Martha's Vineyard with 2 toddlers

[Anonymous]

We are planning our first trip to Martha's Vineyard with toddlers and would love to hear your experiences about where you stayed, condo/house rentals, activities, etc. We were thinking of possibly staying in Edgartown but we are open to suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Definitely rent a house and if you plan to drive you need to make ferry reservations now. Edgartown is very nice but we stay in Oak Bluffs. The restaurants in Oak Bluffs are very family friendly and there is a carousel as well as a nice park where the kids can run around. We have rented the same cottage for the past two years and found it on VRBO.

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, Martha's Vineyard is not worth the trip unless you are staying with a friend who owns a place. Most of the beaches are private, they are not that great anyway, the traffic is a nightmare, etc. I went once, and have no desire to return. Snobby and crowded.

[Anonymous]

20:47 here. Not true about the beaches! State beach is long and is great for little ones as there is little to no surf. Oak Bluffs is far from snobby. Yes, parking can br a pain but if you go out early it is usually not a problem.

[Anonymous]

Have taken my dc since he was a toddler every August and he's now 6. We rent a house using vrbo or Danielle at Coldwelll Bankers. You want to plan now as repeat renters and others book rentals early. And especially especially if u expect to drive. We have gotten there a number of ways. U can drive to woods whole n take ferry. Drive to Providence and park n take fast ferry; fly to Boston n rent a car n take ferry. U can fly to Boston or providence or ny n fly direct. We will fly direct from national this year. We confirmed our aug rental last sept. It's not a cheap vacation but we love it. We rent in vineyard haven near Main Street and its nice n quiet. You won't run out of beautiful beaches if u rent a car! There r also some great beaches and ponds that r perfectly calm for young ones!

[Anonymous]

PP again. It can get congested, but now that DC is older we go during "illumination" week (the most popular week of the summer) in August. That week the Agricultural Fair (like the county fair with animals, rides and food); the grand illumination and fireworks happen. Lot's of fun. If you have a rainy day the Vineyard Haven Library shows free childrens movies and serves popcorn. MV is a family tradition that I'm happy to share with my child. Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

My kids LOVE the Vineyard. I'm not a huge fan, but they think it's the greatest place on earth.

[Montana]

1) You ABSOLUTELY need a car on the island. Thus, you need to make and pay for reservations on a ferry now!
2) Edgartown is beautiful. Oak Bluffs has more for the kids, but the three big towns are all interesting.
3) The beach at Gay Head is very interesting-it has a huge cliff wall like 30 feet behind the beach. You can't climb on them-they are historic Indian lands. That beach also happens to be the nude beach!
4) Overall, the Vineyard is very low key. It is very different from Myrtle, Hilton Head, etc. Fog happens often, and, it can be chilly at times.

[Anonymous]

Montana wrote:1) You ABSOLUTELY need a car on the island. Thus, you need to make and pay for reservations on a ferry now!
2) Edgartown is beautiful. Oak Bluffs has more for the kids, but the three big towns are all interesting.
3) The beach at Gay Head is very interesting-it has a huge cliff wall like 30 feet behind the beach. You can't climb on them-they are historic Indian lands. That beach also happens to be the nude beach!
4) Overall, the Vineyard is very low key. It is very different from Myrtle, Hilton Head, etc. Fog happens often, and, it can be chilly at times.

+1

Also, yes nothing like the North and South Carolina beaches which just feel like more of the same to me and if there is no real "there." MV is charming and unique and very low key. Got engaged on Gay Head or the native american name of Aquinah beach. No where near the nudists. Simply beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, Martha's Vineyard is not worth the trip unless you are staying with a friend who owns a place. Most of the beaches are private, they are not that great anyway, the traffic is a nightmare, etc. I went once, and have no desire to return. Snobby and crowded.

I totally disagree! We go to the cape for vacation every year b/c my ILs live there, and DH and I always carve out a few days to go by ourselves to MV. The whole family goes over for a day, and then my ILs take my kids back home with them while we get a little mini vacation, but the place is terrific for kids. I am biased toward Edgartown b/c that's always where we stay and it just feels so perfectly Vineyard-y to me. I agree that a car is really necessary there. So I'd stay in edgartown if you can, and then you can drive or take a bus to south beach which is really big and nice, although the water may be a little rough for toddlers. You can also walk to lighthouse beach which is right in edgartown and it's great for little kids. It's very small, but the water is nice and calm. I agree with the PP who said to go to the cliffs at aquinnah, they're beautiful. Have a great time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, Martha's Vineyard is not worth the trip unless you are staying with a friend who owns a place. Most of the beaches are private, they are not that great anyway, the traffic is a nightmare, etc. I went once, and have no desire to return. Snobby and crowded.

I'm with you. Sorry folks, I just don't get the appeal.

[Anonymous]

To each her own. She didn't ask if u like it. She's planning a trip and asked for suggestions. If u have none maybe u should move on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To each her own. She didn't ask if u like it. She's planning a trip and asked for suggestions. If u have none maybe u should move on

and maybe you could try standard english spelling instead on IM-ese?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To each her own. She didn't ask if u like it. She's planning a trip and asked for suggestions. If u have none maybe u should move on

Are you the same person who wrote about the girls' weekend in NYC using all these "u"s as well?

[Anonymous]

Nope.