Take the Ferry to Martha’s Vineyard
Take the Ferry to Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard, one of the most well known vacation spots along the East Coast, is a unique island that sits five miles off the southern coast of Massachusetts. It offers permanent residents and vacationers an eclectic mix of activities and entertainment, and the opportunity to eat some of the freshest, most delicious seafood to be found anywhere in the United States.
People coming to the island enjoy a leisurely ride on the Martha’s Vineyard ferry. Travelers can come by ferry from ports in Falmouth, Hyannis, Nantucket, New Bedford and Woods Hole. Would-be visitors can also find ferries at Quonset Point in Rhode Island, or New York’s Montauk on Long Island. Only one ferry carries cars, and the Steamship Authority operates it.
Season Opening of Lighthouses
May 26 is the day on which lighthouses open for the season. The Edgartown Lighthouse and the Gay Head Lighthouse are only open on weekends from May 26 to June 17. From June 17 to September 3, both lighthouses have different daily hours, and the Gay Head Lighthouse also has sunset hours during the peak of the summer season. Beginning in September, both lighthouses return to a modified schedule with fewer open hours.
The Gay Head Lighthouse recently celebrated its 150-year milestone, and the East Chop Lighthouse marked 130 years in existence. All five well-maintained lighthouses along Martha’s Vineyard are fully functioning. Visitors can take tours of the lighthouses and find more information at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
Beaches
Miles of shoreline are visible to ferry passengers as they head to Martha’s Vineyard from any of the ports the ferries serve. There are plenty of public beaches for people to enjoy, and water temperatures warm to their peak in August.
Gingerbread Cottages
The Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association—along with several private owners—preserves 180 small cottages on a campground that has been named a National Historic Landmark. There are multiple activities and things for visitors to see on the campground, including walking tours, the cottage museum and shops, as well as summer cultural events that take place during July and August. Three guest units are located in the Tabernacle House and guests can rent them by the week or by the month. The campground is convenient to bus transportation for the entire island and within walking distance of downtown Oak Bluffs, beaches, grocery stores, the harbor and shops.
Mytoi Garden
Mytoi Garden is a tranquil Japanese-style garden located in the serene Chappaquiddick pine forest. Enjoy a perfect day by taking a leisurely bike ride to Chappaquiddick and then walking through the lush garden for the ultimate vacation escape experience.
Polly Hill Arboretum
Open year-round, this 20-acre arboretum houses close to 1700 different types of plants, one of which is the famous North Tisbury Azalea. The arboretum showcases the work of renowned horticulturist Polly Hill.
Colonial Edgartown
Edgartown is both the largest town on Martha’s Vineyard and the county seat of Dukes County. This historically rich town offers multiple attractions, from quirky boutiques to the stately Whaling Church, outstanding cuisine and the opportunity to step back in time while strolling through the old-fashioned streets.
Up-Island Stonewalls
For the perfect getaway, travel up-island to Aquinnah, going through Chilmark and West Tisbury along North, Middle or South Roads, gazing at boundary marking stonewalls, rolling hills and the sea.
Martha’s Vineyard Museum
It aims to provide visitors with access to much of the island’s historic information while increasing public awareness about the importance of colonial history. The museum also offers tours of the five island lighthouses.
Martha’s Vineyard offers would-be vacationers, weekenders and other visitors the opportunity to explore some beautiful New England nature, enjoy some relaxation at the beach and take in some of the cultural events that are so much a part of the Vineyard summers. Be sure to eat some of the nation’s best and freshest seafood while there. Start and end your trip by smelling the salt-filled sea air as you travel back and forth on board the Martha’s Vineyard ferry.
Heating Oil — A Good Choice for Massachusetts
Worcester heating prices in MA are higher during the winter. This is the same no matter where you go. The winter Waltham MA heating prices follow the same trend. This is true no matter where a person goes. Even though this is true, it still makes sense to use home heating oil in many homes throughout the state. Low-income residents may be able to get help with a person’s heating bills through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP).
The individual homeowner knows the limitations of heating oil. The tank needs to be filled periodically. It needs to be filled more often in the cooler months of the year. The owner of the tank calls the oil company. The oil company fills the reserve. The user should be able to enjoy hot water and a comfortable environment for weeks or months. The bill may run a few hundred dollars, but this is in comparison to a gas bill that a person receives every month. The Lowell Massachusetts heating oil prices and Cambridge heating oil prices in Massachusetts are now different than the Quincy heating oil prices.
