Friday, July 1st - lay day in Nantucket

Another sunny day in Nantucket and a parade of ferries from the mainland resume their delivery of holiday weekenders and their vehicles.  Our morning chore involves the mundane task of carrying the wash to town via dinghy, then hoofing it to the local laundromat.  There is a dual benefit to this exercise.  First, it helps to slow down the pace of the cruise and life in general.  Second, it sensitizes us to the outrageous cost of coin laundries and reminds us that we take for granted the convenience of a washer and dryer in our home.

[caption id="attachment_585" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A former Life Saving Station in Surfside, now utilized as a youth hostel"][/caption]

Having completed our task, it is time to resume our bicycle exploration of Nantucket, this time to Madaket Beach on the west coast and Surfside Beach on the south coast.  At Surfside Beach, we visit the sole remaining lifesaving station on the island.  It is currently used as a youth hostel.  Paved bike trails provide convenient access to both beaches from the outskirts of the town of Nantucket.  But in town, bicyclists and motorists compete for space on the narrow streets.  By afternoon, the volume of pedestrians and vehicles in town has increased considerably.  After 20 miles for the day, we concede the streets to the holiday traffic. 

[caption id="attachment_584" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Cobblestone streets and lanterns in the town of Nantucket"][/caption]

Our evening entertainment is an after-dark visit to the Maria Mitchell Observatory for some sky watching.  The clearing sky turns out to be perfect for stargazing.  Maria Mitchell (1818 - 1889) was born on Nantucket and is credited as the first American female professional astronomer. We are treated to an impressive real-time telescopic observation of Saturn, its rings and moons.  The staff and summer interns then guide us through the night sky, identifying the Milky Way as well as 16 constellations and the major stars of each.   As an added bonus, we are treated to a view of the International Space Station streaking its way across the southern sky. 

It is 11 PM by the time we return to town from the observatory en route to our dinghy, now damp from the evening dew.  A party atmosphere pervades the waterfront.  Every bar and restaurant in town is humming with holiday revelers.  At some of the more popular establishments, the festivities spill over into the cobblestone streets.

When we return to Cutter Loose, the mooring area is crammed with recent arrivals.  A fancy 60+ foot sportfisherman now occupies the mooring adjacent to ours.  The stern of this vessel is a mere 18 inches from our mooring ball.  It's generator racket and fumes fill the night air.  Cockpit parties are in full swing in the mooring field.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Nantucket.  It is a lovely destination.  But in the morning, it will be time to move on.