Summer Vacation Onset
If you’re looking for a postage-stamp village with miles of resort-quality beaches, then Onset, Massachusetts might be your next vacation spot. It has been a popular tourist destination since the 1800’s and many Victorian-era buildings are still in use. The Onset Bay Association publishes a map and brochure to guide modern-day visitors on their own walking tour of historic sites in the area, and any lazy stroll through town is bound to reveal a few antique summer cottages complete with gingerbread trim.
Onset’s main attraction is, of course, the beaches: a well-kept family-friendly treasure of sand and salt water, with plenty of room for swimming, sunbathing and boating. If you’re looking for an affordable vacation with the kids, there are abundant vacation rentals and timeshares within walking distance of the ocean. When you tire of the sand, there is still plenty to see. A short walk up the bluff leads to streets peppered with an assortment of boutiques and locally-owned businesses. Onset provides a unique shopping experience full of antiques, clothing, gifts and souvenirs, and handcrafts by various local artisans.
Aside from the obligatory Dunkin’ Donuts, Onset is full of things you can’t find anywhere else. Locals rave about Marc Anthony’s La Pizzeria, a family-owned restaurant a short walk from the water. Don’t let the name fool you; their menu is immense. While there are plenty of pizza choices there, you can also find numerous local seafood dishes featuring clams, shrimp, scallops and lobster, as well as a full range of sandwiches and entrees. Arcade games and fried dough make this a great place to turn the kids loose while the adults enjoy fresh lobster. Down the street a few doors from Marc Anthony’s, you can still find Nana’s, with a wide assortment of ice cream and candy sure to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. Kenny’s Salt Water Taffy stands just beside the pier, offering specialty hot dogs, fried seafood, and fabulous milkshakes, all made to order. They also have homemade fudge, and of course salt water taffy; you can still watch it being made on site. A rare local treasure, Kenny’s has been around for more than a hundred years!
- Various carnivals and fairs liven up the bluffs in the summer months as well; the biggest of these generally includes carnival rides and a flea market, and is capped by the annual Independence Day fireworks.
Onset has changed very little in the past thirty years. It is still a carefree waterfront village where children play in the surf and the ice-cream trucks patrol the bluffs. The same local businesses still stand, waiting to welcome summer visitors. A timeshare or vacation rental in Onset still promises the summer of every kid’s dreams.
