Nantucket

The first-ever mention of Nantucket occurs in the 1602 ship's log of Bartholomew Gosnold. While he came upon this tiny piece of land before others, he chose to continue on and settle Martha's Vineyard. One has to wonder if this pre-Colonial snub has since contributed to this 7,000-person island's vigorous sense of self and history. Indeed, it is hardly matched in all of America. Fast food chains and traffic lights are verboten, and bike paths are among the busiest thoroughfares. Nantucket Town alone has more than 800 buildings pre-dating the Civil War, and, if arriving by ferry, the view remains as it has for over a century: a small harbor, dotted with sailboats and busy with fishermen, is eclipsed by church steeples and white-trimmed, shingled homes lining the water.

Like the roses which creep over many of these clapboard homes, proud locals have made Nantucket a delight to inhabit through dedicated preservation and detailing. Almost half of the land is held in conservation, and short-eared owls, wild blackberries, heather and growing shellfish stocks serve as proof. There are some 12 museums in all - a number quite a few countries can't even match.

Industries like whaling, fishing and trading have all boomed and busted here, and now tourism has positioned island restaurateurs at the rudder of taste-making. They seem to have taken the understated aesthetic of Nantucket architecture as inspiration, and their use of local, organic and sustainable products to create mostly unadulterated flavors is something those in restaurant hubs like Sydney and San Francisco would surely respect. Independent fishermen deliver day-boat cod or diver-caught scallops directly to kitchen doors, and some chefs go so far as to cure their own meats or make their own vinegars. Nantucket is the only place in the country that is a town, a county and an island, and its gaggle of 10-table trattorias, Old World hostelries and mom-and-pop cafes make it a great dining destination in any of those categories.