Oak Bluffs’ harbor is filled with boats. The waters off its beach calm enough to swim laps in. Its streets bustling with people – this is one of the most popular little towns on Martha’s Vineyard.
At the top of the list of sights that draws visitors here are clusters of colorful little homes which have their genesis in the early 19th Century. A church group began holding annual summer camp meetings in the town and, for years, attendees erected small tents in which to stay as well as a large central tent where they held their services.
Eventually, they replaced the worship tent with a sturdy steel tabernacle and the smaller tents with tiny gingerbread cottages. Brightly painted and decorated with filigree trim, this architectural style became so popular in Oak Bluffs that residents began building the colorful cottages by the hundreds. Walk through the old campgrounds today and you’ll find people relaxing on their porches in rocking chairs, reading and visiting with neighbors – adding an extra dash of charm to the already uber-quaint streets.
With Oak Bluffs the rumored site of an Obama family vacation this summer, it’s the place to be if you’ve got a First Family sighting on your life’s list of things to do. And you can check out the little pink houses while you’re waiting.
Sabina Lohr finds that home is not where the heart is, and a good chunk of her life revolves around plotting her next trip, or traveling. She has a Bachelor of Arts with a major in German which, like many liberal arts degrees, has gotten her nowhere except overseas to study. Unlike so many other travelers, she has never kept track of the number of countries she’s traveled to but knows her continent count stands at only three. The other four are calling.
Last 5 posts by Sabina Lohr
- The Jaws Bridge of Martha's Vineyard - September 5th, 2009
- Newport, Still Echoing with the Roaring Twenties - August 19th, 2009
- An Island's Island, Chappaquiddick - August 5th, 2009
