How to Go Scalloping on Nantucket
Originally published on Greydon House.
Welcome to family scalloping season! Locals and visitors get a head start every October before the commercial season starts on November 1. Want to participate this year?
Get a shellfish permit button.
Before heading out to the harbor, you must obtain a Shellfish Permit Button from the Town of Nantucket. Off-island residents can apply for a one-week permit for $50 or a one-year permit for $125.
Get your gear.
Waders & Gloves
You may choose to get polyester or neoprene waders. Both will keep you dry and warm while shellfishing. For safety purposes, it’s always recommended to wear belted waders. During scallop season, we recommend lined gloves for warmth and protection.
Push Rake & Basket
Raking is a great way to dig up scallops and stay upright above the water. Get a bushel basket in an inner tube and bring an extra string to tie it to your waist so it floats behind you.
SHOP AT THE SHIP STORE BY TIDAL CREEK
Head out for a day of scalloping.
With a boat, you can head over to Coatue and fish in the bends. By car or on foot, head to any harbor access point just before low tide and try your luck: Monomoy, Fulling Mill, Pocomo, and Polpis.
Book your fall scalloping getaway at Greydon House. On our website, you’ll always find the best available rate to reserve your next stay.
How to Get a Reservation at the Best Nantucket Restaurants
Nantucket is a small island. While there are plenty of Nantucket restaurants to enjoy, the best spots fill up quickly. And it’s not as simple as reserving months in advance. Each of the best Nantucket restaurants has a different policy, so we’ve rounded up five of them for you here. For hours of operation, check out Open Restaurants Nantucket, a resource updated by the Town of Nantucket weekly.
Dune Nantucket
To enjoy the New American fare at Dune, you’ll need a reservation. Book a table online on Resy for indoor dining or call (508) 228-5550 to make a sidewalk reservation.
Nautilus Nantucket
If you want to dine at The Nautilus, you’ll need to make a reservation on the day of dining. Phone lines open at 2 PM on Tuesday–Saturday. Call (508) 228-0301 to grab a table.
Cru Nantucket
Reservations for tables with water views at Cru are currently available on Resy for June and July. Take care to select whether you would like a patio table (outdoor dining) or a table in the dining room (indoor dining).
Galley Beach Nantucket
Galley Beach accepts reservations 14 days in advance of your desired date. To make a reservation, call (508) 228-9641 between 10 AM–5 PM.
Proprietors Nantucket
Proprietors Nantucket accepts reservations 30 days in advance of your desired date. To make a reservation, head over to OpenTable.
Stay in at Greydon House
If you’d rather stay in and still feel like you’ve gone out, make a reservation downstairs at Via Mare and dine indoors, on the open-air terrace, or cafe-style on the street or in the garden. Make a reservation by calling (508) 228–6100 after 1 PM or booking online through Resy.
John Robshaw’s Favorite Nantucket Spots
Originally published on Greydon House.
If you want to explore the island in style, follow the recommendations of textile designer John Robshaw. Read on for the avid traveler’s favorite Nantucket spots—shared exclusively with Greydon House.
Sushi Sean’s Shop for tuna nachos
A graduate of the Tokyo Sushi Academy in Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan, the eponymous Sean has been serving his signature selection on Nantucket for nine years. John’s recommendation? “Don’t skip the tuna nachos.”
21 S Water St, (508) 901-5871, sushisean1111.com
Chanticleer for an out-of-town escape
This elegant restaurant in dreamy Sconset is a favorite of John. “Request a table in their pub room if it’s chilly,” he recommends, “or in the rose garden on a warm summer night.”
9 New St, Siaconset, (508) 257-4499, chanticleernantucket.com
Roastd General Store for matcha
Nantucket’s premier spot for wellness and specialty food also has an extensive and creative coffee offering. “I get my matcha here,” says John. “They roast their own milk.”
159 Orange St, (508) 228-8400, roastdgeneralstore.com
Whaling Museum for culture and history
“Nantucket has a fascinating history, which many people don’t know about,” says John. He recommends starting at the Whaling Museum, located one block from Greydon House. Discover over 1,000 works of art, a 46-foot sperm whale skeleton, a massive Fresnel lens, and a restored 1847 candle factory across nine galleries that offer a glimpse into Nantucket’s past.
13 Broad Street, (508) 228-1894, nha.org
Linda Loring Nature Center for Nantucket’s wild side
Several organizations ensure the preservation of Nantucket, and nearly half of the island is open space. John recommends visiting the Linda Loring Nature Center, which conducts research, education, and stewardship of 275 acres. “I love to take my daughter, Regina, on the Story Walk.”
110 Eel Point Rd, (508) 325-0873, llnf.org
Reserve a stay at Greydon House
Just in time for summer, John Robshaw has transformed a Greydon House guest room into the Blue & White Room – filled with the signature Nantucket style you know and love.
