One of the many things that Martha’s Vineyard has to offer is family biking tours. Many travel pages and articles call it a bicycle rider’s paradise. Biking paths are leading directly from an Oceanside resort to the Island beyond the resort. From beautiful green vineyards in summer to the smells of the ocean, it is all available.
Martha’s vineyard is located off the coast of Massachusetts close to Cape Cod and close to the island of Nantucket. The island is approximately 64,000 acres. Vines growing on Martha’s island include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Riesling and Pinot Noir. The Island was originally inhabited by Wampanoag Indians who named the island “Noepe”, which means, “land amid the streams”. The island got its name from English explorers in the early 1600s. Martha’s vineyard has been in the news a few times over history. When you plan a family bike tour through Martha’s Vineyard you might hear some of these historic events and see the sites. For example a small bridge that leads to the island was the cause of a death in 1969. The car of U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy used the bridge only designed for foot and bicycle traffic. In the course of history at least two presidents have visited Martha’s Vineyard, the one being Clinton and the other one being Grant.
When you visit Martha’s Vineyard, you might find it also interesting, that Steven Spielberg filmed Jaws there in 1974. Certain scenes in the following Jaws were also filmed on the island. In 2005 a 30-year anniversary festival of the making of Jaws was celebrated on Martha’s Vineyard. Sites where the movie scenes were filmed can be visited by bike and are mentioned and marked in many travel guides.
Together, the islands Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket tried to become the 51st state in 1977, which as we know has not happened.
Another very famous site to visit on the island is the grave of John Belushi. He was buried there in 1982 after his death from a drug overdose. Because of the many visitors, the body does not actually lie in the grave but was moved. The threat of vandalism was so real, that the body was moved to a different grave within the same graveyard.
The Island of Martha’s Vineyard offers bicycling trails of different lengths; from just under one hour to seven and more hour trails are available for beginners as well as trained bicyclists. In general, many trails on Martha’s Vineyard are very well equipped with signs an maps and a self guided tour should not be a problem even for the beginner. But if you rather want to be completely relaxed and not have to worry about finding the right direction and staying on the trail, Martha’s Vineyard and several travel companies offer guided tours. These tours are exclusively put together for the visitors and will show the best sites and most beautiful sceneries the island has to offer.
For families with younger kids, the Flying horses might be a fun attraction. The Flying Horses is the countries oldest carousel.
If it is relaxation you are seeking, the beaches of Martha’s island can offer you a beautiful quit background for some recreation. This is the perfect way to escape the busy vacation that some people have by seeing any and all sights possible. Also, Martha’s Vineyards Island has to offer great galleries, glass works and an arboretum for a more sophisticated quite trip to the island. Many of these places are connected with bike paths and are described on maps and in travel guides.