Massachusetts
On the Road: Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
Program No. 21005RJ
In some of New England’s most idyllic seaside towns, discuss whaling history, Victorian architecture, influential artists and unique ecology with naturalists and local experts.
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DATES & PRICES
Hotel | 1 Bed (king or queen) |
---|---|
Comfortable accommodations that meet our high standards.
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Comfortable accommodations with either one queen or one king bed. |
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Sep 7 - Sep 14, 2024Sep 14 - Sep 21, 2024
Sep 21 - Sep 28, 2024
Sep 28 - Oct 5, 2024
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Oct 5 - Oct 12, 2024Filling Fast!
Oct 12 - Oct 19, 2024Jun 7 - Jun 14, 2025
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Jun 14 - Jun 21, 2025Jun 21 - Jun 28, 2025
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Sep 6 - Sep 13, 2025Sep 13 - Sep 20, 2025
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Sep 20 - Sep 27, 2025Full Inventory
Sep 27 - Oct 4, 2025Oct 4 - Oct 11, 2025
Oct 11 - Oct 18, 2025
DATES & PRICES
Hotel | 1 Bed (king or queen) |
---|---|
Comfortable accommodations that meet our high standards.
|
Comfortable accommodations with either one queen or one king bed. |
Sep 7 - Sep 14, 2024
Sep 14 - Sep 21, 2024
Sep 21 - Sep 28, 2024
Sep 28 - Oct 5, 2024
Oct 5 - Oct 12, 2024
Oct 12 - Oct 19, 2024
Filling Fast!
Jun 7 - Jun 14, 2025Filling Fast!
Full Inventory
Jun 14 - Jun 21, 2025Filling Fast!
Jun 21 - Jun 28, 2025Filling Fast!
Full Inventory
Sep 6 - Sep 13, 2025Filling Fast!
Sep 13 - Sep 20, 2025Filling Fast!
Full Inventory
Sep 20 - Sep 27, 2025Filling Fast!
Full Inventory
Sep 27 - Oct 4, 2025Filling Fast!
Oct 4 - Oct 11, 2025Filling Fast!
Oct 11 - Oct 18, 2025Not seeing the date you're looking for?
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8 days
7 nights
16 meals
7B 4L 5D
1
Check-In, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Boston, MA
2
Ferry to MV, Walk to Tabernacle, Introduction to Oak Bluffs
Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard
3
Exploring Martha’s Vineyard, Historic Edgartown
Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard
4
Nature Preservation, Vineyard Haven
Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard
5
Historic Cape Cod, Sandwich Glass Museum
Hyannis, MA
6
Exploring Nantucket, Whaling Museum
Hyannis, MA
8
Program Concludes
Hyannis, MA
At a Glance
Examine history and culture past and present on an exploration of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Learn how fishing and whaling brought about economic development and explore the diversity of Martha's Vineyard with regard to its iconic island lifestyle and traditions. Contrast the history and island life of the Vineyard to those of the island of Nantucket and discover the arts and culture of Cape Cod, as well as the natural beauty that inspires so many.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 2 miles per day; standing in museums. Some unavoidable stairs in historic sites. Getting on and off coach.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Learn about the historic role played by the region’s whaling history on a day trip to Nantucket.
- Live the "Island Life" on Martha's Vineyard while learning about its history, diversity and unique Victorian architecture.
- With a naturalist, study the unique ecology of the sand dunes of Cape Cod National Seashore.
General Notes
Program includes independent time to explore the city and several meals on your own. Group Leaders will provide directions for self-directed excursions. Suggestions for free-time activities provided in preparatory materials. All rooms in the Martha Vineyard hotel have only one queen-sized bed; therefore, we cannot offer roommate matching services on this program or guarantee 2 bed room requests. Please see lodging description for more information.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Debra Levin
Debra Levin is an honors graduate of Penn State and a former teacher. Debra has led groups of seniors, students, nurses, veterinarians, and retired fire chiefs to name but a few. Back home in Boston, she spends time volunteering with the symphony, theaters, and an art museum, when not speed walking and playing Wordle.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Debra Levin
View biography
Debra Levin is an honors graduate of Penn State and a former teacher. Debra has led groups of seniors, students, nurses, veterinarians, and retired fire chiefs to name but a few. Back home in Boston, she spends time volunteering with the symphony, theaters, and an art museum, when not speed walking and playing Wordle.
Gayle Felix
View biography
Gayle Felix has been a Road Scholar group leader since 2015. She grew up and raised her family outside of Boston and now resides in Hingham, Massachusetts. With a history/American studies degree from Boston University, she enjoys sharing the history of Boston and surrounding areas. Gayle has led programs in New England; Washington, DC; and other areas in the United States. Gayle enjoys being with her family and friends, biking, kayaking, golfing, and hiking. She especially enjoys traveling and meeting new people.
