Every summer Instagram explodes with Nantucket’s glorious swell of lighthouses, hydrangeas, and rose-covered cottages. Want to join the fun? Here’s a quick guide to help you post and double tap your way through our fair island. Make a day, week, or entire summer out of tracking down these picture-worthy gems, Nantucket’s most Instagrammable spots.

THE Rose-Covered Cottage
You know the one. This rose-covered beauty in Sconset has to take the prize for the most Instagrammed spot on Nantucket (certainly according to our feed) – and for good reason. The stunning cottage provides a colorful, fairytale background, along with the genuinely elated smiles to go with it.
Find it: On Mitchell Street between Center and Broadway in Sconset.

Sconset Bluff Walk
While you’re in Sconset, head over to Front Street for yet another of Nantucket’s most Instagrammed spots: the Bluff Walk. Say peace to @kourtneykardash if you see her.
Find it: Start at the south end of Front Street and follow the shelled path. Near the end of Front Street, the path curves to the right toward the ocean. When that path forks, stay on the left path, which takes you along the bluff (instead of down to the beach).

Sankaty Head Lighthouse
Once a vital part of Nantucket’s whaling and maritime industries, the Sankaty Head Lighthouse today provides both a glimpse of history and a beautiful backdrop. It’s gorgeous all day, but we especially love it right at dusk.
Find it: At the end of Baxter Road in Sconset.

Brant Point Lighthouse
The smallest of Nantucket’s three lighthouses is also the most accessible from town. Over the summer you’ll want to hit Brant Point around 7 p.m. when the light is best. If you catch it in July, it’s usually dressed up with an American flag.
Find it: At the end of Easton Street on the north side of Nantucket town.

Main Street Compass Rose
Add some whimsy to your feed with a shot by the Gardiner’s Corner Compass Rose. Marshall Gardiner first commissioned the eponymous map mural in 1936 to celebrate locations around the world that played a role in Nantucket’s present and past. Pretty cool – you can read the history here.
Find it: On Washington at Main Street (on the Ralph Lauren store) in the historic district.

Town Pool Zero Gravity Room
The Zero Gravity Room in the basement at Town Pool provides a hilarious backdrop. Drop by and the friendly folks will give you all the direction you need. Be sure to have your blinders on as you walk through the candy room.
Find it: Downstairs at Town Pool, 33 Main Street in the historic district

Sconset Sundial Clock
This large sundial adorns the side of a typical (for Nantucket, at least) gray-shingled house. The sundial was originally hanging on a building in the same location that burned down; a local volunteer fireman salvaged and restored the sundial, hanging it on the new building once complete.
Find it: Behind the Sconset Market, just across the Siasconset foot bridge. Access it from Gully Road on the way to Codfish Park.

Steps Beach
A few miles out of town, just off Cliff Road, you’ll find Steps Beach, so called thanks to the lengthy set of stairs leading down to the beach. The beach is lovely, abutted by beautiful and picturesque Nantucket houses, but the classic view is from the top of the steps.
Find it: Steps Beach is a few miles out of town, just off Cliff Road. Look for Lincoln Circle.

What are your favorite photo-worthy spots in Nantucket?

Pick-your-own strawberries at Bartlett’s Farm is a favorite activity of ours. Just grab a basket ($5) from inside the shop, then march your way to the fields, where you can scour the rows to find the perfect fruit. We have our littles run to the farthest corners – the rows less traveled – to inspect the berries, find the best, and report back. Pile your basket as high as you can, then return home with your bounty.

Don’t let them linger too long on the counter or in the fridge… These berries are super sweet and deliciously ripe, which means you only have a few days to eat them. We like to turn ours into Strawberry Bread or Strawberry Jam (easy recipe below).

Picking strawberries at Bartlett’s Farm, Nantucket.

Nantucket Strawberry Jam 
1 full basket of Bartlett’s Farm strawberries
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup lemon juice (or more)

Pick a heaping-full basket of strawberries at Bartlett’s Farm. Wash and de-stem your berries, then mash them gently in a bowl with a fork. This should give you about 2 cups of juicy strawberry mush. Pour it into a saucepan; add sugar and lemon juice, and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase to high heat and bring the mixture to a full boil. Boil, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes. Transfer jam to glass jars and cool. If the jam is going to be eaten right away (as ours always is), there’s no need to seal tight or process. Jam keeps for 7-10 days (or more) in the refrigerator. We recommend eating it with toasted Portuguese bread from Something Natural.