“As Nantucket is known for the nautical blue and white color combination, we thought it would be fun to create a Blue & White Room using our spring/summer collection,” says John. “Everything from the bedding to the pillows to the wall art to the robe is part of our new line.”
Want to achieve our Nantucket style and transform your room into a Greydon House guest room? Book your summer stay at the Blue & White Room at Greydon House for inspiration, then shop John Robshaw’s Greydon House collection.
If you like traveling like John, you’ll enjoy his home decor, too. Greydon House guests enjoy an exclusive 15% off John Robshaw Textiles. Upon arrival in your guest room, you’ll find a postcard with an exclusive promo code.
Tessa Cressman’s Winter Guide to Nantucket
Originally published on Greydon House.
Born-and-raised islander Tessa Cressman, the co-founder of The Green Market, has created a space celebrating everything that makes Nantucket unique. But what does she do in the off-season? Read on for her Nantucket winter travel tips.
Get Into Nature
Over half of the island is open land, and there are so many beautiful walking trails. My favorite is through Squam Swamp, toward the eastern end of the island—it’s so hidden. And I love driving out to Sankaty Light to watch the ocean. The waves can be so wild in the winter, and looking out from those cliffs on a windy day takes you back in time.
Stroll Downtown
The off-season is when we all catch up on reading, and I love taking my boys to the Nantucket Atheneum’s childrens’ library. I also treat myself to a few books from BookWorks or Mitchell’s Book Corner. And I always stop for a London Fog from the Corner Table.
For an evening out, the Gaslight is the spot to see all the best local bands, and it’s got such a cozy dinner menu. I love the miso cod rice, and their burger is delicious and not giant—you don’t need a whale-shark mouth to eat it!
Tap Into the Community
After the nuttiness of the high season—I love taking more time to chat with people I haven’t seen. The winter is when the locals get a chance to reconnect. If you’re visiting during the calmer months, it’s a good time to strike up a conversation and get a better feel for island life.
November through March is scalloping season and, if you’re a fan of Nantucket bay scallops, join the Nantucket Shellfish Association. They’re a small group doing great things to clean up the water and protect the island’s harbors, and membership is a fun way to stay connected.
The Green Market is a small marketplace environment with food products ranging from organic produce and baked goods to grab-and-go meals. Adorned with fresh flowers and plants, New England antiques, and exceptional household items, the Green Market carries a vast selection of clean beauty and skincare products from renowned brands such as OSEA and Tammy Fender.
When booking your stay at Greydon House, add a Green Market “mini-bar” basket when you book directly on our website.
Everything to Know About Visiting Cisco Brewers
Originally published on Greydon House.
Good people, good time, good brews. If that’s what you’re searching for, then Cisco Brewers Nantucket is your place. For more than two decades, the island’s premier brewery, distillery, and vineyard have served seven craft beers, six flavored vodkas, and seven wines (including two reserves). The bottom line: there’s something for everyone at Cisco Brewers.
WHEN TO VISIT CISCO BREWERS NANTUCKET
The tasting room is open year-round except for one week in January (Cisco’s “winter break”). Whether you want to come at the height of summer or the depth of winter, there’s always something happening.
WHAT TO DO AT THE BEST NANTUCKET BREWERY
FOR BEER LOVERS: CISCO BREWERS
Year-round ales include the Wandering Haze, a juicy and delicious IPA that will brighten your taste buds with notes of citrus and mango, and the Grey Lady, a wheat ale named after the often-foggy New England island of Nantucket where it was first brewers with lemon peel, chamomile, and coriander.
Check out the Shark Tracker, a golden, crisp, and light-bodied lager developed in partnership with OCEARCH, a leading non-profit that monitors white sharks in the Atlantic Ocean. Proceeds from every can of Shark Tracker go to fund OCEARCH’s stewardship of the seas around Nantucket and beyond.
FOR COCKTAIL LOVERS: TRIPLE EIGHT DISTILLERY
It’s not all about beer at Cisco Brewers. Cocktail lovers will enjoy a line of unique spirits from Triple Eight Distillery, located at Cisco Brewers. A line of fruit-infused vodkas includes the Blueberry Vodka, featuring a heavy dose of Nantucket blueberries for a sweet flavor and a smooth finish.
For the perfect beach day, the line of canned Nantucket Craft Cocktails is just what you need. Two of their classic flavors, Nantucket Cran and Nantucket Blue, are currently available. Stay tuned for Nantucket Tequila & Lime and Nantucket Grapefruit in 2021.
The distillery also offers a Nor’Easter Bourbon, Hurricane Rum, and Gale Force Gin, as well as Notch single-malt whiskey.
FOR WINE LOVERS: NANTUCKET VINEYARD
Cisco Brewers began as the Nantucket Vineyard. In the beginning, the grapes were grown right here on Nantucket. Due to the unpredictable seasons, the winery now sources grapes from Sonoma and Washington state, ages them in French Oak barrels, and serves them here on Nantucket.
