=While visiting Cape Cod, consider spending a day or two or more on the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, summertime havens that share much of the Cape’s cultural history and scenic ambience. Both islands were settled in the 1600s by colonists from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, both were major seaports linked with Cape fisheries, and both have attracted vacationers since the steamboat days of the 1800s. Despite these similarities, the islands are distinctive.= =Martha’s Vineyard is closest—only 7 miles and 45 minutes by ferry from Woods Hole. Nantucket is about 30 miles from the Cape and 2 hours and 20 minutes by ferry from Hyannis. And don’t feel you have to take your car. Bicycles, mopeds, taxis, and buses are available.= Martha’s Vineyard New England’s largest island, Martha’s Vineyard is 24 miles long and 10 miles wide. Vineyard Haven was a major port until the Cape Cod Canal re-routed ship traffic in 1914. Today, the ferry stops at Vineyard Haven and, in the summer, at Oak Bluffs, an old Methodist camp meeting site. The Vineyard’s eclectic architecture includes Victorian gingerbread houses and cottages in Oak Bluffs, sturdy white clapboard sea captains’ houses in Edgartown, a mix of styles in Vineyard Haven, fishing shanties in Menemsha, and cedar-shingled cottages throughout the island. Examine whaling artifacts at the Dukes County Historical Museum in Edgartown, look for ospreys at the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, inspect solar- and wind-powered energy sources at the Windfarm Museum, and visit Gay Head’s scenic cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. Nantucket Nantucket is the name not only of the island but of the county and of the main town on the island, which is 14 miles long and 3½ miles wide. The island is known for its more than 800 houses built between 1740 and 1840, for its brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets, for its encircling 55 miles of beautiful beaches, and for its whaling and Quaker heritage. Nantucket’s architecture reflects the great wealth garnered by its whaling merchants and captains. The most notable structures are the Three Bricks and the Two Greeks, mansions built across from each other by Joseph Starbuck and William Hadwen respectively. Be sure to see the old whaleboat and other seafaring artifacts at the Whaling Museum; ship captain portraits, old baskets, and other historical objects at the Peter Foulger Museum; the elegant ballroom in the William Hadwen House. These sites are administered by the Nantucket Historical Association (508-228-1894). You may also visit a re-created beach station at the Nantucket Life Saving Museum. And don’t be startled if you hear Nantucketers refer to the mainland as America. It’s a sign of their isolation and independence. Information Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1698, Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568-1698; 508-693-0085. Nantucket Visitor Services, 25 Federal St., Nantucket, MA 02554-3573; 508-228-0925.