Packing for my Nantucket Vacation

I’m just going to dive right into it: packing for vacation is a whole thing, amiright? The entire point of going on vacation is to relax, but before I can be rewarded with calm perfection at my destination, I have to stress the heck out over a pile of clothing. Like, for instance, do I bring both pairs of nice shoes or just the one? (Both! There is only one correct answer here.)

My mom is way worse than I am. I called her the other day about something or nothing and she was like, “Perfect timing! Should I bring my yellow slicker or my navy raincoat?”

I decided to just go for it and be very decisive. “Navy!”

“Not the yellow?” she asked, like I hadn’t just given her an answer.*

(*An answer she clearly didn’t like.)

And this is why STARGAZER’s first chapter begins with a packing scene between a mother and daughter.

It’s also why in book #3, a contemporary Nantucket summer novel that I am writing now, the main character’s mother, Miri Lowenstein, has an entire Nantucket wardrobe of brightly colored, gauzy linen outfits that she only wears once a year on vacation, to contrast with her all-black-and-navy New York City uniform. In fact, I just wrote this sentence in the novel: Her mother was an entirely different person on Nantucket. I’m pretty sure it’s a keeper, because it’s both literal and metaphorical, see? And now I’m pretty sure I should have said “Yellow!” when my mom asked.

So, is there one right way to pack for a trip to Nantucket? No. There are, in fact, two correct ways to go about it. I call them the Seastreak and the Steamship, and here’s why.

This, my friends, is the Seastreak. According to its own website, the Seastreak is “the most civilized way to get there,” and, with a fast ferry offering dockside valet parking and a location only 40 minutes from my home, I’m gonna have to agree.*

(*But then again, flying private is probably pretty damned civilized too? Hmmmm.)

These babies are fast and new, but you know what they lack? Storage for a lot of luggage. In fact, just this year, they started charging people for more than one bag. I know! Who do they think they are? Southwest?

And this is why I pack light for the Seastreak. Think carry-on for an airplane situation, with one small suitcase and a tote bag. Or, in the case of “Julie Goes To The Nantucket Book Festival Via Seastreak,” a giant suitcase and a hanging garment bag of dresses and a giant tote bag. But that’s it, people. That’s me Seastreakmaxxing, which is only allowed before mid-June, when the island gets super busy and people get super mad at you for bringing your entire wardrobe onto a small boat…or for being an influencer snapping pics in their store. (IYKYK.)

And now I present to you the Steamship. If you’ve been here a while, then you know how much I adore this giant, vehicle-carrying ferry, which I wrote about in this 2023 post. This beauty is classic, old-school Nantucket right there.

Since there are a lot of options now for how to get to Nantucket, we really only take the Steamship when we bring our car to the island, or when the weather cancels the other ferries, haha, kidding not kidding.

For the past few years, due to a combination of bad luck and a terribly sensitive online vehicle registration system, we have not been able to get our car on the summer ferry, instead having to rent a car once we arrive on island. But this year, folks, I did it! The car is coming for the first time since 2023! And she’s so excited about it! And do you know what that means?

It means that I can pack HUGE. Think an entire carful of stuff: 4 bottles of sauv blanc? Easy. Giant yoga mat with blocks? No prob. Three pairs of nice shoes, including two pairs of platform sandals that each way a ton? But of course! Hanging bag of dresses, naturally! Crunchy peanut butter, creamy peanut butter, and two kinds of jelly for sandwiches made on Portuguese rolls from the Nantucket Bake Shop? Definitely. A vintage sweatshirt and a newer sweatshirt and a cashmere sweater? No brainer. Why? Because we’re bringing the car, people. We’re Steamshipmaxxing.*

(*Remember to leave room for the family.)

So, my dresses and I are off! See you in September! I hope you enjoy the rest of August to the max.

xo

Julie

Here’s what I’ve been reading, including THE CALAMITY CLUB, easily one of my favorite books of the year so far — and maybe a top five pick ever. And, just to be braggadocious, I got an ARC of Liane Moriarty’s BIG LITTLE TRUTHS and it is amazing! Grab yours on 8/25.