NANTUCKET, Mass. – In spite of the strife and turmoil that headlines often link us, there remain pockets of peace on earth to enjoy where there is a constant lift of spirits and an extraordinary fulfillment of emotions. Nantucket is one of those places.
Primarily a summer retreat which offers a blend of charm, outdoor gratification, remarkable food, and a history that experienced a rise and fall economically, Nantucket is a jewel of recreation immersed in a New England landscape that reeks of Old-World traditions in everything from architecture to landscaping along with the world’s sweetest scallops. That is what the locals say.
There is something about the atmosphere and the soil that make this spit of land ideal for hydrangeas of all colors. There are covenants which keep Nantucket from ever being overbuilt by aggressive contractors. Surfers like it here and so do fishing advocates, golfers, authors, artists and catboat enthusiasts among others. There is a world class cranberry bog here, three lighthouses, two golf courses surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean where the Kennedy’s learned to sail unless somebody got up a game of touch football on the Cape.
Richard Tardits, the Frenchman, who turned heads by evolving from a rugby player into a star linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs and later made the roster of the New England Patriots was a Nantucket aficionado. He would rent a single engine plane and fly here from Boston and ride his bike around the island, sleeping on the beach which reminds us that those with the savvy to make do can enjoy most any place on earth without the requirements of a 5-star wallet.
You walk on cobblestone streets that date back to the 1830’s. No two houses look alike. The whaling museum is a study in the lifestyle of yesteryear and confirms that there is often a price to pay for monetary success. The “widow walks” near the top of houses were said to be where lonely wives would stand and scan the horizon for the whaling ships that would bring their husbands and their bounty home from months—even years—at sea, chasing sperm whales to the ends of the earth.
Recently, there was a Georgia flavor in the atmosphere as Marshall and Jane Butler of Macon hosted friends, including Mary and Jim Bishop and Lynn and Bill Griffin of Sea Island at an address on Nobadeer Ave.
There was golf, followed by dinner with Jay and Clare Walker who have owned property here for years and drinks with Steve and Susan Fallon who represent a mixed marriage. Susan is a graduate of Auburn but all others of the foregoing can’t wait to “go back to Athenstown.”
What one finds here is such an allure from beaches to gray shingled homes and businesses influenced by the sea, sunshine, good food, rambunctious surf, wildlife, and a place where there are no billboards.
The Boston Pops gathers here every July 4th at Jetties Beach for the benefit of Nantucket’s Cottage Hospital, attracting more than 8,000 music aficionados. I aspire to join them some day.
The whaling industry made many men rich, but then along came kerosene lamps in 1853 followed by gas flame heated incandescent mantle light and subsequently the Coleman lantern. Nantucket’s whale industry went kaput. Millionaires, depending on the universal use of whale oil, went broke.
Nantucket was little more than a fishing village after that but made a comeback when it became a tourist destination and a real estate haven where today, a local pun suggests the island is a place where millionaires cut the billionaires’ grass.
In her spectacular book, “Nantucket, Island Living,” Leslie Linsley captures the essence of the island and the abundant life that she has enjoyed. She even took the time to meet up at Mitchell’s Book Corner to sign her books for one party of visitors. “Glad you like our little island,” she said. “We think it is a great place.” There is a handful of Georgians who heartily agree with her.
Then there was our transportation committee, Bob and Becky Hickman and their friend Gail Ellis, who not only moved us about, but they are also imbued with copious knowledge of the island.
They happen to be teachers who have spent their careers doing some good for the world. That is something that all, regardless of their station in life, would agree is especial.
Leave a Reply