Martha's Vineyard Part VII: Our last morning and the ferry back to Woods Hole

On our last morning, we had another delicious breakfast at The Crocker House, loaded up our car, and headed into the downtown area of Vineyard Haven.

The view from the front steps of the Crocker House to the harbor in the distance

                                                                                  
It was my 'last chance' to peruse the shops, get some coffee, check out the local cupcake store and soak it all in before driving back over to Oak Bluffs to catch the ferry back to Woods Hole.  The morning was sunny and bright and it was the beginning of the Columbus Day weekend and it was crowded!!!  I would suggest NOT coming to Martha's Vineyard over Columbus Day weekend--we were glad that on this Saturday morning, we were headed away from and not toward this busy bustling place.  The feel of the downtown area was completely different from the two days before!  I cannot even imagine how crowded it must become in the summertime when beaches draw even more crowds!

One of my stops that morning was the local cupcakery.  There are a couple of locations, but the one in Edgartown was closed the day before, so I never got a peek inside.  Sweet E's of MV is located in Vineyard Haven on Main St. and we were there on their last day of the season, or so the sign said.  They are featured on the 'What's Up Martha? ' website.  Apparently, President Obama, his wife and daughters went there this past summer and caused a stir of excited onlookers who tried to catch a glimpse of the first family.  I LOVED their simple style and their vintage motif.

The vintage cabinets housed the lovely cupcakes

The Beach House

Midnight Farm, owned by Carly Simon and a partner

At Midnight Farm, you could see a lot of Carly Simon's style.  Billowy tops, leather boots, colorful scarves, and of course, all of her cd's and those of her son and daughter.  It was fun going inside, but I much preferred all the goodies at the Beach House.  I also wandered into a kitchen store on Main St.  In front, they had incredible oils and vinegars.  They even had a chocolate vinegar and how I wished I could take a bottle home with me!

We got some coffee at Mocha Motts, checked out the local bookstore, and even wandered into another favorite store called Two Susans.  Check out their websites if you're interested.  Well, it was time to leave the island....so I reluctantly got back into the car and we drove toward Oak Bluffs. 

Thankfully, the Mack truck was in the other lane!

Our smaller ferry back to Woods Hole

I hope you've noticed that there was not a cloud in the sky.  Even though our trip began just two days earlier with dark and dreary wet skies, we were blessed with sunshine and crisp Fall air. 

This ferry was MUCH SMALLER than the one we took to Martha's Vineyard

Good-bye island!

We had so much fun!  Good-bye Carly! Good-bye Ben Taylor!  Good-bye Morning Glory Farm!  

I secretly wished I would have seen Susan Branch shopping for groceries or going on her morning walk somewhere, and she'd say, "Joann.....so good to see you!  Why don't you come over for some tea!"  And of course, I would just have to say,  "YES....I'd love to!!!!!" 

Well...........as our ferry glided across the water between Oak Bluffs and closer to Woods Hole, I smiled and recalled all that we did together.....the experience was all that and more than I had dreamed of....now it was time to get out the map and head up the coast;  our next stop was Kennebunk, Maine....but along the way, there were some interesting things to do!  Stay tuned!! 

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Martha's Vineyard Part IV: Morning Glory Farm

 Morning Glory Farms! Yes, we must have spent 2 hours there....all the pumpkins outside on the lawn are what caught our eyes, but the wind turbine, lovely barn, and planted fields of vegetables are what drew us in!

As you come in, you can purchase little bouquets that are in water in these quaint rusty cans

                                                                          

Inside, were lovely baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables w/ these cute hand-written notes on each

Garlic, onions, shallots.....and each in its own lovely basket

On the shelves were lots of organic goodies....great to see that islanders can get these so easily

The greens were the deepest green I have truly ever seen

I LOVED the hand-written apple chart of which are good for eating or baking

I was surprised that most of their apples were NOT organic

I love that the apples were in pecks.....remember the jingle? a peck of pickled peppers?

And peppers there were! Every color and variety!

More of the lovely greens at Morning Glory Farmstand

Don't these just make you want to buy them?  

And here are the fields where they are grown

I LOVE the story behind Morning Glory Farms....it started in 1975 with 50 acres.  Only about 6 acres of their farm is organic.  They have decided not to pursue the costly and time-consuming certification to be officially all organic, so they call themselves "Morganic," the combination of Morning Glory and Organic.  They also sold cheeses from the area and around New England, grass-fed beef ( which I LOVE ), and lots of prepared foods to take home and warm up that they create in their farm kitchen.

And....speaking of their kitchen....one of their biggest 'draws' is their pies!

On the day we were there, pies would not be ready until 2:00 PM

But, we were able to 'peek' inside the windows of the kitchen to see  them at work

We were sorry we missed this pumpkin festival they had on Oct. 16

Don't you just love the hand-written signs?  I do.  This farmstand is a don't miss, in my opinion.  We loved going there, bought lots of goodies to munch on while we drove around the island.  If you're interested, visit the Morning Glory Farm website and plan your trip accordingly around some of their lovely events. 

They also have a book, which they sell in the store....it's beautiful!      

You can purchase the book on their website

I would definitely visit their website---it's a testament to American and the power of the human spirit.  People who have worked at the farm even have their own 'group' which meets for reunions.  There are over 100 members already....pride of ownership...............and of a family who followed their passion! Bravo!!