This year, for the first time, my son Owen accompanied me on a few of these early morning rides.  One good thing about going early is that the path is less crowded and the few streets we need to cross to get to it are also free of traffic.  These are good things to keep in mind if you want to ride the bike path with a child.  One of Owen’s favorite spots, The Turtle Pond, is also located along the bike path, so that was an appealing destination for him on our journey.  It’s great exercise.  The views are fantastic.  The air smells delicious.  I can’t think of a better place for riding a bike.  Nantucket’s other bike paths are also wonderful and I am looking forward to the “soon to come” Hummock Pond Bike Path, which will provide a much needed route to Bartlett’s Farm, East Coast fish store, Cisco, and Cisco Beach.  The road out to those locales is so narrow it’s a miracle that more cycling accidents don’t occur.  A bike path will solve that problem.

Here’s a short clip of Owen cycling on the Madaket bike path.

And even when it’s functioning perfectly well, the sound it makes is deafening.  Forget about any idealistic thoughts you might have about visiting a real-live farm.  If you imagine the lazy sound of a tractor in the distance or perhaps the mooing of cows and cock-a-doodling of roosters, you may have to think again.  The primary sound of the wind turbine blades whipping around makes you feel like you’re on the tarmac at JFK.  Carrying on a conversation outside the Bartlett building is a challenge with that contraption droning on endlessly.

Oh Bartlett’s, you know you’re one of my favorite spots in the world and that I long for your corn all year long.  But what is the deal with that zany wind turbine?

Any other thoughts on the wind turbine at Bartlett’s Farm on Nantucket?  Is it really worth it?

What is going on at all the Nantucket beaches?  I have never seen so many closings due to high levels of bacteria as I have this summer.  It seems crazy, since if you’ve ever visited these beaches, you’d know the water looks crystal clear and pristine as can be.  The only beach that ever seems a tad sketchy is Children’s Beach.  Its small size and mid-harbor location make the water seem a bit still.  To me, it can sometimes feel like tides aren’t whipping in and out like they do at other beaches, and therefore perhaps yucky substances sort of “linger” there for a while.  The large number of moored boats also makes me slightly suspicious of the water quality.  Not to mention the many diapered children running in and out of the water.  But aside from that one spot, all the rest of the beaches are wonderful.  It is a tad disheartening to hear that they are closed, especially when it seems that the tide should easily whisk away any grossness that sweeps in.

Recently, I’ve logged more than a few hours at the lovely community pool in my hometown on Long Island.  One afternoon both the kiddie pool and the big pool were both abruptly shut down due to “fecal matter” in the water.  They actually announced this over the PA system.  Really? Was that really necessary?  Doesn’t everyone know why the pools need to be shut down from time to time?  It’s hard to avoid thinking about the classic Babe Ruth scene from Caddie Shack when that happens.  In any case, when a pool is closed because some kid couldn’t make it to the bathroom, no matter how large the pool is, it’s difficult not feel at least slightly queasy.  I tried not to gag as I walked away from the pool, dripping with “toilet water” and thinking that a scalding hot shower and a powerful exfoliating body wash might be needed.  Or perhaps even some bleach.

Still, it comes as a surprise to me that these wonderful Nantucket beaches keep suffering from these kinds of issues.  I wonder if it’s due to a larger than normal crowd attending the beach this summer?  Or if the rules on bacteria have suddenly become stricter.  Whatever the case, I hope the problem clears up soon.  Do you have any thoughts or insight about the problem?

Summer Reading List

1. Blue Nights    by Joan Didion

From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter.  Richly textured with memories from her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this book is an intensely personal and moving account of her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness and growing old.

As she reflects on her daughter’s life and on her role as a parent, Didion grapples with the candid questions that all parents face, and contemplates her age, something she finds hard to acknowledge, much less accept. Blue Nights—the long, light evening hours that signal the summer solstice, “the opposite of the dying of the brightness, but also its warning”—like The Year of Magical Thinking before it, is an iconic book of incisive and electric honesty, haunting and profound.

2. Gone Girl       by Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?  Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

3. More Room in a Broken Heart: The True Adventures of Carly Simon     by Stephen Davis

If you love Carly Simon and James Taylor, than this is a great read for you.  Although it’s an unauthorized biography, it still shares quite a few stories that seem true about this famous, former rock ‘n roll couple.  As an added bonus, they both spend a lot of time on Martha’s Vineyard, so there are quite a few anecdotes that take place on that little island as well.  The book even discusses the long pondered legend of who inspired the song “You’re So Vain.”

