martha's vineyard 3

 June 16: I wanted to take a ride across the island to Gay Head (now called by its Wampanoag name, Aquinnah, but it's still Gay Head to me because Melville called it that). The ride was gonna be 40+ miles, and hilly for a ride on Martha's Vineyard, so many of our number decided they would ride along for a bit, and turn back when they thought they'd had enough.

While riding through the forest, we came on this memorial to the now-extinct Heath Hen.

Just five of us made it all the way to Gay Head, including Judy F (who wasn't at all sure...)

On the way back, we stopped at the Orange Peel Bakery, with an outdoor oven, nifty baked stuff, and a proprietor who's part of the experience. When we called to see if she was open, she put on a pot of coffee for us. When she's not there, payment is on the honor system, and it works well enough that she's been open for years. 

TEW didn't come on the ride to Gay Head, so the next day she and I drove out. It was a misty day.

The misty day made the red clay, for which Gay Head was named, much more visible in this photo than the one I took the previous day.

After hearing me wax rhapsodic about the Orange Peel, TEW wanted to go... so we did.

It really was that good. And we lived talking to the baker about her experiences. She had a spiritual experience among the Maori in New Zealand, and spoke rivetingly about it.

In the afternoon...

we did ice cream at Ben & Bill's, on a gift that Mindi had left when she had to leave early.

Later, we went to what may be the last carousel operating on the East Coast:

And the next day we came home. 

It was a great trip, to which I had been looking forward immensely, and I was not disappointed. We had great weather and great company. The one thing I might change is that we had dinner planned, with the group, for every night; I might suggest fewer planned nights and more flexibility. I loved the location of the house we were in, and my thanks go to Pat VH and the planners for including us.