I know nothing about Nantucket, Please help!!!

Hi,

Was wondering since I never have been, I%26#39;m looking to take me/wife and 2yrd old. Can somebody tell me the best location of the island to stay in? Figure some area close to a kid freindly beach and town to walk around, as I%26#39;m quite unfamiliar with the island.

Was looking at some houses near the ferry, is that a good area? also, how does one get around mostly with a 2 yr old??

Any suggestions to this newbie is so much appreciated!!

Thanks, have a great summer!!

I know nothing about Nantucket, Please help!!!

If you stay in or near the town, most of the shops, restaurants and B%26amp;Bs are in the town, which isn%26#39;t that big and is easily walked. The only issue will be if you use a stroller, some of the brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets can be a little rough. There%26#39;s a children%26#39;s beach right in town with a small playground. There%26#39;s also the Jetties beach, about 1/2 mile from the center of town, which you can walk to or take a shuttle bus. Both of these beaches are on the bay, so there%26#39;s no heavy surf. They both have bathrooms facilities. You can get to other parts of the island by shuttle, as well, if you want to explore or try one of the ocean beaches.

See www.nantucket.net, which describes the beaches, the shuttle service and has restaurant menus and other handy info. See TripAdvisor for lodging suggestions. Be sure to say you have a two year old - not all of them take small children.

I know nothing about Nantucket, Please help!!!

The Nantucket Chamber of Commerce website has a good interactive map that can help you plan your stay. Use the overlay pull down menu to add and subtract map details (eg street names and/or beach locations) as you need them

www.nantucketchamber.org/visitor/map.html

Yes, strollers may get stuck here and there on cobblestones or brick sidewalks but I pushed a double stroller around many a summer and survived. But don%26#39;t limit yourself to the sidewalks of town -- the bike paths on Nantucket are quite wonderful. Bring your own bikes or rent on island and hook up one of those kid carts onto the back and your two year old will be in heaven as you peddle along (please put a bicycle helmet on him/her, though). But do this in July or September when the island is more or less sane; come August all bets are off.

That said, the best beaches for young children are 1) Children%26#39;s Beach, 2)Jetties Beach, 3) Dionis Beach, 4) Pocomo Head. (Re young children: steer clear of the southside beaches such as Cisco and Surfside -- lots of wave action and rip currents)

1) and 2) are ';in town'; but consult the map so you can see where they are vs. your potential lodgings because places labelled ';in town'; still can be a hike if you are lugging beach chairs, toys, bikes, towels and a tired two-year old. %26#39;Children%26#39;s%26#39; is a docile place with a nice jungle gym but it%26#39;s also hard by a little boat basin so the water can be iffy. They do outdoor movie nights there once or twice a week, though. %26#39;Jetties%26#39; is a little farther but better.

3) and 4) are well out of town and not near the usual lodgings but I mention them anyway in case you are staying on island more than a few days and seek some variety. %26#39;Dionis%26#39; is shallow and warm and on the bike path (although some miles out). There%26#39;s been a lot of erosion, though, so go at low tide for more beachfront. If you happen to know someone on island with a car, persuade them to take you to Pocomo Head (see map). The water on the right side the point is shallow and generally warm for wading and tons of scallop shells wash ashore here which makes for fun treasure hunting (especially at low tide). Also, when the wind is up, which is often, it%26#39;s a grand place for kite flying and watching the windsurfers who zoom around over on the left side of the point.