Presidential Playground?
If you live on the Vineyard long enough, you will eventually have your share of celebrity sightings.
My son has been on the wait-staff of a private golf club for the past four summers, and he's served his share of actors, athletes, and politicians. Last summer in one two week period, he waited on Bill and Hillary Clinton, and then Barrack and Michelle Obama.
Daughter#1 got to attend Carly Simon's Christmas Eve party when the high school choral group she belonged to was asked to sing last year.
I have been able to provide my parents with celebrity sightings of Meg Ryan jogging in the road one summer, and Ted Danson and his wife, Mary Steenburgen, walking on an up-island beach one day after Thanksgiving. My mother still cannot accept that I moved to this "God-forsaken island," so I'm pretty sure I'm not exaggerating if I say these star sightings have been the highlight of her time spent here.
The word on the street recently is that Chelsea Clinton is getting married on the Vineyard this summer. And the whole world probably knows by now that the Obamas are set to vacation out here in August, despite the lack of comment from the White House.
Of course, the "island playground for the rich and famous" so often described in news and society columns is so completely out of sync with the island that I live on, that I wouldn't know where to begin. Sure, there's a lot of money out here in the summers, but the reason most celebrities love coming here is that it gives them a place to escape the circus of their daily lives (think Hunchback of Notre Dame yelling, "Sanctuary!").
While it would be pretty cool to actually see Obama, I realize I stand a much better chance of being held up in traffic, due to the Secret Service creating road blocks while he's here.
We didn't live here when Clinton was president, but our island vacation coincided with his on at least three occasions. The day he decided to walk up Circuit Avenue, the main drag in Oak Bluffs, for ice cream, the whole street was closed down. All the people already there had to stay, and nobody else was allowed access until he left.
The same thing happened at the Agricultural Fair, the August highlight of our island summer. When the Clintons decided to go to the fair, the gate was frozen. Nobody in or out until the president left. My friend needed to leave to get to work at the hospital. She says, and I believe her, that she had to get in the faces of the Secret Service guys, telling them she was leaving Now, and they could just Try and stop her (they didn't).
We'll see how it goes with the Obamas. I hope they have a great vacation and experience some of our island magic. But, hopefully, not at the expense of the rest of us.
My son has been on the wait-staff of a private golf club for the past four summers, and he's served his share of actors, athletes, and politicians. Last summer in one two week period, he waited on Bill and Hillary Clinton, and then Barrack and Michelle Obama.
Daughter#1 got to attend Carly Simon's Christmas Eve party when the high school choral group she belonged to was asked to sing last year.
I have been able to provide my parents with celebrity sightings of Meg Ryan jogging in the road one summer, and Ted Danson and his wife, Mary Steenburgen, walking on an up-island beach one day after Thanksgiving. My mother still cannot accept that I moved to this "God-forsaken island," so I'm pretty sure I'm not exaggerating if I say these star sightings have been the highlight of her time spent here.
The word on the street recently is that Chelsea Clinton is getting married on the Vineyard this summer. And the whole world probably knows by now that the Obamas are set to vacation out here in August, despite the lack of comment from the White House.
Of course, the "island playground for the rich and famous" so often described in news and society columns is so completely out of sync with the island that I live on, that I wouldn't know where to begin. Sure, there's a lot of money out here in the summers, but the reason most celebrities love coming here is that it gives them a place to escape the circus of their daily lives (think Hunchback of Notre Dame yelling, "Sanctuary!").
While it would be pretty cool to actually see Obama, I realize I stand a much better chance of being held up in traffic, due to the Secret Service creating road blocks while he's here.
We didn't live here when Clinton was president, but our island vacation coincided with his on at least three occasions. The day he decided to walk up Circuit Avenue, the main drag in Oak Bluffs, for ice cream, the whole street was closed down. All the people already there had to stay, and nobody else was allowed access until he left.
The same thing happened at the Agricultural Fair, the August highlight of our island summer. When the Clintons decided to go to the fair, the gate was frozen. Nobody in or out until the president left. My friend needed to leave to get to work at the hospital. She says, and I believe her, that she had to get in the faces of the Secret Service guys, telling them she was leaving Now, and they could just Try and stop her (they didn't).
We'll see how it goes with the Obamas. I hope they have a great vacation and experience some of our island magic. But, hopefully, not at the expense of the rest of us.
I'm not much of a celebrity watcher/follower, but I think it interesting the culture that DOES follow these people around. I can't imagine having photographers following me whereever I go...ick.
But living in the Cleveland area, we were a stop for SO MANY politicians over the last campaign that I started getting used to roads being blocked due to one visit from someone or another. I even had to exit the highway a few times becuase the Presidential Bus was coming through on it's way to Columbus.
Upside for them, I bet Bill didin't have to wait in line for his ice cream!
Hope you make it through the rest of the summer without too much ado! I think your 'Island Magic' may be worth the hassle...
:-)
Posted by: Nancy McDonnell | July 15, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Funny, if I believed in God I would think that Martha's Vineyard was one of the places he does not foresake.
And yeah, when my dad had his place on the Vineyard Bill was around. We have a picture of my stepmother and Bill. My father thought Bill got a little too happy when he put his arm around my pretty stepmother, but that's another story.
Posted by: LPC | July 15, 2009 at 09:42 AM
you are wrong it was daughter #1 who did the choral thing with Carly simon.
Posted by: cowgirl | July 15, 2009 at 10:25 AM
LOL - one of the offspring is chiming in! Mine do, too, from time to time.
I was also going to say the same thing LPC did - if I believed in a higher power, I would think the Vineyard is one place he would not forsake.
That and the fact that I'm glad someone gets excited by seeing Meg Ryan. *yawn*
Posted by: Jan | July 15, 2009 at 11:27 AM
That sounds like so much fun. I wouldn't mind meeting all of those people! Thanks for stopping by my site. Please feel free to come back anytime, I'll leave the light on for you!
Posted by: Kate | July 15, 2009 at 02:48 PM
When the Obamas vactioned in Hawaii last summer, the beach house was a few blocks from my son's friend's house. The boys rode bikes up and down and around, but never got a sighting.
Posted by: Pseudo | July 15, 2009 at 03:55 PM
My youngest daughter will be vacationing there next week. . .and she hopes to stop traffic too!
Posted by: lizspin | July 15, 2009 at 05:16 PM
I live in Boston and I used to go the Vineyard with a good friend. Living there seems like a dream.
Posted by: Rhea | July 15, 2009 at 06:07 PM
I don't feel bad in saying I hope the Obamas don't come to your town this summer in only that it would be more frustrating to go on about your business! Closing down a fair and entire street for a President to visit? I understand the concern for safety, but does the President realize how many people he's putting out?
Posted by: Sprite's Keeper | July 15, 2009 at 10:42 PM
I love Martha's Vineyard. I've only been there once (the weekend of Princess Di's passing), but I still remember the charm of the island. It seems like it really would be a magical place to live all year round!
Posted by: starshine | July 18, 2009 at 02:59 PM