Martha’s Vineyard is a place you can visit all year, but your experience will vary depending on when you go. For me, it’s a destination that feels most tied to summer, and many people I know who have been, travel to Martha’s Vineyard as an annual family tradition every summer. Once I visited for myself, I could see why. I used to be the kind of traveler that did not want to visit destinations more than once because I have so many others to cross off my list, but Martha’s Vineyard definitely feels like a place that calls you back.

In my experience, it was a very slow and gentle destination. I didn’t feel pressured to do much of anything, and even when I did or saw things, I could naturally ease into them. I may have been on my way to see a lighthouse or the cliffs, but sure, let’s stop in a book store, grab a bite at a family-owned cafe, and then stroll unhurriedly until I get there. The days feel long, which, in this case, is a good thing because no one wants a rushed vacation. Although I had never been, I felt a sense of familiarity that doesn’t come with every destination, and for that reason, I had all the time in the world to amble along seeing what I could see.