Making a splash at Mansion House

I don't think I've written much about Mansion House, the luxurious old-fashioned hotel located in the heart of Vineyard Haven, even though I visit there almost every day. No, I did not get a job as a chambermaid and I'm certainly not staying there as a guest (it costs much more than I could ever afford). About a month ago, I bought a three-month membership at their wonderful health club, which offers plenty of workout equipment and classes in yoga, aerobics, pilates, etc. The real attraction for me, however, was the facility's incredible 75-foot-long indoor pool, which I have been visiting regularly.

Why swim inside when you're on an island, surrounded by water? Hmmm. Head down to the beach, dip your feet in the water and see how eager you are to get in and swim for half an hour. Although the waves are slightly warmer now than they were a month ago, they are too chilly for my taste and besides, I don't do much swimming in the kind of shallow water you find at the beaches (there are copious amounts of seaweed drifting through the currents here, for one thing, and there's nothing like getting seaweed in your hair or in your face to send you running from the water).

The Mansion House pool, on the other hand, is maintained at a steady 83 degrees, just warm enough that you don't shiver or shriek when your tummy first touches the water. It's also chlorine-free: I don't know the exact name of the system they use to keep the pool clean -- they call it "Spring Water" in their literature -- but it involves using salt water instead of eye-stinging, swimsuit-bleaching chlorine to keep the pool clean. So it's sort of like swimming in the ocean, without the distractions of unpleasant plants, rocks or mysterious sea creatures brushing up against your legs. Remember that "Jaws" was filmed in this very neighborhood, so having something brushing up against you in the water can spark all sorts of gruesome memories.

The only downside to the Mansion House experience is that downtown Vineyard Haven has a very limited amount of parking spaces and finding one anywhere near Mansion House is about as common as finding a $1000 bill on the sidewalk. Many days I am forced to park several blocks away in the neighborhood district, and I could swear I get more exercise walking to and from the health club than I actually get inside. Even so, if the weather is nice, it's hard to complain about such "inconveniences."

I was also surprised to see that Mansion House will soon be hosting "Come Together," an exhibit of artwork from John Lennon. It opens this Friday as a benefit for the Island Food Pantry. The artwork is also for sale, and I'm sure there will be something in my price range (ha!). Well, perhaps not, but I can afford the $2 admission fee, so I guess I have another good reason to keep on battling the Vineyard Haven traffic.