A Sweet Ride: Cessna 402

If you've never flown in a Cessna 402 it's something you should put on your "list of things to do before I die." Don't take the "die" part too literally...

After the Great Weigh In (which I learned later was very necessary to even out the weight distribution on the small plane at 10,000-feet up), we boarded the little plane. Seat 2 - right behind the pilot. Somehow, that made me feel quite comfortable. I felt regal, in a way. Almost like Captain Steve and his co-pilot were my own personal pilots who were paid to take me to the luxurious island of Nantucket. The doors closed and the regal feeling was quickly replaced with claustrophobia. My years of yoga paid off... breathe through the nose, out the mouth...



The flight to Nantucket from Boston is 45-minutes and on a clear day, it's one of the most beautiful sights to see. At 10,000-feet up, the city of Boston looks peaceful and quiet. The islands off the coast are beckoning to you ... to watch a landing so close is almost surreal.

Friday was a beautiful day to take flight. Sunday was another story.

Captain John boarded the flight with his passengers in toe and ready to head home. The propeller stirred up and the Cessna was on its way down the runway. It was a smooth ride for about 10 minutes.

The air was choppy today, which made for a choppy flight. Try and picture this, please.
Small Cessna (shown below) flying through high winds over the Atlantic Ocean. It might be too hard to conceptualize. I had my eyes closed for as much of the flight as I could stand (Type-A personality causes one to need to know what's happening at all times, so opening the eyes was inevitable). My eyes opened as we headed into the black cloud. I'm going to die.

The plane started flying side-to-side pendulum style. A few dips here and there. My hand firmly placed on the seat in front of me for stability. Captain John had both hands on the wheel. And then, the end... the siren. If I were to die, I have a feeling this is the sound I will hear. It's a high-pitched BEEP that alerts you to danger. DANGER. BEEP. FUCK.

This was it. This was how I was going down. I always wondered how would I die, morbid as that is to say. But I really didn't want to die a size 8-10. I know I can lose the extra 10 pounds if God will just land me safely in Boston. Fifteen minutes to go. The city was near -- I could see the top of the Boston skyline beyond the smog. And the ocean not far below.

Yoga breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Three seconds each breath. Keep breathing.

As humorous as it is to tell this story, it's the first time I had a real near-death experience. I can say I've never been so scared for my life, and at the same time, I bless Cape Air for the perfectionists they hire to fly the planes. There's nothing you can do about wind, but a skilled pilot makes all the difference.

Thank you, Captain John.
We landed safely at Boston's Logan Airport and got off the plane.

"I think I'm going to throw up," I said to Heather.

"I think I need a valium," she replied.

I walked into my apartment, poured myself a stiff drink and took a deep breath. Would I do it again? Absolutely. But not before I get a wind report... and a valium.

Things To Do in Nantucket When You're Broke

The purpose of this trip was to find "cheap finds" on the island. If you've ever been to Nantucket, you know that's not an easy thing to do. But that was my mission and I was ready to conquer it head on. Next time you're in Nantucket, consider these top five tips if you want to leave the island with money left in your bank account:

1. Find an inn or B&B that serves breakfast in the morning. At the Anchor Inn, there were fresh muffins, fruit salads, coffee, tea and juice every morning. You save money on breakfast (which is a $5 bagel and equally expensive cup of coffee at one of the many coffee houses) and also get some fuel in your system first thing in the morning.
2. Split your meals. Much to our surprise, the portions are huge! Looking back on the weekend, there wasn't one meal I finished in its entirety (unless you consider an ice cream cone a meal). Split your meals and you'll have more money left over for dessert (or cocktails).
3. There's nothing so lovely like walking around Nantucket with an ice cream cone. But if you don't pay attention, your ice cream cone will cost $7-$10. Read the chalkboard carefully. Yogurt is more than ice cream. Two scoops are pricier than one. Small and child sizes are different prices. Add-ons (sprinkles, nut, etc.) are extra. We found one excellent hidden gem - the Nantucket Ice Cream Shop. The ice cream was excellent there were no hidden charges. For only $4, I was enjoying my mint chip on a bench while watching the boats dock.
4. Make use of your inn. Most inns/B&B's have an outdoor patio or garden area. Grab a bottle of wine, some cheese and do appetizers and drinks at "home" instead of at the restaurant.
5. Go shopping and splurge on one big item. This might sound contradictory to the "broke" concept, but here's the deal: if you treat yourself to something wonderful you won't crave anything else. Nantucket is full of amazing retail stores but you won't find a bargain. So find something you love, buy it, and then spend the rest of time living cheap on Nantucket. I splurged on a pair of Eliza B $50 cotton flip-flops. I know, I know... $50! But they are awesomely excellent and I had to have them. And, once I purchased them I didn't crave anything else.

Nantucket is truly a beautiful island if you have the means and ways, I highly suggest you visit. Just remember to be smart and spend wisely. You'll have a great time without breaking the bank.

Schooner's Restaurant

Despite the unfortunate weigh-in at the airport, we had a very pleasant 40-minute flight in the Cessna 402 to Nantucket. The winds were calm as we landed at Nantucket Airport and immediately flashbacks of the once-popular TV show "Wings" took flight. The airport is quaint, simple and you could easily imagine Helen cooking up something greasy at the restaurant behind the ticket counter. We grabbed our bags, the keys to the rental car (courtesy of Nantucket Windmill Auto Rental) and set off on the island.

