PET FRIENDLY Martha's Vineyard

It starts with the ferry ride from the mainland (you can pick your starting point? New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island; see our listing of pet-friendly ferries to Martha's Vineyard. Once you disembark, you and your pet are in for a vacation of fun. Martha's Vineyard is everything all at once?rural, small-town flavor, refreshing ocean breezes, and a golden opportunity for some first-class people watching.

If the shoreline is your thing, check out our guide to pet-friendly Martha's Vineyard beaches and parks. If you and your pooch want to meet up with other vacationing canines or meet some of the locals, give Trade Wind Fields Preserve in Oak Bluffs a whirl. Martha's Vineyard's official dog park, it has 2 miles of walking trails and meadows that are perfect for running around madly or running around in a more organized fashion, say, to catch a frisbee.

In a more relaxed moment, the two of you can enjoy breakfast or lunch al fresco at Espresso Love in Edgartown, or shop for dinner fixings at the West Tisbury Farmer's Market (and if you're really cute and really well behaved and really lucky, you just might make it onto the market's Dog Days of Summer photo gallery page?you do realize I'm talking about your pooch, right?).

However you choose to relax, Martha's Vineyard will welcome you with pet-friendly places to stay and play, as well as provide an unforgettable backdrop for vacation memories you'll treasure.