Postcards from Nantucket: A Day Trip to Nantucket

Top: Cooper & Ella Jeans: J.Brand Shoes: Jack Rogers Bag: Kayu Earrings: Ann Taylor  Bracelets: Hermes, David Yurman Sunglasses: DIFF (c/o, use code BOSTONCHIC for 25% off)

I always say one of the best things about living in New England is that there are so many gorgeous places to visit just a few hours away from your doorstep. Nantucket is definitely one of those places! A few weeks ago, thanks to NIR Retail I had the chance to take a day trip to Nantucket to shop, sail and sip with three other lovely Boston blogger babes. We shopped til we dropped, took an amazing harbor cruise and ate some super yummy food on the island. It’s definitely one of my favorite days of summer so far 🙂

While I’ve taken several trips to Nantucket before, all of them had at least been for a weekend if not longer (see a prior trip here) so it was great to see that you really can make a visit for the day if that’s all the time you have. I’ll be honest, it definitely is a long day from Boston, but it is absolutely do-able! Which is great if you are visiting Boston with limited time to stay on island. A few tips for maximizing your time if taking a day trip- we went on a week day which helps cut down on Cape traffic. We also took the Hy-Line Cruises fast ferry and they get you to Nantucket’s downtown from Hyannis in an hour. Super speedy!

We spent the majority of our day strolling downtown Nantucket’s cobblestone streets and stopping in cute stores along the way. To me, this is a perfect day! Faherty was one of my favorite stops of the day. Ironically, I had been to their store in New York’s West Village a few weeks prior and fell in love with their beach inspired line. I was so happy to see them on Nantucket too. No trip to Nantucket is complete for me without a trip to Shift! Their Main Street store is one of my faves filled with pretty dresses from Sail to Sable, Draper James, Kate Spade and Shoshanna. The store is typically pretty dangerous for me :).

While visiting old favorites is great, I loved exploring some new-to-me stores, like Levitate for aNew England surf shop vibe with cute bathing suits,  Charleston Shoe Co. for cute cobblestone ready shoes (I’m wearing their shoes here), deWolfe leather goods for unique and custom leather pieces, Space for dreamy home décor items and Nantucket Whaler for classic clothing inspired by the sailors of the island’s whaling days. Susan, the owner of Nantucket Whaler, was so welcoming and warm, even giving us a Dark & Stormy to drink while we shopped. I picked up a comfy long sleeve shirt from her as well which is perfect for cool beach nights.

The highlight of the day trip for me was the harbor cruise we took with IYC and Nantucket Mermaids. They offer amazing boat charters on island. We had the chance to ride in a gorgeous boat, sipping rose and enjoying the fantastic weather. I loved getting to see the Brant Point Light from the water, but much much closer than you get on the ferry. I would absolutely recommend their charter to anyone visiting Nantucket- whether for a day or a week’s vacation. It was such a fun and unique way to see things!

I couldn’t get through a busy day of shopping and exploring without some yummy food. Nantucket has so many awesome options for dining. Since we were focused on getting as much in as possible in one day, we had lunch at Provisions. Right off the harbor, their sandwiches are perfect for a quick lunch or to bring to the beach! I also happen to be a big fan of their cookies and made everyone split one 😉 . Before our ferry home, we made a stop at Ice on Old SouthWharf for a water ice- I tried the watermelon which was super refreshing for a summer’s day.

Nantucket is truly a beautiful and special place- whether you can only visit for a day or longer. And it is even better when you get to spend it with amazing people! I loved exploring with Jessica, Poorva and Katie– girls, we will always have Nantucket 🙂

xoxo, Jenna

FYI-NIR Retail provided me with a complimentary trip to Nantucket and services with their vendors. All opinions and images are my own.