Massachusetts

We just returned from our first trip to Nantucket and all I can say is, "when can we return?"  I had always wanted to visit Nantucket and I conducted much research before leaving, so I had fairly high expectations, all of which were significantly exceeded.
 
To call Nantucket idyllic, charming, quaint and tranquil is an understatement.  I think this little gem corners the market on charm. And the hotel where we stayed, The White Elephant, deserves every accolade it receives.  It is a treasure.
 
So here, in no particular order, is what we liked about The White Elephant and what we liked about Nantucket.
 
The White Elephant
1) The location is perfect.  It's right on the water and about four short blocks from town -- an easy bike ride or stroll.  The water is filled with pleasure boats bobbing at anchor, and a small beach, "Children's Beach," is just adjacent to the property.
2) The hotel is beautiful.  The common spaces are beautifully maintained and decorated, the grounds are perfectly landscaped with copious amounts of flowers -- especially hydrangeas, and the hotel -- with its weathered cedar shake walls and white wooden trim -- just oozes Nantucket charm.  The rooms are wonderfully decorated and offer a very comfortable bed with big, soft pillows and a fluffy, lightweight duvet.  The hotel also has a wonderful evening turndown service, complimentary bottle water replenished daily, welcome chocolates on arrival and a "checkout gift" of bottled water and granola bars.
3) The service -- the staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and welcoming.  One of my favorite amenities is how the hotel helps you get "beach ready."  Although the hotel is on the water, and they do have ample beach chairs and views, other than "Children's Beach" which is very small with no surf, the true beaches are a bike/shuttle/car ride away.  And all the beaches are public, so they don't really offer the services you'd get from a private hotel beach.  But the White Elephant makes it easy -- just outside the front door they offer beach towels, cold bottled water, beach chairs and beach umbrellas to take with you wherever you're headed.  Apparently they pack picnic lunches, too, but there were food options at each beach we visited, so we got food at each beach.
4) We didn't eat at the White Elephant's restaurant -- the Brant Point Grille -- but the menus looked very good.  Plus the restaurant is set amongst manicured gardens right on the water and it has a marvelous covered veranda for al fresco dining.  I did enjoy the complementary coffee and pastry service they offered each morning.  There is also a small spa, but we didn't partake of its services either.
 
Nantucket
1) The town.  It's compact, but yet with so much to see, that it makes visiting a delight.  Strolling or biking through town is so easy and around every corner is a picturesque view, a historic building, a cute shop or a delicious place to eat.
2) The "tacky tourist" atmosphere you find in some beach towns is almost completely absent here. Even the shops that sell more souvenir-y merchandise, for the most part, are cute.  No airbrush T-shirts here.
3) We were surprisingly pleased by the beaches and spent more time on them than we anticipated. Having just been in the oil-free part of the Gulf, with its sugar-sand beaches and blue waters, we weren't expecting to hang out on the beach every day ... but we did. We visited Madaket, Jetties and 'Sconset and loved sitting on the beach, eating a lobster roll from a nearby takeout and enjoying the sea views. The water is INDEED cold, but the weather was so nice -- e.g. not broiling hot -- that we weren't drenched in sweat within minutes of sitting down, so we didn't feel the need to spend hours in the water.
4) And speaking of the weather, leaving Atlanta, where it was 96º, and being somewhere cool enough to wear a sweater in the evening was an absolute delight.  If you haven't spent a summer in the sweltering South, you have no idea what a welcome change this is.
5) The island shuttle bus system is great.  The routes are easy, the system is well-managed and it's a great way to get to the beach of your choice.  And if you want to have your bike with you at your destination, but don't want to pedal all the way there, the buses are even equipped with bike racks.
6) THE FOOD.  What a culinary treasure trove.  We ate as much as we could in four days, but know we barely scratched the surface.  We had a late, casual dinner our first night a LO LA 41, which took the place of our intended destination -- The Boarding House (next time, we hope) -- when we arrived late on the island via ferry, instead of early via airplane because of severe thunderstorms.  But by the time we strolled to dinner at 10:15, the weather had cleared and we enjoyed a tasty meal on the patio.  Our second meal was maybe our favorite -- dinner at STRAIGHT WHARF.  Everything was divine and their dining room is just magical with a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams and a harbor view.  The diver scallops were heavenly and the special stuffed squash blossom appetizer was just yum-ola.  Our third dinner -- at DEMARCO -- was every bit as good as Straight Wharf.  The summer beet salad was delicious and their house specialty, the Boscaiola Pasta with mushrooms, prosciutto, tomato, sage and cream, almost melts in your mouth.  Peach and blueberry cobbler for desert was the icing on the Italian cake, so to speak.  Our final dinner was at AMERICAN SEASONS.  The setting is beautiful -- like eating in a covered garden -- but we didn't have very good service.  Fortunately, the food was delicious, so that almost made up for our less than attentive waitress.  Foie gras three ways and chicken fried lobster appetizers were outstanding.  And the roasted guinea hen entrée was fabulous.  The strawberry and orange brioche bread pudding was fantastic and the sweet and salty 'smores on a chocolate pretzel graham cracker crust was chocolate overload (in a good way).  American Seasons also has a very creative specialty drink menu.  For tasty, very casual lunch or dinner fare, EASY STREET CANTINA has yummy tacos, burgers and sandwiches.  They are also open late night, too.  BLACK-EYED SUSAN'S is supposed to be THE place for breakfast but it has no A/C and is very small. When we arrived for a late breakfast at 11AM, it must've been 85 º inside and we just couldn't do it -- maybe next time.  We opted for and FOG ISLAND instead and I really enjoyed my granola and banana pancakes.
7) Nightlife.  Even on seemingly quiet Nantucket, there is a vibrant night time scene.  When the dinner crowd peters out, a number of restaurants turn up the music and their bars get lively -- including the Boarding House and the Straight Wharf Bar/Grill, the casual dining space at Straight Wharf.  Slip 41 also has a lively outside patio bar on the water.  For live music, we checked out the Chicken Box ("The Box" to locals) and though we were definitely on the older side (we're in our 40s) of the mostly 20-30s age crowd, it was fun with a great cover band.  It's such a popular spot, it was sold out Saturday and Sunday for a different band.  On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the bar at the Club Car has an old fashioned piano sing-along, with patrons -- drinks in hand -- standing behind the piano player, singing along with gusto.  A bit older crowd, but festive and fun in a delightfully campy fashion.
 
I could continue to wax on about Nantucket, but I think you get the picture.  We absolutely adored this divine New England island paradise. 

I don't like what I am reading about Boston Hotels. We are going there in June. A few years ago we stayed at XV Beacon and didn't like it or the location. (we moved to the 4 Seasons) We were going to try the Taj because it used to be the Ritz. But the rooms are tired? Are they refurbishing any of them? Has the 4 Seasons gone down hill as well? We want to stay in a great hotel. Please Help!