How to Spend a Day on Nantucket
Nantucket, Massachusetts, is rich in early 19th century American history and literature. It is from this port that thousands of ships left in a worldwide search for whales to slaughter and to collect oil for reading lamps. It is also from this port that the fictional Ishmael, Starbuck and Captain Ahab left in their unquenchable quest for Moby Dick. Shop shingles described in the novel are still hanging out front. The hearty Quakers settled here, and the island is rich in their history. There is also an affluent section of town where mansions housed those who most prospered from the whaling expeditions.
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Instructions
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Disembark from the Hyannis Port Ferry at Nantucket Harbor. Note the several gift shops and cafes along both Main and Broad Streets and the Town Square. The ferry services will provide maps of the town of Nantucket; walk toward Broad Street.
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Locate the Whaling Museum on Broad Street. Enter and pay the fee. There are several ticket options available. One suggestion would be to pay access to the museum as well as the several historical sites in the town.
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Enter the museum's main room and see an impressive whale's skeleton hanging from the ceiling directly above a properly outfitted harpoon boat. The walls of the main room are aligned with various tools used in killing and skinning the whale, as well as extracting the oil. Lectures about whaling trade occur often in this room.
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Take the elevator upstairs and see an impressive figurehead (carved wooded images that protruded from the bow), as well as an entire room housing scrimshaws (the art of carving images on whale bone and teeth). There are also rooms devoted to the Quaker life in Nantucket, fashion and home life, and the history of the Widow's Walk -- an area on the rooftop that gives the wife a vantage point to view her returning seaman. The museum has its own widow's walk on the roof; an excellent town vantage point.
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Follow the map to the next historical site included in the admission price. The Quaker Meeting House is a two-story building, with balcony, that serves this simple purpose. It appears very similar to a church, but without the stained glass, décor and religious icons familiar to a worship house. The Meeting House was political and social in purpose.
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Visit the Hadwen House, and experience an example of early Nantucket royalty. The family financed many whaling expeditions and thus profited most from the successes. This is evidenced by the fine china in the dining area, the fine furnishings in the parlor and bedrooms, and the attire on display, from summer dress to white top hat.
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Follow map directions to the Nantucket Gaol (Jail). The two-story, thick-walled building is dark and dank. Two lower level rooms share one fireplace and two toilet pits. Each room has two bunks. There is an inaccessible upstairs area. The building can feasibly house eight inmates.
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Walk down toward the port area for lunch or shopping, but also include a visit to Children's Beach on the itinerary. This is a great playground for children with a jungle gym, sand play, a snack bar, and bathrooms.
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Tips & Warnings
Make reservations for the ferry ride out to the island. There are two concessionaires that provide this service. Everything in the town of Nantucket is in walking distance, so bringing an automobile over is expensive and unnecessary. Those who wish to visit the inland part of the island can pay for a tour; much cheaper.
Opt to rent a bicycle among several rental companies along Broad Street. Make sure to include a means of securing the bike while visiting the sites and shops.
References
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