazing dinners. One favorite was the new, locally owned Cru Oyster Bar. It was convenient: walking distance from the hotel, which was perfect for my mom and me, since we were navigating the bumpy cobblestone streets in wedge heels. The restaurant is on a dock right on the water, and while waiting for our reservation, I saw the most amazing sunset — the sky looked as if Apollo had personally painted a section, just for the lucky people of Nantucket to enjoy. Cru is an upscale, mainly seafood spot (like most restaurants in Nantucket), and the lobster roll and pork schnitzel were favorites in the Kaplan family. We left with full stomachs and big smiles.
The Juice Bar boasts dozens of flavors. (Photo: The Juice Bar/Facebook)
Can’t-Miss Spot: The Juice Bar. One night, walking home from dinner, we saw a crazy long line of people waiting outside. I’d heard the name before — thanks to multiple recommendations from friends at home — so we decided to get in line. Luckily, “The Juice Bar” was code for “unbelievable ice cream shop”! Sure, they sell smoothies and juices, but people go for the homemade warm waffle cones and the creamy ice cream that you cannot find anywhere else.
Related: Cool Off With the Best Ice Cream Shops in America
One of Nantucket’s many shop-filled streets (Photo: Randy Levine/Flickr)
Top Shopping: The streets of Nantucket are a maze of boutiques — from antiques stores to clothing stores like Vineyard Vines to bookstores to jewelry stores — which all look so similar that we got lost once or twice.
Sunset over Brant Point Lighthouse (Photo: Massachusetts Office of Tourism/Flickr)
Parting Thoughts: My friends were right: I absolutely loved Nantucket. It was trip filled with wonderful dinners, beautiful sunsets, and lots of family fun.
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