Nantucket

Waking To the sound of rain Friday, we packed up the cars with bikes and gear and drove through the rain to the ferry terminal in Hyannis. Our parking fees and boat reservations for us and our bicycles were prepaid but we were faced with a street full of parking attendants urging us into their lots. Fortunately we reconnoitered and found the correct and paid for lot and then unloaded bikes,Panniers and backpacks which we walked to the terminal through the ever enlarging puddles. It was a soggy start to our next Adventure on the Island of Nantucket. The crew quickly took our bikes aboard and we settled in to seats on the lower deck for the 2 hour ride. As we departed I tried to identify the Kennedy compound which we had photographed when we came into the harbor onPartnership 18 years ago. The ferry ride was fairly smooth and on time. After retrieving our bikes we walked them along cobblestone and brick streets to our B and B on N. Water. There was a bike rack and we were able to unload everything and leave in the lobby since we were 3 hours before check in. Back a few blocks to the Whaling museum where we had a wonderful tour of the galleries by an English woman who had lived on Nantucket since the 50's. the museum is much larger due to an expansion completed in 2005 and brought about when a sperm whale beached itself on Nantucket and died at the end of 1998. The skeleton is the focus of the main gallery with the room designed to allow its display from the ceiling in the position of "sounding" (going into a dive to the deep". Following a quick chowder lunch at Book of Thieves we were back in time for documentary "Nantucket" done by Ron Burns. Whaling was what put Nantucket on the map long before the revolutionary war until the Civil War. Our final event at the museum was a multi media presentation of the life on a whaling ship again very well led by a docent. This museum is well worth the price of admission and I am so happy we had the time to take advantage of the programs. We headed back to the Carlisle Inn where we have two very small rooms in what was once a ship captains home. For Nantucket the cost is reasonable. We had seen a tent theater near by and decided to attend the performance of "Boston Marriage" by David Mamet. A turn of the century setting with 3 women in amusing almost Shakespearian dialogue. Our dinner was at Queequegs outside area. our young waiter went over the bike map with us giving us ideas for our Saturday ride. He cautioned us about the drivers on the island (they don't think about bikes. Stop at every intersection, watch drIve ways). Judy had roasted mussels which she shared Yum! And short ribs and I had Osso Bucco which was good but not up to Ike's. After the play we had room for "kiddie" portions of ice cream. mine was very flavorful pumpkin spice which seemed fitting for the season