Natural gas and heating oil do have one benefit over the gasoline that is used to fill the car that sits in most people’s driveways. The user does not get different prices in different towns. The prices are often set by the company. They do not go up or down based on the town where a person lives. The different oil companies can start their own price wars. They want to get and keep long-term customers. They can get new customers by making sure that they have competitive low prices. They can keep their old customers by making sure that they keep their prices low.
Heating oil provides an efficient, relatively environmentally friendly source. The user can make it even more environmentally friendly by making sure that his furnace is in good repair. It does not take much to keep the emissions in the furnace down to an acceptable level. The homeowner may need to call in a technician to help him keep the furnace in good working order.
How Healthcare has Changed in the Past Decade
Healthcare since September 11, 2011 has drastically changed and new laws in January 2012 are those of reform. The reform is being implemented all at once so that healthcare is more affordable, giving consumers more options to choose the healthcare that will benefit their families or themselves. The healthcare reform will guarantee basic benefits for those with Medicare and those individual with low income eligible for Medicaid. The individuals that have pre-existing conditions cannot be denied of coverage for children and adults. The new healthcare reform is to help stop insurance companies and the medical profession from fraud.
Healthcare fraud statistics from 2010 has shown an increase in the medical profession. The most common healthcare fraud is when the medical offices file duplicate claims for the same service with the insurance, they write a pain prescription for a patient but the patient doesn’t require pain medicine, modifying medical records, and allowing kick-backs for member’s referrals. All of these are fraud and practitioner that do any of these to insurance companies or to their patients will lose their medical license and will serve some jail time. Members or patients can commit fraud by filing dishonestly or false information when applying for Medicare services. Unfortunately patients biggest fraud statistically is loaning or letting others use their medical card for healthcare services. All of these fraud schemes in the past ten years have greatly increased causing millions of dollars lost for the insurance companies. The government programs Medicaid and Medicare are initiating new programs for seniors to volunteer to prevent fraud from happening to the elderly.
The United States Administration on Aging programs are based on collected healthcare data provided many forms of information. The administration uses HEDIS measures to evaluate the healthcare performance and insurance plans for all consumers. This measuring tool is like a report card that appears numerous Medias for example the local newspaper. Insurance companies and medical facilities use this tool to try to improve the quality of service to their patients’. All data received are collected by certified auditors using a process designed by a quality and clarification measurement process. Ten years ago the process of gathering data was slower but due to technology and computers this is fairly easy to gather the data.
Aging with Grace in the New Millenium
Part of the realities for those who are getting older is that as people age, there are two newer statistics that have changed affecting seniors over the last 20 years. The great news is that people are living longer. In fact one person out of every hundred is 100 years old today. That is an amazing fact. But this newfound longevity which has been accomplished by many advancements in modern medicine has some complications.
The most important part of longevity besides proper health care is quality of life. For many of the elderly this comes with assisted living arrangements. Assisted living is meant to enhance the quality and quantity of life for seniors. It helps take the stress out of day to day living for the elderly. Basic things like food preparation, companionship and transportation services are all held in this one particular location. Basic medical help is available at most facilities as well. Management for these type of facilities look to offer everything from beauticians and mini markets, to weekly entertainment.
The basic services of assisted living facilities provide a sense of freedom and dignity for the aging population. This is true whether you are looking to live in any Texas assisted living facility or one of the many New Jersey assisted living facilities or any state in between. The fact is that America’s aging population is the fastest growing group of people in the country. This is a great thing for most people who are in their middle age; there are many choices for them as they age. Assisted living facilities help people design their later retirement years. This is wonderful as they can now know there is a quality of life that can be ahead for them.
Assisted living facilities most often offer a variety of apartment sizes, from one bedroom units, to two bedroom units. It should be noted that one of the difficulties of assisted living is that they do not readily offer storage to its clients. This can be a difficult thing for people who are considering moving. Most people accumulate a vast array of personal affects over their lifetime and the truth is that most assisted living facilities cannot provide much storage for their occupants. However, overall assisted living provides those who are a bit older with a comfortable and enriching lifestyle that caters to the many needs of their occupants.
