Absent a visit by the Obamas, Vineyard Haven makes an ideal couples getaway. You don’t need a car; hence no traffic snarls or directional challenges. Restaurants, galleries, shops, theaters, and beaches are all a short walk from the dock.
Vineyard Haven is a 45-minute ferry ride from the Steamship Authority’s Woods Hole terminal, and there are nine daily trips each way ($15 round-trip, www.steamshipauthority.com).
Stay
The Hanover House and Clark House are abutting properties, a 10-minute uphill walk from the ferry (20 and 28 Edgartown Road, www.twinoaksinn.net, 800-696-8633). Their combined 20 rooms start at $175 a night in season and top out at $265 for a suite, all including a cooked breakfast. The Hanover House feels more secluded behind high hedges, farther from an intersection. Bikes are available free first-come, first-served.
Dine
Don’t miss breakfast at the Art Cliff Diner (39 Beach Road, 508-693-1224, entrees $4-$13), where locals such as Carly Simon join the daily queue. We chose a large, airy stack of peach and almond pancakes - with fresh peaches - and crepes, filled with your choice of ingredients. This bustling 12-table eatery that dates to 1943 also offers frittatas, breakfast tacos, and panini.
Vineyard Haven is part of the town of Tisbury, which never got around to repealing Prohibition. We packed a small cooler for our visit to Zephrus (9 Main St., 508-693-3416, www.zephrus.com, entrees $14-$30), the restaurant at Mansion House, an inn in the center of town. The island catch ($30) was a nice presentation of steamers, mussels, shrimp, swordfish, and a lobster claw in a tomato-fennel broth. Zephrus also recently began offering a daily $25 prix fixe option. Be warned: BYOBers will pay $7 corkage per table.
During the day
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