July 18 - Nantucket, MA

Nantucket Town Moorings

“As I gaze upon the sea! All the old romantic legends, all my dreams, come back to me.”—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today we took the bus over to Siasconset or Sconset, as it's called locally, it's on the eastern side of Nantucket overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The area was settled as a fishing village in the 17th century. The oldest home dates back to the 1670s and many other cottages are from the 1700s.

During the 1670’s Cod fisherman lived here during the spring and fall cod-fishing seasons. They built small cottages to accommodate the five men fishing crews, but these were not the picturesque cottages we see today. They were little more than one-room wooden shacks with shingled roofs and dirt floors. Many of the seasonal fishermen decided to make Sconset their permanent home and began expanding their tiny dwellings to provide year-round shelter for their families. Rather than tear down the shacks and start from scratch, additions were made using odds and ends, including old doors and windows, and sometimes parts of wrecked ships.

In 1877 a New York developer bought land in the village and constructed cottages in the fashion of the original fishing shacks and then rented them to summer tourists. Many of the fishing shanties turned cozy cottages are still around today. Prized for their historical and architectural uniqueness.

Today the quaint little village consists of a Post Office, the Sconset Café and "package goods", Claudette's Sandwiches and the Siasconset Market…all located in the small square in the center of the village. We felt like we had been transported back in time to the English countryside...wandering through the narrow streets, enjoying the beautiful gardens, visiting with some of the locals residents and visitors, walking on the beach, taking in the breathtaking views from the cliffs and enjoying a picnic lunch in the little town square made for a perfect relaxing day.

Sconset Post Office

Harrison is the cutest lemonade salesman I think I've ever seen. He wasn't afraid to talk to anyone. He had a great spot just outside the market.

This cottage was built in 1723

Front Street in Sconset

Some of the interesting cottage and gardens

Sconset Beach

Sankaty Lighthouse was the first lighthouse in the US to be equipped with a Fresnel lens as original equipment. It was first lit on Feb. 1, 1850

Coming into Nantucket from the mooring field