Nantucket has been a writer’s favorite for centuries… from Herman Melville to Nathaniel Philbrick. It’s got enough history, landscapes, and personalities to provide characters, plots, and backdrops galore. So there’s no shortage of books featuring Nantucket in all her splendor. But here are five of our favorites. Happy reading!

Ahab’s Wife
by Sena Jeter Naslund (historical fiction)
Intimidated by its length, I let this book languish on a shelf for far too long. Once I began, it immediately became a novel I never wanted to end, an insta-favorite. The book opens with “Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last,” giving you a quick insight into its depth. You’ll follow the captivating heroine Una through journeys both physical and metaphorical as she grows into her opinions and nature. Writer Naslund offers romance, adventure, intrigue, and familial values, all while weaving in Nantucket’s glorious history and landscape.

Nantucket: A writer’s and reader’s paradise.

Time and Tide: A Walk Through Nantucket
by Frank Conroy (memoir)
If you’re reading this list, you’re already in love with Nantucket (or you’re well on your way). Each of us has a story of how that came to be, which is why Frank Conroy’s account is so appealing. It’s fun to see the island through his eyes as it evolves from a small destination to a prime-time tourist locale. Conroy walks us through his own island love story, as he himself evolves from jazz pianist and scalloper to golfer, barkeep, and professor. His story is genuine and relatable; it’ll make you want to renew your island vows.

Island Practice: Cobblestone Rash, Underground Tom, and Other Adventures of a Nantucket Doctor
by Pam Belluck (non-fiction)
This fascinating read tells the story of Nantucket’s chief doctor, Tim Lepore. On an island ripe with idiosyncratic personalities, Lepore fits right in. And thank goodness, as he must at times play the roles of ACK’s surgeon, medical examiner, tick expert, psychiatrist, football team doctor, and veterinarian. The book chronicles his journey to and through Nantucket, detailing his unique hobbies (roadkill taxidermy, for one) along the way. As the greater medical world grows increasingly sterile, Lepore’s maverick style makes for a refreshing read. Truly a page turner.

Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890
by Nathaniel Philbrick (non-fiction)
For the historians among you, here’s a chance to dive deep into island lore. Philbrick’s impeccable research offers great insight into how today’s island came to be, tracing its occupants, occupations, and more. Far from a beach read, this one will stretch your cranial waves and give you more Nantucket facts than you thought possible. I especially enjoyed learning the origins of the names and locations that still stand today. Philbrick also penned In the Heart of the Sea, another Nantucket favorite.

The Phantom of Nantucket (Nancy Drew Diaries)
by Carolyn Keene (young adult / fiction)
The new Nancy Drew Diaries series provides an updated time frame for one of our all-time favorite sleuths. In this installment, Nancy and her friends visit Nantucket to attend an exhibit at the Whaling Museum, but strange circumstances threaten to ruin the opening show. Nancy rounds up plenty of clues and suspects, but will she be able to solve the mystery in time? This well researched novella is a quick and wonderful read, if only to see the island through the rookie eyes of Nancy Drew.

What are your favorite books on Nantucket? Let us know so we can add them to our summer reading list!

With its beautiful beaches, rich history, and fabulous food, it’s no secret that Nantucket’s great for families and kids. Need some activities? Here are 50 things to do with your kids on ACK. And once you’ve checked these off your list, try these 50 *more* things to do on Nantucket with kids. Ready, set, go!

1. Picnic at Sankaty Head lighthouse
2. Hit story time at the Nantucket Atheneum
3. Tour the Whaling Museum
4. Bike to the Downyflake for donuts
5. Visit the Maria Mitchell Aquarium
6. Find the secret kid-run candy shop in Force Five Watersports
7. Take a music class at Children’s Beach
8. Jump aboard the Critter Cruise
9. Find some great crafting supplies at Create
10. Pick strawberries at Bartlett’s Farm
11. Go off-road to find the Great Point Lighthouse
12. Find a sailing camp to try
13. Play ball at the Field of Dreams in Sconset
14. Hike the Sconset Bluff Walk
15. Visit a cranberry bog
16. Design away at Fashion Camp with Cheryl Fudge
17. Collect seashells at Dionis Beach
18. Check out the oldest house on the island
19. Hunt for crabs and moon jellies at Children’s Beach
20. Play in the boat at Something Natural
21. Fish for crabs and turtles
22. Go deep sea fishing
23. Visit the Shipwreck Museum
24. Swim in Sesachacha Pond
25. Watch the boats from Nantucket Harbor
26. Enjoy the playground at Children’s Beach
27. Visit the Old Mill
28. Hunt for spirits on a ghost tour
29. Visit the bead shop and make jewelry
30. Eat ice cream at The Juice Bar
31. Swing at Codfish Park in Sconset
32. Visit the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum
33. Check out the Maria Mitchell Natural Science Museum
34. Dine on the porch at Millie’s in Madaket
35. Play a game of Nantucketopoly
36. Host a lemonade stand – or patronize someone else’s
37. Eat breakfast at Black-Eyed Susan’s
38. Grab a morning bun at Wicked Island Bakery
39. See how many different Nantucket Nectars lids you can collect
40. Make Nantucket Nectars tea lights

