Travel advisorySteamship Authority travel advisory · Gale Warning on the ferry waters until Thu 8 AMGusty winds are forecast for Cape Cod and the Islands that will have the potential to cause cancellations on both the Hyannis-Nantucket and Woods Hole-Martha's Vineyard routes through Thursday. We are waiving change and cancellation fees for travel scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, through Thursday, October 22.Steamship Authority · checked 4:00 PM ET
The Island Letter · four free guides inside

Twenty beaches. Six towns.
One short letter.

Four PDF guides land in your inbox the minute you sign up: the Beach Guide (parking, stickers, dog rules and safety for all 20 beaches), The Vineyard in the Fall, Where to Stay, every town and price band decoded, and What Martha’s Vineyard Really Costs, the honest budget guide with four whole trips added up. After that, one short letter when the island gives us something worth telling.

Written on the island Prices fact-checked for 2026 If a week is quiet, we skip it
Cover of The Vineyard in the Fall 2026 PDF Cover of the Martha's Vineyard Beach Guide 2026 PDF Cover of the Where to Stay on Martha's Vineyard 2026-27 PDF Cover of the What Martha's Vineyard Really Costs 2026-27 PDF 4 guides · free
What lands in your inbox

Three things we write about

  • 01

    Beach reports

    Which beaches are worth it right now, what parking actually looks like, and where the water is warm.

  • 02

    Events worth a day

    The fairs, concerts and festivals we would plan a day around. We verify every date.

  • 03

    Ferry heads-ups

    Schedule changes, car-slot alerts and timing tips for Woods Hole.

The letter

What a letter looks like

MV Vacation · The Island LetterSample · From a summer morning

The week ahead on the Vineyard

The 164th Agricultural Fair runs August 13–16 in West Tisbury. Go Thursday if you hate lines, and remember the Sunday close is 6 PM.

Ferry note: walk-on passengers never need a reservation, but summer car slots sell out well ahead, so book yours early.

Beach pick: Lambert’s Cove opens to everyone after 5 PM, in time for the evening light.

A sample from Fair week, August 2026. Your letters cover whatever the coming week actually holds. Five minutes to read, then back to your day.

Fair questions

Before you type your email

How often will you email me?
Only when there is something worth your time. No fixed schedule: when the island hands us a good week, you hear about it, and quiet weeks pass in silence.
Is the Beach Guide really free?
Yes, all four of them. The welcome email carries the ten-page Beach Guide (all 20 beaches: parking, stickers, dog rules, lifeguards and safety), the eleven-page Vineyard in the Fall guide, the twelve-page Where to Stay guide (every town and price band, the budget floor, with the booking rules nobody publishes), and the twelve-page What Martha’s Vineyard Really Costs (ferry fares, the room tax, real menu prices, twenty free things and four trips added up line by line). You can download each right on this page after signing up. More guides join the shelf as we finish them. You get every new one free.
What if I change my mind?
Every letter has a one-click unsubscribe at the bottom. No questions, and no follow-up emails asking you to come back.
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The guides are one email away

Same four PDFs, same one-click exit. Type your email and they are on their way to your inbox.

Island prices, hours and details change often. Please verify with businesses before you go. Full disclaimer

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