4. The Ghosts of Nantucket: 23 True Accounts     by Blue Balliet

Published in 1984, these classic Nantucket ghost stories are always fun to read.  There’s nothing like reading some “true” and local ghost stories while you’re on a Nantucket vacation.  They can send a chill up your spine and make you wonder about the possibility of life beyond the grave.

Check back for more summer reading 2012 ideas.  Of course, these books are also fun to read all year long.  If you have any suggestions to add, please feel free to post a comment.

If your idea of a fabulous kitchen means high-end appliances, stone countertops, and tons of counter and floor space, then most of the kitchens on these tours might have been a disappointment.  They were small and often filled with the kind of appliances you might find in a cheap, walk-up rental apartment in Manhattan.  Visiting these kitchens reinforced the notion I have that the majority of people wandering around do not like to cook.  Perhaps they eat out every night.  Or maybe they just don’t eat much at all.  Simply boiling a pot of water would be a struggle in many of these dank kitchens.  There was certainly no room for a gathering of friends.  Not to mention that it would be stifling hot though most of the summer.  I barely glimpsed an air conditioner as I toured these ancient residences.

Seeing houses like these makes you realize that re-doing things constantly is completely unnecessary.  We saw one house that had the original wallpaper from 1790 hanging in the front hall.  It was lovely and pristine and seemed a miracle to still be intact.  It made me think twice about ripping down some wallpaper in my house that has only been hanging since 2005.

One thing to love about these old homes is that each one is totally unique.  There were no professional decorators sweeping through these rooms to ensure they end up looking totally blah (well, there may have been one or two).  There are so many ways to infuse charm and personality into a house and none of them have to do with inviting a professional decorator in to do the job for you.  Think about finding unique paintings and photographs or unusual rugs.  It can take years to give a house its own personality.  It’s a task of choosing items slowly and over time from a variety of sources.  Framed poems, painted signs, unique wine cabinets, and an antique piece here or there all add texture and zing.  Not a beige or silver coat of paint to cover every surface and a white rug on the floor.  I must admit that neutral, minimalist decorating schemes nearly cause me doze off.  Developing narcolepsy in a house like this would not be out of the realm of possibilities.  I want to walk into a room and have questions about what is laid out in front of me.  Where did that come from?  How did you come to find that?  At the very least, I’d like to be struck by the overall look, whether it’s characterized as cool or chic or cozy or charming.  I love to be impressed by a room that wouldn’t be too easy to replicate.  Stand out, I say.  Figure out what appeals to you and go for it, even if it means mixing folk art with whaling era antiques and a touch of sleek modernism.

I must chuckle at the one thing nearly all of the houses on the tour had in common—an impressive array of boldly displayed booze and wine.  Clearly, no one was shy about the five o’clock ritual in these homes.  If there is one trait that many Nantucketers have in common besides a love for the sea, it is an appreciation for a decent cocktail.  You won’t have to struggle to find an adequate drink on this little island, no sir-ee.  Stop & Shop might run out of milk and toilet paper, but Hatch’s can be relied upon to come through with a stash of potions to suit every palate.

In the long run, I am glad Nantucket has such a wonderful history and was able to preserve so much of the architecture from its infamous whaling era, but for me, a slightly more modern house, post Civil War perhaps, might the ticket.

Of course, in many cases, the fancier, more pristine homes are more a show of extravagant wealth than anything else.  Funny enough, the homes that have been professionally decorated and have a common color scheme or other sleek theme running from room to room are usually the most boring.  Yes, a fortune was spent, but whose personality is being showcased?  The decorator or the home owner?  Don’t get me wrong.  I certainly dream about fantastic huge kitchens outfitted with high-end appliances and all the accompanying bells and whistles.  But once you’ve seen one Sub-Zero refrigerator, granite counter top, and Wolf six-burner stove, you’ve pretty much seen them all.

