Oak Bluffs in Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts

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Oaks Bluff Weather Forecast

Just found this great online weekly newspaper…

The Martha’s Vineyard Times is a weekly newspaper published on Martha’s Vineyard.

It’s a business and event directory.

http://www.mvtimes.com/marthas-vineyard/directory/calcategory.php?c=82

President Obama and his family are visiting  the Vineyard August 23rd through 30th. Whether you’re the President of the United States or a vacationer on the island, here are some suggestions for things to do that might enhance your visit and add to the fun.

Beetlebung steel drumming at Bend In the Road beach in Edgartown on Monday nights. Feel the island magic – dance in the sand to the exotic sounds of the steel drum band while kids play in the ocean. Start time for this unpublicized event is roughly 6:30-7pm, and goes until the sun sets.

Visit the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs. Originally located in Coney Island, New York, it was moved to Martha’s Vineyard in 1884. The Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust restored it in 1986. Inside each horse’s eye there is a miniature porcelain animal such as an eagle or goat.Located on Oak Bluffs Avenue, at the foot of Circuit Avenue.

Have a hot fresh doughnut. President Obama is said to enjoy an occasional doughnut, so backdoor donuts hot out of the cooker is popular with locals. This happens nightly starting at 9pm, rear door of the Martha’s Vineyard Gourmet Café and Bakery, Inc. in Oak Bluffs.

Ready for family fun in the corn maze. It takes place at The Farm Institute and is perfect for families. This educational farm out at Katama in Edgartown provides a fun excursion for families with all the animals and kids’ gardens, but the maze is a blast to run through. Open from 10am to 7pm seven days a week, there is a beginner maze, and a more advanced maze for the more daring. The maze is for all ages. Maps are provided upon request for different levels of difficulty and excitement. There are even a few “Bail out now!” routes for those that want to escape the maze early.

The Zoo, (a.k.a. The World of Reptiles and Bird Park), in Edgartown is a fun, out of the way place for kids and those who enjoy exotic animals (a never miss fav of President Clinton)

Take a Moonlight Meander kayak trip with Chick Down and Island Spirit Kayaks. A true “Vineyard” experience, the meander will take paddles through Sengenatacket, the barrier beach that sports beautify views and borders Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

They may also decide to take a self-guided exploration of the African-American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard (Tel. 508.693.4361) This is a series of sites that include the home of William Martin, the Island’s only African-American whaling captain, the Seaport of Menemsha, the Gospel Tabernacle, and the home of Dorothy West.

We know the Obamas as a family enjoy cycling, so it’s possible the might enjoy a bike ride to Chappaquiddick. (They could also use the VTA, the Vineyard’s public bus service or catch the On Time Ferry to Chappaquiddick located on Dock Street in Edgartown). Continue down shaded roads to the MyToi gardens. This stunning sanctuary is beautifully maintained by the Trustees of Reservations. The garden’s signature feature is a small pond with an island that is reached by walking over an arched bridge. Winding footpaths take visitors through a birch walk, camellia dell, stone garden, and hillside garden.

While there, hop on the back of a pick-up truck for a Lighthouse Tour. This 1.5 hour tour traverses Wasque up to Cape Poge lighthouse – this is one of the best places to explore the natural history of the Vineyard. Learn more about the Lighthouses.

Visit Martha’s Vineyard for more information.

Above Article courtesy of Offbeat Places Examiner

Photo courtesy of Martha’s Vineyard tourism

A sign outside a shop in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard welcomes U.S. President Barack Obama for his vacation on the island August 24, 2009. 

More photos and information about Professor Beach’s weekend in Martha’s Vineyard & Oak Bluffs, click on this link

http://professorbeach.com/2009/06/what-a-weekend-in-marthas-vineyard/

Photo courtesy of Win McNamee/Getty Images

RECENT presidential vacations on Martha’s Vineyard seem to begin and end at the airport, so the first family misses the ferry-boat view of the island’s most impressive streetscape. That’s the grand gingerbread vista of the houses along Ocean Park in the town of Oak Bluffs, which has both suffered and benefited from the architectural indifference of the mid-20th century.

Click on the link below (to finish reading the article in the New York Times by Christopher Gray) and view more photos.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/realestate/23scapes.html

For more photos, videos and information on my visit to Martha’s Vineyard, click here to visit Edgartown

Click on these links for fun things to do, places to eat, shop, activities, attractions and beaches!

Summer 2009 Oak Bluffs Events

Oak Bluffs – Martha’s Vineyard Island Tour

Oak Bluffs – The Best of Martha’s Vineyard

One of my buddies, Deon Thomas, a restaurant owner in Oak Bluffs, invited me to Martha’s Vineyard.  He lives on the the island and invited me to check it out.   Many celebrities and politicians have eaten at his restaurant.

Deon's Restaurant

Dessert at Deon's

Deon's Restaurant on Circuit Street

For more photos, videos and information from my weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, check out

Professor Beach’s Worlds Best Beachtowns

and

Professor Beach’s Blog

Oak Bluffs Cottages

Oak Bluffs Map

Facts about Oak Bluffs:
Oak Bluffs was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1880 as Cottage City. Before its incorporation, it was part of Edgartown. The town re-incorporated in 1907 as Oak Bluffs, so named because the town was the site of an oak grove along the bluffs.

Oak Bluffs originally began as the center for tourism on the Vineyard. While the other towns were more focused on industry, Oak Bluffs became a mecca for travelers from around the world as early as the beginning of the 1800’s. It also became a center of the thriving 19th century Methodist movement.

In the area known now as the Martha’s Vineyard Campground Meeting Association (MVCMA) or “The Campground”, members of the Methodist church would come each summer to pitch tents and have open air meetings. As these meetings became more and more popular, returning visitors began replacing the tents with small wooden buildings generally known now as Gingerbread Cottages. This name originated from the ornate molding and bright colors that these summer homes were painted and because of their quaint, almost storybook look. With the Methodist camp meetings taking place in the center, the campground expanded in a circular pattern around the meeting area until hundreds of the small cottages sprang up. Later a more permanent structure was built, called the Tabernacle. This covered open sided structure allowed speakers and meeting attendees to weather the elements and gave rise to a community center which is still in use today.

The campground Gingerbread cottages are cherished historic landmarks as well as very expensive real estate. Many are still family owned and passed on generation to generation.

Oak Bluffs Cottage Museum

Demographics about Oak Bluffs:
Click here for additional demographic and business information

Airport Information for Oak Bluffs:
Click here for more information on Martha’s Vineyard Airport
Airport Code: MVY

World Map showing location of Oak Bluffs:

Oak Bluffs Public Beach

Oak Bluffs Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.mvy.com/islandinfo/

Click here for Wikipedia Facts about Oak Bluffs

Watch video below to learn about Professor Beach’s secret travel tips:

Visit Professor Beach Blog:
http://www.ProfessorBeach.com/

Visit Professor Beach’s Worlds Best Beachtowns:
http://www.WorldsBestBeachTowns.com/