We are often asked what our favorite destination is from all the places we have traveled for BestWeekends.com. Without a doubt it is Nantucket, that gorgeous island off the coast of Massachusetts. No chain stores, no traffic lights, pristine homes, cobblestone streets and gas lamps, 82 miles of beach and a preserved landscape, half of which can never be developed.  It is a place to relax, to enjoy great food, to ride your bike, to gaze at the boats in the harbor. We usually rent a house for a week in September, but this year we had occasion to visit in early June and we found some changes on the island and we made some new discoveries.

Long time restaurants, 21 Federal, Cinco and Sfoglia are gone. Ventuno, a very good Italian restaurant is in the 21 Federal space and thankfully Johnny B our favorite bartender is still there. Pazzo, with a Mediterranean theme from the owners of Lo La 41 has replaced Sfoglia. The Brick Bistro has transformed the dining space at the Jared Coffin House into a very sophisticated lounge, bar and dining room. And finally, casual 12 Degrees East has opened on Cambridge Street with a killer raw bar, casual, inexpensive and very good food.

Miacomet has always been our favorite beach, out by Bartlett's Farm and Triple 8 Distillery and Cisco Brewery, but this time without a car we were forced to try another, in this case Steps Beach, located at the end of Cliff Road. The path and "steps" down to the beach were lined with beach roses...just beautiful and the beach is next to one of our favorite restaurants and a great spot for lunch..Galley Beach.

We discovered two wonderful B&B's on this trip, The Century House on Cliff Road, about 10 minutes from town and the Sherburne Inn on Gay Street, just a block from town. These are two terrific finds and a great alternative to more expensive lodging on the island.



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