George Schmidt
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George Schmidt has been leading groups along the East Coast – from Williamsburg to Boston – for over 15 years. He now focuses on Boston, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. He has had an eclectic career, spending time in industry, academia, and being self-employed. George has traveled to over 100 countries and all seven continents. He is active in his hometown of Mashpee, where he has served on the Finance and School Committees, both of which he has had the privilege of chairing.
Carol Carson
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Carol “Krill” Carson is a marine biologist who has worked in the New England area since 1980. She spends her summers watching whales and studying the Northern Diamondback Terrapin, a threatened species of marsh turtle. In the fall, Krill and her team rescue marine wildlife that strand on Cape Cod. Krill is the founder and president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA), and the author of the book “My Friend Salt: The story of Salt, the most famous humpback whale in the world!”
Ellie Rose
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Ellie Rose was born in Scotland and raised in Canada and the U.S. She had the privilege of being able to travel globally and has always brought her children with her. She worked for over 40 years for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When she retired, she knew she wasn’t ready to really stop working. Her passion was traveling and working with people, which led her to her current career.
Teri Contino
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Teri Contino has over two decades' experience leading groups in New England. She was born in Boston, raised in Woodstock, NY, and vacationed on Cape Cod for much of her life. She returned to Boston after receiving an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and now lives in Newburyport, MA. Teri has always loved teaching, learning, travel, history, culture, books, theater, birds, and the ocean. She currently splits her time between travel, stage managing community theater, working in the garden, and staying close to the water.
Suggested Reading List
(20 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
On the Road: Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
Program Number: 21005
The Big House, A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home
The author's personal tribute to the elaborately eccentric home where he spent most of his summers. This poignant memoir records 100 of history of the house, which was perched on a Cape Cod promontory overlooking Buzzards Bay.
Cape Cod Seashore Life, An Introduction to Familiar Plants and Animals
A handy foldup plastic card with color illustrations for easy identification.
Ahab's Wife
A first-rate example of historical fiction, this absorbing, lyrical and well-researched novel was inspired by Melville, Nantucket whaling and 19th-century America.
Death of a Hornet and Other Cape Cod Essays
A collection of serene essays on the nature, wildlife, and inhabitants of Cape Cod by a keen observer and year-round resident.
Cape Cod Map
A map of Cape Cod, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island, at a scale of 1:107,000.
The Perfect Storm, A True Story of Men Against the Sea
A gripping, now-famous blow-by-blow account of a 1991 disaster at sea. Junger reconstructs the final hours of six men aboard a 72-foot swordfish boat in the North Atlantic, battling against a torrential storm.
The Enduring Shore: A History of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
The natural and human history of Cape Cod and its surrounding islands, as written by a resident of Martha's Vineyard.
The Outermost House, A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod
The chronicle of a year spent living alone in a remote Cape Cod beach house in 1925. These beloved essays, first published in 1928, capture the essence of the Cape, the sea, weather and animal life.
Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket: An Explorer's Guide
A practical guide to the popular tourist destinations of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, compiled by a local photographer and writer.
Cape Cod
The classic work, accompanied by Scot Miller's stunning photography of beach scenes which may have inspired Thoreau.
Time and Tide: A Walk Through Nantucket
An impressionistic memoir and account of life and love on the island of Nantucket. Conroy first visited as a 19-year-old in 1955.
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
From Alaska to Baja California, Nova Scotia and Florida, this guide is the veteran's choice for birding anywhere in the United States. Tabbed for easy access, the color range maps in this sixth edition are outstanding.
The Whale
A deeply engaging meditation on all things whale. Philip Hoare saves his special love and attention for the sperm whale -- not only via a beautiful literary analysis of Moby Dick -- but also by indulging in a childhood fantasy and actually swimming with the whales in the Azores.
The House on Nauset Marsh
A Cape Cod classic first published in 1947, these leisurely essays form a reflective portrait of the land, sea and wildlife.
Away Off Shore, Nantucket Island and Its People
A cultural history of Nantucket and, most notably, of its storied whaling industry. This book is informed and entertainingly written, with a strong slant toward telling the stories of individuals.
Blues
In this classic novella, Hersey turns a tale of a young stranger and an experienced fisherman, out fishing on Cape Cod, into a marvelous meditation on fishing -- and the natural history of the region.
In the Heart of the Sea, The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
The seafaring tale of fearsome whales, cannibalism and sturdy 19th-century Nantucketers; a history of the true life events that inspired Melville's "Moby Dick" -- and a fascinating history of 19th-century society in Nantucket.
Cod, A Biography of a Fish That Changed the World
A sparkling extended essay on the cod in the tradition of Lopez or McPhee, looking at the importance of the fish to cuisine, commerce and history, throwing light on Viking voyages, the Hanseatic League, and both Scnadinavian and Canadian economic history.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England
A compact, easy-to-use overview of 1,000 of New England's trees, wildflowers, mammals, insects and other flora and fauna. It also provides an extensive overview of the area's geology, weather patterns and natural sites.
Against the Tide, The Fate of the New England Fisherman
A discussion of the crisis that faces the New England fishing industry from a journalist who spent a year among the fishermen of Cape Cod.