Few weeks back, it was reported that the Obama family had chosen Martha’s Vineyard for their summer vacation this year during the last week of August.

It has now been confirmed that the President, with First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia, will be renting the Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, Dukes County, in Martha’s Vineyard.

The property overlooks Town Cove, the westernmost finger of the Tisbury Great Pond. Accoriding to this report, there’s three leases being worked out - one for the Obama family, one for the Secret Service and one for the White House entourage.

The article also adds that the property rental is likely to be in the range of $35,000 to $50,000 per week.

It’s also possible that the First Lady and the Obama daughters could land up there a bit early, with the President joining them later.

Blue Heron Farm has four homes, including a white Victorian farm house, a reconstructed Pennsylvania hay barn and a Vermont shed. The current owners - William and Mollie Van Devender of Jackson, Miss - bought the property for $20.35 million in 2005.

According to wikipedia, one of the main attractions in Chilmark up until 1854 was that the town had a deaf population of one in every 25 people, while the national average was one deaf person in 5728.

And the town has no direct access to the mainland via ferry or by air. Martha’s Vineyard Airport is in neighboring West Tisbury, and the Wood’s Hole Ferry is in Vineyard Haven, which is almost twelve miles removed from the town center.

And there are no large resorts or hotels in Chilmark. The best option seems to be the Beach Plum Inn & Restaurant, overlooking the sea in Menemsha, which has just 11 rooms.

Hope the Obamas aren’t planning an extended vacation, because this place seems more like a retirement community than a vacation resort area.

Obama family photo from Obama-Biden transition project. Chilmark Photo by petersbar.

Posted on July 24th, 2009 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News