Nantucket Beaches - Sconset

If any part of the island has retained a singular presence for decades, this is it. With graceful summer homes fronting its grass-lined Main Street, inviting rose-covered cottages huddled along winding lanes, and timeless "stick-style" houses tucked behind manicured privet hedges, 'Sconset still looks much the same as it did in the 1920s and '30s. Indeed, during the Daffodil Day picnic in April, when over one hundred classic cars park in the village to celebrate spring, the scene is truly Gatsby-esque. Some residents never leave the village in summer, and there's truly no need: 'Sconset has its own market, caterer, several high caliber restaurants, and post office (with its own zip code). Three of the island's golf courses are here, including the magnificent Sankaty Head Golf Club, with the namesake lighthouse looming large over the links. The historic 'Sconset Casino, home of clay-court tennis, began staging theatrical productions in 1900, when 'Sconset was in full swing as an actors' colony. If you could walk into a fairy tale on Nantucket, it would probably be in 'Sconset.