What's Brewing, Barley?

Martha’s Vineyard is the ultimate summer destination for New Englanders. We’ve been several times, but this is our first time with a pup. We were a little nervous about being limited due to having a dog with us, but it turned out the concern was unfounded. Martha’s Vineyard is very dog friendly.

We stayed in a vacation rental on Circuit Drive Ext. right in the heart of Oak Bluffs. It was ideal for walking to the ferry (5 minutes), restaurants (literally across the street), the bus (5 minutes) and the picturesque Gingerbread Cottages (3 minutes). Our place was pet friendly like many others on the island, but make sure you double check before just showing up with a dog.

Getting around the island was easy. Oak Bluffs itself is very walkable – we mostly explored on foot. The little towns of Edgartown and Vineyard Haven are similarly walkable too. Many shops are dog-friendly (some even put water bowls out front), but others are not – look for signs on the door. You can bring your own car, or rent one on the island, but we found that that was both expensive, a bit of a hassle (the ferry reservation system is tough for cars), and really unnecessary. The Vineyard Transit Authority provides great easy-to-use, pet-friendly service all over the island. You can buy mobile tickets on your phone to scan when boarding and an all-day pass cost around $8 (Summer 2023). We took it between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. Cycling is also a great way to get around and many shops rent enclosed bike trailers which can be used for dogs. Uber and taxis are also available.

We were worried about the beaches being restrictive for dogs and to an extent, they are. The specific rules depend on the authority managing them. For instance, state beaches prohibit dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Oak Bluffs town beaches allow dogs before 8am and after 5pm in the summer months and all day long during the off season. There are private beaches that have their own sets of rules too. Just make sure to get an understanding of the rules for the beaches near you.

It really wasn’t a problem for us though. We are up fairly early and love cooler evenings at the beach. So Barley had plenty of beach/water time and so did we! But if you’re the type of person who wants to plop down in the sand all day, it is a little trickier with the pup.

Filling the non-beach time was really easy. There is a ton of shopping between Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven. Each has its own unique look and feel, so it’s very much worth exploring all three. Many of the island’s restaurants have great outdoor spaces which are dog friendly. Nomans is a great spot to go with your pup. They have a giant yard with different bar and food options outside (special house rums, raw bar, etc.). There are yard games and plenty of places to relax. It’s an easy spot to spend several hours. We also enjoyed Offshore Ale right in the center of Oak Bluffs (a short walk from Inkwell Beach) which has a dog friendly patio and a staff that really put effort in to cater to our pup.

Of course, we do breweries, and Bad Martha in Edgartown is a perfect spot. They have a lovely outdoor patio space (including a covered area) which is very dog-friendly. More on Bad Martha in a later post. If shopping, restaurants, and breweries aren’t your thing, there’s a lot of hiking and trails through the island’s interior too. Even with restrictions for dogs on the beach, we had no trouble keeping busy and still getting our fill of sun/sand.

There are multiple ways to get to Martha’s Vineyard, but the Steamship Authority ferries from Woods Hole are the most popular and most affordable. An adult round-trip with no car is $20, and the best part is that your dog travels free! Parking is available at satellite lots nearby, and the trip only takes 30-45 minutes. There are ferries directly to Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, and Edgartown. If you don’t want to spend a night, it’s really an easy day trip from much of Eastern Massachusetts and RI. Ferries run frequently and getting around the island is easy. Major airlines fly to the Vineyard from Boston, New York, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Several smaller airlines like Cape Air fly from small airports around the region. There multiple ferry options as well. In fact, the quickest ferry option for Bostonians is via New Bedford on the Seastreak. New MBTA commuter service from Boston to New Bedford begins in 2024 which will make an affordable, car-free trip from downtown Boston to Martha’s Vineyard pretty easy (the ferry terminal is a short walk from the New Bedford station).

We’d highly recommend a day or weekend with your pup on the Vineyard!