By Abby GreenJune 3, 2022
I’ve driven by Lucy Vincent Beach Road dozens of times since I first arrived on the Island last year; I had just never realized it because there’s no street sign. I finally checked it out for the first time on a breezy, sunny afternoon in April.
I walked to the beach with some friends who live in Chilmark, after enjoying a joint from Island Time together. I had just been to the dispensary for the first time, and decided to try the “Sour Tropicanna,” a sativa-dominant hybrid strain that claimed to offer an energetic, creative, and social high.
The first thing I noticed when I got to the Lucy Vincent parking lot was the “Squib Shack” a small painted shelter adorned with colorful flags, nautical ropes, and labeled with a sign reading: “Best beach on Martha’s Vineyard and Possibly the World.”
“Pshh… no way,” I said, as I made my way down the sandy path toward the beach.
I didn’t realize how much of a treat I was in for. As soon as I stepped onto the beach, I was in awe. In the distance, I could see huge beautiful cliffs in both directions. The ocean was my favorite shade of deep green that day. The waves were spectacular. Nice white sand. Lots of good rocks, including shiny pebbles to put in my pocket and giant boulders to climb on.
I don’t know if the Squib Shack claim holds up universally, but I’ll put it in my top two for Martha’s Vineyard, that I’ve been to so far. It’s definitely up there with Moshup’s Beach at the base of the Aquinnah cliffs. I had heard Lucy has cliffs too, but I didn’t realize they were so sizable.
I walked down the beach picking up small stones along the way, dipping my toes in the icy surf, meandering toward the cliffs to the left of the beach path. When I finally made it over, put my hand on the clay and closed my eyes.
The cliffs on the Vineyard are a composite of rocks embedded in layers of red and gray and yellow clay. They were left behind by glaciers, millennia ago. They feel ancient and sacred to me. I was grateful to be standing on the beach, with the company of the gulls overhead, and the roaring ocean. I smiled at the sun and silently said thanks.
If you’re not a Chilmark resident, the best time to enjoy Lucy Vincent Beach is during the off-season. This prized beach is closed to the public June 1- Labor Day. During the summer, if you want to enjoy LVB, you’ll have to find a friend who lives in Chilmark! And even more ideally, find a friend who lives within walking distance, so you can enjoy a joint before you go!
