Vineyard Bound

The ease of getting to the Vineyard makes it an ideal Day Trip, but the luxury of staying for a weekend is worth the time. 

The close proximity of Martha’s Vineyard is often forgotten. A car ride along the southern coast of Falmouth reminds us that the fabled island is only a short boat ride away, as the island’s distinctive coastline seems within reach of our own embrace. In the fall of 2021, the Shortsleeve family embarked for what has become a sort of annual pilgrimage to the Vineyard for the Thanksgiving weekend. Shortsleeve family members who call the island home—some year round, some seasonally—give good reason to use the traditional weekend as an excuse to gather together. 

As a base of operations, The Sydney, a boutique hotel in the heart of Edgartown welcomed the family with three guest rooms and their inimitable service. The Sydney, located on North Water Street is part of Lark Hotels’ Edgartown Collection and has benefited from recent renovations which not only updated the luxurious eight guest rooms found in the original historic Captain’s House, but also added 14 additional guest rooms to a new building on the property. On the ground floor of the inn, the award-winning l’etoile Restaurant, features owner-chef Michael Brisson’s innovative cuisine, sophisticated cocktails and elegant service both inside the historic inn as well as outside under the stars (the definition of l’etoile) during the temperate months.