TOURING CISCO BREWERY NANTUCKET
Cisco Brewers leads tours of the brewery. The behind-the-scenes look comes with a tasting glass for sampling a pair of each of their beers, wines, and spirits.
CISCO BREWERS AT GREYDON HOUSE
After your visit to Cisco Brewers, the sampling doesn’t have to end. When you stay at Greydon House, you can enjoy their brews right downstairs at Via Mare. The menu features favorites such as the Cisco Shark Tracker Light Lager and the Cisco Gripah Grapefruit Session IPA. Reserve your next stay and start planning your visit to the best Nantucket brewery today.
Discover When to Go Stargazing on Nantucket
Originally published on Greydon House.
Thirty miles out to sea, Nantucket’s night sky is almost void of light pollution. Simply gazing up, even without a telescope, is sure to dazzle you.
The island is also home to the Mariah Mitchell Association, named after the first female astronomer in the United States who discovered a comet on island in October 1847. While the discovery brought her international acclaim, Mitchell and Nantucket as a stargazing destination are still unknown to many. Here’s what to look forward to for the rest of 2021.
August 12 and 13: Perseid meteor shower peaks
The Perseid meteor shower produces up to 60 shooting stars an hour in a typical year, and 2021 promises to be particularly good as the mid-August peak will coincide with a dark, moonless sky. The meteor shower occurs when Earth travels through a cloud of debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet, which produces the flurry of shooting stars. For the best viewing? Head to the Northern Hemisphere to a location with as little light pollution as possible, like Nantucket.
August 18: Mars-Mercury conjunction
You can spot a close encounter between Mercury and Mars this summer if you know where to look. The conjunction is challenging to find because of its proximity to the setting sun, so you’ll need a clear line of sight towards the western horizon, like Madaket. If you spot the conjunction, you’ll be able to see the two worlds squeezed tightly together.
October 8: Draconid meteor shower
With only a tiny sliver of moon to compete, relatively dark skies will help you see flashes of the Draconids sparkle high in the northwest skies after nightfall. These meteors are best viewed from sundown to midnight and are easy to spot since they’re slower moving than the typical meteor.
November 19: Partial lunar eclipse
The last lunar eclipse of the year will greet skywatchers across North and South America, Australia, and parts of Europe and Asia. While it is technically a partial eclipse, up to 95 percent of the full moon will be cast within Earth’s dark shadow. It should briefly appear as a total eclipse during the maximum phase, which means the lunar disk may show hints of orange or red. The eclipse will start at 2:18 AM, and Earth’s shadow will envelop most of the moon’s visible surface by 4:02 AM.
Tuckernuck Founder Jocelyn Gailliot’s Guide to Nantucket
Originally published on Greydon House.
Jocelyn Gailliot, the co-founder of Tuckernuck, an online retail destination that sells classic yet unique pieces curated for a fun-filled life, draws endless inspiration from Nantucket.
“From a little girl to now, the moment I step foot on Nantucket, I immediately feel care-free and at ease. Surrounded by beautiful nature, endless activities, and fantastic restaurants, this special island is the ideal backdrop for magical memories with family and friends. My sister, Maddy, and I look to this happy place for constant inspiration as we build our company, Tuckernuck.” Read on for a few of Jocelyn’s favorite places on island.
Favorite Restaurant: Chanticleer
This iconic Nantucket restaurant is known for its charming ambiance, incredible food, and specialty cocktails. Nestled out in Sconset, Chanticleer’s beautiful gardens and excellent food have made it a beloved restaurant for Jocelyn and her family. “Ask for a table outside,” recommends Jocelyn. “You will not be disappointed.” The Eton Mess (a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, meringue, and whipped cream), is a must-have for dessert.
Favorite Shop: Murray’s Toggery
Murray’s Toggery is a local shop for men and women. They’re known for making the iconic Nantucket Reds, a style of trousers famously featured in the tongue-in-cheek 1980 guide, The Official Preppy Handbook. “These faded pink pants have been synonymous with Nantucket style for over 50 years,” says Jocelyn. “At Tuckernuck, we recently collaborated with Murray’s to create exclusive Nantucket Red Tretorns.”
Favorite Beach: Clarks Cove
This low-key beach, a short walk from Cisco Beach, has great waves. It’s Jocelyn’s favorite because it’s “surrounded by endless preserves. It has a private feel, and it’s difficult to get to, so it’s never crowded.”
Favorite Activity: Clamming Off Coatue
Pack a cooler of drinks and head to Coatue on a boat for clamming and a beach day. You’ll feel all alone on the deserted land preservation, where you’ll also enjoy beautiful views over town and sunsets. “I have an active family,” says Jocelyn, “and this is one of our favorite adventures. It’s a 10-15 minute boat ride from town, but you’ll feel like you’re on a private beach. Don’t forget to go at low tide.”
Ready to plan your next trip to Nantucket? Shop Tuckernuck for classic looks you’ll love for years to come, then reserve your next stay with us at Greydon House.