41. Take a tennis lesson at Jetties Beach
42. See the planets from the Maria Mitchell Observatory
43. Hike the trail at Squam Farm to find the sheep
44. Take a surfing lesson at Cisco Beach
45. Dance to live music at the Cisco Brewers
46. Have dinner at The Nantucket Lobster Trap
47. Search for just the right Nantucket tshirt
48. Choose tonight’s veggies from the Bartlett’s Farm truck on Main Street
49. Take a clay or photography class at the Artists Association of Nantucket
50. Try kayaking or paddle boarding
    
    Like this list? Don’t forget to check out these 50 *more* things to do with your kids on Nantucket!

With hundreds of traps lining the outside of the store, you can’t help but feel like the lobster at Oyster Cracka’s is among the freshest on Nantucket island. So while this little seafood shack offers an array of grilled, fried, and raw options, we think the lobster rolls make the most worthy lunch — large chunks of lobster with a dabble of mayo, stuffed into a lightly toasted, generously buttered bun. At $21.95, the price is about average for these parts; sure, it’s not bargain-basement, but this is a roll that can compete with the greats of the island.

The combination may sound strange upon first read, but when our server at The Summer House mentioned it as a favorite dish, we had to try. What arrived was a gorgeous plate of three strawberry preparations — raw, pickled, and prosecco’d — plus two kinds of tomatoes, all atop a few luscious squiggles of foie gras. Add a few basil leaves and some dollops of basil reduction, and you’ve got a summer salad to sing about.

Spend some time on island, and you’ll realize Nantucket’s got its own set of slang. Want to fit in with the locals? Here are some Nantucket acronyms, terms, and abbreviations to add to your vocabulary. Let us know what we missed in the comments section below!

5 Corners — The area atop Pleasant Street where Pleasant, York, and Atlantic converge. It is a 5-way stop, which wreaks havoc on Nantucket drivers.

ACK — Nantucket’s airport code has become a go-to way to refer to the island.

Boat Sandwich Shop — Our mother’s name for Something Natural. Others in the family call it Something Special. So, you know, take your pick.

We call it the Boat Sandwich Shop. Because we’re clever like that.

BoHo — The Boardinghouse restaurant.

BroHo — The Brotherhood of Thieves restaurant.

Brobadeer — Slang for Nobadeer beach, which is known for its lively party scene among the college crowd. It’s especially popular for 4th of July, where you can watch the “bros” shotgun beers and blare music from their Jeeps.

The Box — The Chicken Box.

Daffys — Diminutive version of daffodils, which blanket the island in the late spring leading up the Nantucket Daffodil Festival.

#EDSFTG — Every day should feel this good. While this is officially a Vineyard Vines thing, people often hashtag it in reference to Nantucket. (Fine by us!)

Madaket Mall — The take-it-or-leave-it table alongside the Nantucket dump.

Nantucket Reds — Pants or shorts in a specific shade of red (which is actually more like salmon pink); they’re a popular wear on the island and were featured in the Official Preppy Handbook. You can only find official Nantucket Reds at Murray’s Toggery Shop on Main. All others are imposters.

On island — Similar to how people refer to New York as “the city,” this is how you describe your location when on Nantucket. Where are you? I’m on island.

Rotary — What people in other locations refer to as a traffic circle or a roundabout.

Skinner’s — The Sconset 9 hole golf course. Skinner’s was the original name many, many years ago.

Washashore — A term used by Nantucket natives to refer to a person that’s recently moved to the island.

Got a Nantucket term we missed? Leave a comment and we’ll add it to the list.