FUN/WHIMSICAL BUNGELOW- GREAT DOWNTOWN Location

It's nearly Christmas now. We have wrapped our gift to my sister and brother-in-law: a photo book with pictures from our vacation on Martha's Vineyard. What fun to leaf through our copy.. Sitting on the porch, solving sudoku, reading, enjoying a good meal, a glass of wine, having company.. All 4 of us with bikes and helmets, exploring the island, visiting Chappaquiddick and Mytoi Japanese Garden, picnicking in the State forest... My sister napping on the window seat (no one else could use it! That was HER place!). Pole dancing was a new experience .. No pictures of that! The beaches. Regardless of weather, we were there! Walking in the wind and rain, sunning ourselves on bright, sunny days! Art and art galleries and more than enough shops and restaurants. Our shoulders dropped a notch. We relaxed completely. What an unforgettable vacation and fantastic location!

This was our 5th summer at the Vineyard, but our first at this property and renting with Sarah. We have never rented the same place twice because we are always searching for the "perfect" rental. This may be it!! We were with our two children, ages 8 and 11, and we were allowed to bring our golden retriever Winston as well, which was a requirement for us. The house was exactly as described and pictured - not a single disappointment. It was very clean (critical for me) and Sarah, the owner, greeted us and was very hospitable and friendly. We saw her periodically throughout the week, but she was unobtrusive and very pleasant, and offered to walk Winston for us if we were away from the house for a long period of time.

The house is very well constructed, and although simple and unfussy it is very warm, welcoming and homey. Nice features like the great outdoor shower, linens provided, surround sound TV/stereo system, front porch, grill, ceiling fan, WiFi and washer/dryer made it a great home away from home. The location is PERFECT if you love Edgartown - 10 minute walk into town with the dog, or a quick bike ride. Also a quick walk through the woods to Stop & Shop, DQ, etc. Bike to the beach if you want, but with all of our gear we couldn't :-)

We will absolutely consider renting this property again next year, or potentially Sarah's other, larger rental property next door. Sometimes we have friends and family visit us on the Vineyard, and this home would be too small for that. Perfect for our family of four though!

As far as the island itself, I can't say enough great things about Martha's Vineyard. If you don't mind dealing with a little traffic and some crowds (which we don't - we don't want to be all by ourselves on vacation) there are so many great things to do, even if the weather isn't great for the beach. Biking, hiking, crabbing, beach, shopping, dining, boating, sunsets, lighthouses...we have so many annual "traditions" we can hardly squeeze them all into a week anymore! Come and check it out, and stay at Sarah's place!

Often a terrific vacation can be predicated on two things ... weather and lodging. Well these two things ended up being perfect for our week on The Vineyard. Sarah's cozy guest house was even better than the description and pictures led us to believe. From the moment we walked in (to music playing thanks to Sarah).... we knew this was going to be a great place. The house was neat, clean and located in the perfect spot in Edgartown. We were off the main road to give us that "isolated" feel yet close enough to walk into town for some shopping and dining. And with parking limited at best ... this came in handy. It's close to bike paths and a 2 minute stroll through the woods to Stop & Shop. The amenities in the home were more than adequate. We did a lot of cooking and truly enjoyed watching movies on the flat screen tv with surround sound!

Sarah was also a gracious host ... she respected our privacy but also let us know that she was more than willing to provide tips or give some island advice if need be.

If you are considering a home rental for your week on the Vineyard we would highly recommend Sarah's guest house. I have rented homes for vacation on the Vineyard before and this might be the best one yet!

Oh ... and the outdoor shower was great and got a ton of use!!