Packed our gear and took off. Our ferry didn't leave until two o'clock, so we had several hours. Just about the only part of the island we hadn't been to was Hummock Pond and Cisco Beach. I couldn't remember ever going there as a kid, but even if I had, I wouldn't have been able to find the way today. As usual, there were paved roads where rutted roads had been and a great many new houses where open moors had been. After a number of wrong turns that brought us to dead ends, we blundered our way to Cisco Beach. I couldn't believe we were actually there, but someone assured us we were. It was very foggy and quite cool. Sat there for twenty or thirty minutes looking at the surf. Roy pictured himself paddling his Royak through the waves. Walked around a little and then returned to town.
When we reached the Hadwen mansion, we decided to visit it, since we still had quite a bit of time. This is one of a number of whaling-
fortune mansions in Nantucket. It was built in 1845 and is quite impressive. Our guide was an old man who had been coming to Nantucket in the summer for many years. He and his wife had a house in Monomoy, so we asked him if he remembered the green houses on the corner. He didn't, but he thought his wife might, as she had been visiting Monomoy since 1944. He gave me his wife's name and phone number.
As soon as we got to a public phone, I called Mrs. Hulburt. She remembered the houses, but didn't know when they'd been torn down. There were a number of years when she didn't come to the island. She suggested I phone Clarence Lovelace, Mrs. Elphinstone's son. I told her I had made several attempts to phone him, but either got a busy signal or an answering machine.
We bought a chart of Nantucket Harbor at the chandlery. Bought ready-made sandwiches at the A & P. Sat in the shade and ate them. At quarter to two, we boarded the ferry, which left promptly at two o'clock. It was a lovely day for the trip.
Reached Oak Bluffs at 4:30. Went to Vineyard Haven by way of East Chop and stopped to look at the old lighthouse and the great view. An old-time two-masted schooner was going by, with all sails set. Lovely.
Still had plenty of time when we reached Vineyard Haven, so we ate sandwiches and potato salad for supper. Walked around a little. Boarded the ferry at 6:30. It left fifteen seconds early.
I had been dreading the last leg of our journey, because it would be getting dark when we reached New Bedford, and we had a twenty-
minute bike ride back to the boat. Fortunately, there was little traffic, and the street lights were lit. Pedaled as fast as I could and reached the boat just before pitchy darkness.
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