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Martha's Vineyard in 24 hours

© Rowena Carr-Allinson

Beaches on Martha's Vineyard are unspoilt and, off season, run wild. On the Northern and Eastern side of the island, they tend to be more shallow and protected, while the Southern beaches are large expanses of wild surf. Most are accessible to all, but some are reserved to residents and summer visitors only, such as Lucy Vincent Beach in Chilmark.

It's also worth bearing in mind that many beaches have parking restrictions. Lobsterville Beach, a 2 mile long stretch of sand and dunes, is home to a seagull nesting area and is a favorite fishing spot, however parking is prohibited.

The mission for day 2 was to get to Edgartown, a picturesque harbour settlement, the first of its kind here, dating back to 1642.

Having managed to miss the Northbound bus, we opted for hitchhiking. Lady Luck was with us and a friendly local at the wheel of his smart SUV picked us up and chatted jovially all the way to our drop off point. My faith in the islanders was restored.

The harbour, seafront and Main Street is the stuff of postcards. The houses and buildings have been perfectly preserved and Edgartown stays true to the early 19th Century whaling town. It is also famous for being one of the world's greatest yachting centres. Worth seeing too, is the Old Whaling Church built in 1843.

Unfortunately in November very few shops are open for business and as the rain started to come down, we found refuge in the Gourmet Café & Bakery where we sampled deliciously steaming hot coffee, moist carrot cake and homemade cookies.

After walking past the harbour for a final tour and flirting with the fishermen (they started it), we headed back in search of a bus. It wasn't to be. We gave in and called a cab. All too soon it was time to make our way back to the ferry terminal and head back to the mainland.

There is no doubt that Martha's Vineyard is a beautiful, picturesque place. However, for low season visitors I'd advise on having your own transport, it would have made a world of difference for us, giving us the freedom to truly experience as much as we could in a short space of time.

For those planning on a high season visit, I am told the island gets incredibly crowded in the summer months, that prices shoot through the roof but I can imagine that there is everything one would wish for on a perfect summer vacation...