Nantucket "41:17.42N 70:04.99W"

VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Tue 13 Sep 2011 03:12
And so to Nantucket, twenty miles out in the Atlantic off the Massachusetts coast. We've time only for a flying visit and it turns out to be very different from what we'd expected. It's a high class tourist hotspot, overrun with daytrippers. But it also has over two hundred beautifully preserved pre-Civil War houses and is a delightful town. And about a third of the island (15 000 acres) is protected land and very beautiful - salt marsh, sand dunes, bog, moorland and woodland.
 
The best way to see it is by bike because it's flat. We've been joined by daughter Kate & boyfriend Chris for a couple of weeks; here they are attempting to master the start on a hired tandem. Strong advice was given by the bike shop (in the background) that first-timers should start in a straight line, pointing in the intended direction and with a clear road ahead. Ignoring all three points our heroes set off as pictured; a gain of about two metres, perhaps less, was made, amid much screeching from the driver.
 
 
However, after much shouting and not a few tears the machine was mastered and the intrepid duo set a cracking pace. Here they are on one of the island's many segregated bike tracks, coming and going and with the noise level somewhat diminished.
 
 
 
I hadn't realised how much more effecient a tandem is than a solo bike. It is very difficult to keep up with a tandem on a solo machine (in fact, I couldn't) - I guess because the tandem has almost the same friction and air resistance but nearly twice the power. Most interesting. Kate suggested that she and Chris buy one upon return to the UK but Chris vetoed the idea; I don't think his eardrums could take it.
 
Lunch was taken on the beach looking towards Spain some 3050 miles to the east.
 
 
The route back to town took us past the world's largest cranberry bog (somewhat disappointingly artificially created in 1857 but continuously harvested ever since) The cranberries grow in a managed wetland and are either dry harvested or surprisingly, wet harvested. The latter involves flooding the bog using sluices as the berries ripen in October. The ripe berries float off the plant and can be very efficiently collected from the surface using nets. Wet harvested berries are used for juice. Here is the bog, and some ripening berries
 
 
 
And finally, here is the tandem team on Altar Rock in the middle of the island and one of its highest points, surrounded by protected moorland. Lovely.
 
 
Tomorrow takes us off to Martha's Vinyard, thirty miles or so to the east.