The six-minute drive to The Anchor Inn was equally as easy. The innkeepers were there to greet us and show us to our room. Each room at the inn is named after a ship -- we stayed in Cyprus on the second floor -- and is dressed with canopy beds, full bathrooms and quaint views of the hidden gardens nearby.




We strolled into town (only a few blocks from the inn) and found our seat on the outside patio at Schooner's Restaurant. The sun set as we dined on clam chowder, swordfish caeser salads and schooner dogs (fried hot dogs) and washed it all back with bottomless glasses of Merlot's and Heineken's.


Schooners was the perfect welcome to the start of the Nantucket weekend.

The Great Weigh In

Who needs Weight Watchers when you have Cape Air?

Friday was finally here and I was ready for Nantucket. I even dressed ready. I wore my new stark-white jeans and a black sweater, had my platform crocs on and was packed and ready when I got to work at 7 a.m. My travel buddy for this trip, Heather, emailed me first-thing to tell me she was ready to go. We were meeting at 3:30 p.m.

A quick T-ride and a shuttle service to Terminal C later, we were in line to get our boarding pass at the Cape Air ticket counter. The sign in the line was prominently placed to let travelers know that unless the bag is small, it's going to be checked. And by small, I mean it has to fit in a 2x2 space in the wing. The other bags go down below so take rearrange everything -- cell phones, laptops, medications... anything you need close to you (and by close to you, I mean in the wing of the plane). Heather checked in first and when the attendant opened up, Heather turned around and glared at me. What could have possibly happened in the two minutes she was at the check-in desk? Did they mess up her flight? Was her bag too heavy? Is too windy to fly?

No. It was much worse. I approached the ticket desk and attendant smiled and asked for my I.D.

"Thank you," she said. "And, how much do you weigh?"

@%&)@*!

"How much do you weigh, bitch?" is what I wanted to say. Instead I replied, "Are you serious?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Ummm...I honestly haven't a clue," I said. Truth was I did know, but hell if I was going to share that info with Cape Air. That's private information between me and my doctor. Or so I thought.

"Ma'am, I need your weight," she said again. I looked at Heather, who was giving me the "I had to tell her mine and it didn't hurt" look. UGH.

"How much do you think I weigh?" I asked. This was not amusing to the attendant. Her job was simply to make sure the weight was adjusted properly on the 6-seater. She had no idea this question would send me straight to therapy.



I gave the weight Nazi an estimated number and took my boarding pass. We whisked through security and Heather looked at me, "Beer and french fries?" she said.

"Oh hell yes," I said. "We'll just have to tell the pilot we ate before we board the plane."

Nantucket (Finally)

This weekend is finally the long-awaited weekend on Nantucket. I've coerced my friend Heather into traveling with me. For one thing, it gives me a little security on a tiny plane, and second, she's a lot of fun. What I'm most looking forward to is Heather's journey on the plane. She's probably as tall as the plane. I wonder where they'll ask her to sit.

We leave tomorrow at 5:55 p.m. and arrive Nantucket 40 minutes later - just in time to find dinner. I'm thinking cheap seafood. Sadly, the weather forecast for Saturday calls for rain. At this point, I will hike in the rain, beach in the rain, and walk through the rain to get this article complete. Heather suggested a little pub crawl through Nantucket to find the cheapest beers. I can get on board with that, actually. Maybe a couple pit stops for pizza and dogs -- and a quick update on the blog -- then back to the beer.

Anyone else have suggestions? The concept is cheap finds in Nantucket, so if you know of any, share them now!

Nantucket Delayed... Again

Boston weather be damned!
Last weekend's weather = RAIN
This weekend's weather = RAIN

I get my weather updates from the Channel 5 TV-WCVB Boston Storm Team and once again, they're calling for rain.

Thus, Nantucket is cancelled again. Sadly, it will be a few weeks before I can get to the tony island and explore the cheap finds, but I will get there! The Anchor Inn is expecting me in May (post-New York and post-London trip). I'll likely be broke after traveling for a week and two weekends in London against the U.S. dollar, but all the more reason to find the cheap finds in Nantucket.

Nantucket Delayed

Due to weather, the Nantucket trip has been postponed for one week.

This weekend's weather forecast: RAIN
Next weekend's weather forecast: SUN

Nantucket Reserved!

My flight is reserved (courtesy of Cape Air), my hotel is booked and my rental car will be waiting for me when I arrive in Nantucket next Friday evening. My Dad asked who I was taking with me and I told him I was going alone. He seemed to think that was odd; I think it's therapeutic.

I've scoped out some must-do's such as the lighthouse tours and a wine tasting at the local vineyard. Also on the list:

• Find the best ice cream cone
• Take in a Nantucket sunset
• Trek the perfect hiking trail
• Grab a burger and a beer in an off-the-beaten path place
• Hunt for the must-have Nantucket trinket of the season

My only concern: it's supposed to rain next Friday. I'm not sure how I feel about flying in an 8-seater during a rain storm. But my friends have assured me it's going to be fine. Ironically, none of them have ever flown to Nantucket in an 8-seater Cessna during a rain storm.

Cheap Finds Travel: Nantucket

Some people have spouses and children; I have travel. Traveling to new places is what keeps me going. I love the people, the atmosphere, the adventure. So when a particular airline asked to fly me to Nantucket for a weekend, put me up in a hotel, give me a rental car and set me free on the island to research the best "finds" for an inexpensive Nantucket getaway, who am I to say no? I'm on my way next weekend...