Nantucket, The Island of Enchantment.
I was fortunate enough to travel to the island of Nantucket this July with my best friend. I have been to its sister island, Martha’s Vineyard before, but Nantucket blew me away and is by far my favorite. I wandered into ‘Mitchell’s Book Corner’ one day, a little shop tucked away on the end of the main cobblestone street in town, and I picked up a book sitting by the window upstairs and stumbled upon a quote that read: “Nantucket has always been a haven for people who are artists, creators, and dreamers. I think there’s a renaissance moment that this island provides for people. They can connect to a different time and space.” I definitely found that to be true this trip, as I explored the fairytale streets of the island and documented my days with endless photographs.
Nobadeer Beach was the location of our first real adventure. We took our fire red Jeep onto the sand since we had an ‘over sand permit pass’ and I stuck my body out of the roof and stretched my arms out, feeling the golden sunshine on my skin and the wind slapping my face. The ride alongside the ocean overtop the scorching sand was one of those moments when you can’t believe you’re actually alive. You miss the moment even though you’re still living it. I do this… thing, when I have experiences such as this one. Experiences when I am at max level of joy. I always make sure to pick out these moments wisely, it’s just an inexplicable feeling. So, I will shut my eyes and say ‘click.’ I engrain the image in my mind forever. It’s more permanent than a photograph because it’s stamped into my brain and I assign a certain level of value to these type of memories. Another magical part of this afternoon was watching as planes soared overhead as they took off from the airport directly behind the beach access. I floated on my back in the aquamarine Atlantic and smiled up at the sky every time I felt a rumble and spotted the jets flying over me.
Images shot on Nantucket Island
Other highlights from this absolute dream of a trip, include Steps Beach, where I flew my drone and took lots of film inspired pictures in my flowy white dress. Nothing makes me happier than creating images that feel truly cinematic, and for me, this was that. The classic brown- gray cottages dotting the shore with their aged shingles made for the perfect picturesque look of quintessential Nantucket. Steps beach was surrounded by stunning sandy cliffs with green vegetation and the staircases carved out the perfect path for vistas over the Atlantic. The sun kissed my face and hair and I could feel the sea spray even from standing high in the air overlooking the teal water.
The fairytale town of Siasconset is not to be missed on a trip to the Island. Our first stop was finding the iconic rose covered cottage, as featured in every magazine imaginable about Nantucket. The cottage was bursting with vibrant pink roses and was more beautiful than I could have imagined. I sported a rose dress that day and twirled around the streets in front of the cottage, making dreamy photos that inspire me still months later. We meandered down the neighborhood streets of Siasconset for a few hours and stumbled upon gorgeous houses with pink doors, rose trellises, and magnificent views of the sea.
The Infamous Rose Cottage
The flowers on this island are absolutely unreal and cannot be comprehended until you’re there to see for yourself. We found the coolest ‘sky bridge’ that connects the beach road to a section of cottages above, and we strolled around and found a sandwich shop and general store with an ice cream window. Of course, we got both. One other special moment in the streets of Siasconset was passing by a woman painting the landscape from her back yard overlooking the ocean. I stood in awe as I watched her passionately at work at her easel. How incredible is that? Seeing an artist at work doing what she loves! Time stood still in Siasconset.
Madaket Beach was where we saw our first sunset on the trip and where I actually saw one of the best in my life. Every sunset adventure that sticks with me and turns out the best, seems to always start the same… a low chance of seeing anything, but we load up the car anyways. Megan, Olivia, and I break away from our intense game of monopoly in our cottage, and hop in the Jeep, speeding off to the north shore of the island. I had my head out the window the entire drive, fighting back tears as I began to realize the dark stormy clouds were moving away as I had hoped, and colorful vibrant ones took their place. We needed to get there. Now. When we pulled into a parking spot at last, I flew from the vehicle to the sand and sprinted to the shoreline. The sun was a huge golden ball of fire and cast a beautiful glow on everything and everyone on the beach. I stood in awe as I watched the huge waves crash and the spray turn pink as it blew backwards in the fierce wind. I was brought to tears. All of us frolicked in the sand and spun around with our arms out. The sunset was brilliant shades of pink and purple, and after the sun dipped below the horizon line, the sky turned a deep red. It was jaw dropping and gave me chills. I want to watch this sunset unfold a million times over. It was perfect.