The house tour I attended this year was held in the historic district.  Nearly all of the homes featured were built around 1800.  On the flip side of the lavish, huge homes scattered around the island are these historic old homes that play a key role in Nantucket’s interesting history.  When the whaling industry faded around 1850 with the discovery of kerosene in Pennsylvania, the population on the island dwindled and many old houses were deserted.  Eventually, nearly 100 years later, Nantucket re-established itself as a tourist and resort island.  The vast number of historic old homes helped Nantucket stand apart from other similar vacation spots.  Today, all of these old buildings are protected by the Nantucket Historical Society, which as far as I’m concerned is just peachy.

This was not my first time inside such abodes, and I must admit that each time I have a chance to view one, I am struck by the same thought.  Would anybody ever sit in these rooms in their wet bathing suit?  Old Nantucket houses are characterized by a series of small, often dark, low-ceiling rooms.  Way back when, the rooms were designed to help keep them efficiently heated through long, bitter winters.  Today, though, they just don’t seem that livable.  There are no great rooms or huge kitchens, or even a living area that’s large enough for more than four people to sit together comfortably.

And although I can understand why the rooms are preserved, I am often struck by how old the furniture looks too.  As far as I know, there are no rules pertaining to using hundred-year-old upholstered furniture just because your house was built in 1809.  When I’m on Nantucket, we spend a lot of time at the beach.  We go fishing and cycling and golfing.  We make big, family dinners.  There’s no chance I would feel comfortable flopped out on a mildewed Victorian love seat in a formal, stuffy parlor wrapped in a damp beach towel with sand still lingering between my toes.  These houses, although classic and worthy of respect, are more like museum pieces than living spaces.

Stay tuned for An Annual Nantucket House Tour Part 2.

I never get tired of picking fresh strawberries in June.  And there’s almost no place better to do it than at Bartlett’s Farm on Nantucket.  The setting is picture perfect, and the berries are delicious.  Natch.  After having picked strawberries on the North Fork of Long Island, I found Bartlett’s stash to be ultra plentiful in terms of how many untouched and un-smushed berries were gently dangling from their vines.  I suppose that has to do with the fact that fewer people visit Bartlett’s than stop by road side strawberry picking spots on the North Fork.  Bartlett’s Farm plans to have the berry picking continue for a few more days, so if you can get there, you definitely should!  It’s a wonderful activity for families with children.  And if you take your stash home and make homemade strawberry shortcake like we did, even better.

We started our trip the right way by arriving at the ferry with enough time to pick up some fried shrimp from Baxter’s in Hyannis.  Also a treat that’s worth making time for when you make the journey to Nantucket.

All of these activities remind me of my own childhood and how the day we arrived on Nantucket was always one of the most exciting of the year.  Back then, there were visions of trips to the candy store and beach.  Afternoons spent collecting crisp, white clam shells followed by lazy hours spent painting them bright colors on the porch.  Ultimately, we’d have a lemonade stand and offer the painted shells as an added product.  Walking away with $17 whole dollars felt like we hit the jackpot in 1982.

And always as a backdrop, were days spending fishing for blues and stripers.  We have not been the most impressive of fishermen over the years, but we have certainly been diligent, and occasionally rewarded for our efforts.  Today, I wonder what my own children dream of when they think of Nantucket.  Probably trips to the Maria Mitchell Aquarium and days spent pulling sea life out of the water at Jetties Beach.  These are the days they’ll remember.

Here’s a video of the Steamship Authority fast ferry, Iyanough, as we pulled into Nantucket Harbor last Sunday.

When it comes to corn on the cob, it must be said that I’m a bit of a snob.  There is nothing like fresh, local, summer corn.  It’s a delicacy that only sticks around for a few short weeks.  If you happen to be on Nantucket when the corn reaches its peak, there’s no place better to procure it than from Bartlett’s Farm.  Once July arrives, every visit to the farm is an occasion to see if the corn is “in.”  Sometimes, if you’re lucky, it arrives a little early.  Whenever it shows up, I try to be there.

Here is the easiest and most delicious way to serve corn on the cob:

Corn on the Cob

12 ears of fresh, local corn on the cob, husked

1 large pot of boiling water, lightly salted

1 stick of butter

Drop the corn into the pot and let it cook for about 9 minutes.  Promptly remove corn and place on a large serving platter.  Serve with butter and salt on the side, so each diner can add it to suit their taste.  Sometimes, it’s handy to be prepared with dental floss for afterwards.  Corn has so many wonderful attributes: it’s delicious and crunchy and sweet.  However, it can also occasionally get stuck in your teeth.  Still, as far as I’m concerned, it’s worth it.