Our Summer 2021 Family Trip to Nantucket

Well here we are in November and I’m finally sharing a bit about our summer 2021 family trip to Nantucket. I’ve had this post in my drafts for months and never managed to finish it. Our trip was nothing short of magical so I decided to share anyway (I include links below fully knowing no one needs summer links anymore, ha!). The island of Nantucket is one of those places. One of those places that, when you step foot on the little sliver of land, you feel differently… your heart feels fuller, your mind feels freer, and your soul feels both more curious and more content at the same time. Like with so many other people, it is a place that really sparks something in me and really reminds me of how beautiful this life is.

I feel so lucky that my family loves the island too. I’ve been fortunate enough to go to Nantucket many times over the years with some summers consisting of up to 3 trips and trips of up to 10 days but, this summer, was the best with a full two-week-long stay in July (plus a glorious long weekend in June!). My parents rented a fresh, welcoming, blue and white house just outside of town and we settled in making the island feel like home for two weeks. Let me tell you, the two weeks felt like a dream, like we really got to embrace the island and not race to fit everything in. At the same time, it flew by and was over way too quickly. Life is funny that way!

Our Summer 2021 Family Trip to Nantucket

This post is a big roundup of outfits, what we did, where we ate, and highlights from the trip. For starters, we rented our house through Great Point Properties. I have rented houses through them with my family and in the past on trips with friends and they have always been fantastic. I’m sure there are other rental options but I’ve always had a good experience.

We ate delicious sit-down meals at Cru, Ventuno, Millie’s, Chanticleer, Nautillus, American Seasons, Proprietors, Galley Beach, Summer House, Island Kitchen, and Black Eyed Susan’s. There were a handful of places we love that we didn’t make it to this summer, namely Nautillus as it’s one of my favorites.

We ate yummy quick and easy or takeout meals at 167 Raw, Oath Pizza, Bartlett Farms, Something Natural, Provisions, Corner Table, Wicked Island Bakery, The Green, Sconset Market, 45 Surfside, and Lemon Press.

We sipped at Club Car Piano Bar, The Gazebo, Cisco, the bar at Cru, the back bar at Ventuno, Slip 41, and one big night out at the Chicken Box. Believe it or not but rosé tastes better on Nantucket.

We shopped at Nantucket Looms, The Lovely, Millie & Grace, 28 Centre Point, Ralph Lauren, Flowers on Chestnut, Serenella, Mitchell’s Book Corner, Veronica Beard, Skinny Dip, Parchment Fine Papers, and Gypsy.

We antiqued at Lynda Willauer Antiques, Sylvia Antiques, Nantucket Estate Jewelry and Fine Arts, Pierce Galleries, James Robinson, Nantucket Antiques Depot, and John Rugge Antiques.

A few memorable highlights from the trip:

A lobster boil at our house with lots of friends, sailing on The Endeavor with Rowan for the first time, climbing the Congregational Church Tower with Rowan, doing a Barre Bus class on the beach with girlfriends, discovering new-to-me trails around the island with Edwin and Rowan, showing some first timers the Sconset Bluff Walk and Sankaty Head Light, a sunset party with Pearl by Lela Rose, sailing with the new brand Cartolina, too many ice cream cones to count at Juice Bar, each and every trip to Cisco Brewery with friends, and lots of swims in the ocean with Edwin (including one really fun day date we spent at Cisco and then Ladies Beach… a golden day for sure).

Gosh, we packed a lot into our time on the island this summer. For me, it was a really calming, mentally cleansing, and rejuvenating two weeks that couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Nantucket gave herself to me over these two weeks and I squeezed every drop out of her that I could. Undoubtedly, this summer on Nantucket gave me a new depth of love for the island and connected me to it more. I didn’t plan the trip or go to Nantucket looking for a sense of peace or contentment but the trip gave me just that and more. I will always remember these two weeks for so many reasons. It was wonderful for all my family and really meaningful for my little family of Edwin, Rowan, and me.

Nantucket, I love you.

To my parents and my family, thank you for giving me the gift of these two weeks in such a special place. Mom, you made my summer more special than you know with these 14 beautiful days.