The island of Nantucket was our destination this weekend, and we headed to the Cape early Saturday morning to catch the Hy-Line high-speed ferry from Hyannis. The ride was uneventful and quick, just about an hour, and we were met at the dock in Nantucket by Aimee’s friend Meeghan, her husband Sean, and other members of her family, with whom we’d be spending the weekend. We walked past the low-slung buildings lining the narrow streets, up to Meeghan’s family’s house, originally built in 1754, full of character and uneven floors, and, more recently, outfitted with air-conditioning and a nice multi-room stereo system.
I had brought my bike, but it rained pretty steadily all weekend long, so the bike riding was confined to an hour on Sunday afternoon, as Sean and I rode to Surfside Beach. The rest of the weekend, we wandered the streets, poked in the shops, ate some great meals, and hung around the house, playing games and reading. It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend.
It occurred to me that Nantucket, more than any other place I’ve been in the US, reminded me of being in the UK, somewhere like Whitby or another small fishing town in the north of England. Aimee in front of “Sweet Pea”:
Master Mason Christopher Capen was responsible for some of the most magnificent houses we saw on the island, including the three identical brick homes Joseph Starbuck had him build for his three sons in 1836, across the street from Starbuck’s rivals, the Coffins. The three homes and a Coffin nameplate on a home across the street:
Some more Nantucket sights:
After a leisurely Sunday – breakfast, the Times, Scrabble, and a walk – we took the ferry back to the mainland and said our goodbyes. Wanting to extend our weekend just a little longer, we decided to check out another Route 1 restaurant, since we’re rarely in the market for it as we pass by on our way to Maine or back from New Hampshire. Coming from the Cape, we were also happy to have the chance to drive on the Zakim Bridge for the first time, as you have to be on I-93 and not stop in Boston, two things we never do in tandem. Thanks to Aimee for the excellent passenger side photography.
Our first thought was to stop at the monstrosity of a palace that overlooks Route 1 from a scarred hilltop full of cars. When we walked into the newly re-opened restaurant now called East Manor, we were completely overwhelmed; no wonder, as Weylu’s Palace, the previous occupant of the building, modeled it on the Forbidden City and claimed it was the largest Chinese restaurant in the world. We left, having decided against the $26 buffet, the only item on the menu.
There was really only one other option: the Leaning Tower of Pizza. That’s not the name of the restaurant, but that’s certainly how I’ve always referred to the Route 1 landmark, Prince Pizzeria. I have to wonder, why do so many of these restaurants also house comedy clubs? Kowloon has the Comedy Connection, East Manor has Nick’s Comedy Stop, and Prince has Giggles Comedy. What a strange phenomenon.
Almost as strange was the way we ordered and were served, like a combination of take-out and dine-in. Order your pizza and drinks at the counter as you walk in, but sit down in a somewhat nice restaurant and color on the placemats for awhile, until you hear your name over the PA system, at which point you raise your hand and one of a dozen unhappy teens struggles to find you and deliver your pizza. “Kill me now…” and “I’m just going to stand here until they notice their food hasn’t come yet” were just a few of the mutterings we heard from the staff, who were constantly running around with food, trying to find the people to whom it belongs. Another great weekend of classic Massachusetts.
