Whether you are a visitor for a day, a house guest for a summer sojourn, a seasonal or a year-round Nantucket resident, take yourself solo, or with a friend, loved one, or one of your children to some place natural. Grab a sandwich and chips from Something Natural, Walters Deli, or The Corner Table and find your way down Cobblestone Hill towards the harbor. At the bottom of Cobblestone Hill, take a right and then a quick left toward Jetties Beach. Before the Jetties parking lot, take another right onto Hulbert Avenue. While strolling leisurely up Hulbert Ave, keep your eye out for pathways and small passages from the street to the harbor on your left. These are “Public Ways” – but they will only remain “Public” if you are respectful of the homeowners’ privacy on either side of the paths.
A few words about Nantucket beaches: Nantucket beaches are technically all “Public” to the mean water line. What does this mean? The public can walk any beachfront, in the water, when the tide is either half in or half out. In reality, the people who live here, and those who appreciate the island traditions—which you now will because you are reading about this secret and will respect waterfront property owners’ privacy—only walk in front of the private homes at low tide, neap tide, and not above. My word of caution is this, if you cannot abide by the traditional courtesies of the island, you may receive a ticket from the Nantucket Police Department or the opportunity to buy your own ticket to leave on a ferry boat immediately, or even the ultimate degradation—a visit from Guido, my personal hitman from New Jersey (He loves Nantucket!).
Continuing on your journey, when you get to Willard Street—a little roadway on the right-hand side of Hulbert Avenue—look to your left to find a sandy path that meanders up and over a sand dune (see photo above). At the top of that sand dune, you can gaze out at the whole of Nantucket harbor—from the east jetties on your left to Coatue at almost a 90-degree angle, and finally to Brant Point Light to the far right. Once you crest the sand dune there are 25 – 30 feet of public access beach between the wooden beams that delineate the private property boundaries on either side of this precious public space.
Take a moment at the top. I for one, have to catch my breath at this site every time I venture out onto this special journey. On the little beach, you can enjoy lunch, read a book, write the next chapter of your soon-to-be-published novel, or take the time to enjoy the peace and the quiet that will hopefully bring you internal, personal renewal. If you are to take this trek in the middle of the summer season, there will likely be a FEW others who have the same idea. In the winter, more than likely you will be alone. On a brilliant day in January, it is worth it. You may discover scallop shells piled on the edge of the high-water mark, and they will have been kissed pink with the summer sun. Resist the temptation to take them away with you, although you certainly can touch them and think about a few summer moments in this space.
We have a friend who passed away several years ago. He kept his rowboat on the beach there (with the other 25-30 rowboats that park there in the summer) and ventured to his sailboat, moored just offshore, almost every day. He always invited an entourage of his women beach buddies, and they sailed to Coatue for picnics and “bronzing” on a daily basis.
My personal favorite moments here include the chance to focus on my gratitude for the joy and the peace I get to remember as the gift of living on this island.
Please take a moment to see if you can feel that too.
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