Memorial Day in Martha’s Vineyard: An Aerial + Yoga Escape
Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard
May 28-31, 2021
Join Brenna Bradbury of High Flying Retreats and Alexandra Baackes of Alex in Wanderland on an aerial getaway to kick off summer in East Coast island style!
This four day aerial arts and yoga retreat in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts is based in the colorful community of Oak Bluffs. We’ll practice aerial hammock, aerial dance and aerial yoga in the stunning converted Yoga Barn and roll out our mats to practice in an oceanside park and on the sand. And you know we’re doing an aerial photoshoot with Brenna on the beach!
Alex, who has a family home on the island and has been visiting since childhood, will show us her favorite rugged beaches, hip breweries, family farms, charming lighthouses, rugged cliffs, quaint towns and beyond. This retreat will give you a true insider’s look at one of America’s most beloved beach destinations.
Memorial Day Weekend is the official kickoff of summer on Martha’s Vineyard. Come celebrate with us!
Please note that while this retreat is open to a variety of levels of yogis and aerialists, you must have a passion for aerial arts and a base-level of skill in hammock before enrolling. Feel free to contact Brenna or Alex to discuss your situation.
The Details
The dates of this retreat are May 28-31, 2021. There are multiple accommodation options, starting at $1,100.
What’s Included
• Three nights accommodation in either an exclusive Oak Bluffs gingerbread cottage, or the cute boutique hotel next door
• Three breakfasts and two dinners, plus snacks and surprises
• Three aerial hammock workshops + two mat classes with Brenna and Alex
• Professional photos of the retreat
• Welcome bag
• All on-island transportation
• Donation to local charities
What’s Not Included
• Meals not included in the itinerary — we’ll head to some favorite island restaurants as a group, though!
• Alcohol
• Transport to and from Martha’s Vineyard
• Travel insurance — highly recommended!
The Itinerary
Subject to change, and expect surprises, but here’s the general idea.
Day 1: Arrivals + a chilled vinyasa flow in Ocean Park. Cocktail-in-hand walking tour of the Oak Bluffs Gingerbread Cottages by Alex, followed by dinner at our very own Cottage HQ. A late-night ice cream and mission may ensue!
Day 2: Breakfast at the cottage followed by an Aerial Hammock Workshop at The Yoga Barn with Brenna. After class, we’ll head into Edgartown, which rivals Oak Bluffs for the most beloved town on the island title. Here we’ll grab lunch, window shop, and hit up a brewery and grab supplies for an afternoon at sunny State Beach. Pack your best beach float! (Or, enjoy one from Alex’s overflowing collection…). Later, we’ll have dinner on the lawn at Noman’s, where there’s often live music — and we can sip island-made local rum.
Day 3: Breakfast at the cottage followed by an Aerial Dance Workshop at The Yoga Barn. Then, we’re off on an Up Island Adventure! We’ll visit the Aquinnah Lighthouse and cliffs, have a sustainable seafood picnic on the sand in Menemsha, and wander to Great Rock Bight Beach before returning to The Yoga Barn for a chilled out Aerial Yin Workshop. Finally, we’ll return to Oak Bluffs for a summer cookout dinner at the cottage.
Day 4: Breakfast at the cottage followed by an early morning vinyasa flow and aerial hammock photoshoot at Inkwell Beach. After, enjoy free time to explore the island towns, take a bike ride, or relax in before departure at your leisure.
Where We’ll Stay
This unique retreat has two options for accommodation — and they are 500 feet apart!
Four guests will have the opportunity to stay in the historic Hare Hunter Hound cottage with Brenna and Alex. The house has three upstairs bedrooms (one with one double bed, and two interconnected rooms, one with a double bed, and one with two single beds) that share a renovated full bathroom. Brenna and Alex will share the master suite downstairs, which also has a full bathroom. There’s also a cute garden, a rocking-chair covered porch, and a cozy living room to relax in. All guests will have their own beds, but please come prepared to trade some privacy for charm, and some personal space for sleepover vibes! The cottage has been featured in Yankee Magazine and a Small Houses coffee table book — she’s a stunner.
Six guests will have the opportunity to stay at the chic Summercamp Hotel. Here, there is the option for either shared or private bedrooms. The fun and chic rooms here reflect the style of the gingerbread house neighbors and overlook the Oak Bluffs Harbor. Private rooms have a queen bed, while shared rooms have either a king bed or two twins.
Travel With Us
On this trip you’ll be traveling with Wander Women Retreats founder Alexandra Baackes and High Flying Retreats founder Brenna Bradbury as your hosts.
Alexandra Baackes has been visiting Martha’s Vineyard since she was a tot, and is now honored to share her family’s Oak Bluffs cottage with you! She is a RYT 200 Registered Yoga Teacher, an aerial vinyasa and yin instructor, a Buti Bands and Sculpt instructor, and an aerial arts enthusiast. She runs retreats around the world, from Egypt to Thailand to the Dominican Republic and beyond, but has a soft spot in her heart for retreats run in places she calls part-time home.
Brenna Bradbury has performed as an aerialist and dancer with an assortment of entertainment companies in New York City, and as a speciality artist at venues such as The Box, The Slipper Room, The Diamond Horseshoe, Galapagos Art Space, and House of Yes. Off-Broadway, she performed aerial moon in “Speakeasy Dollhouse: Midnight Frolic” at the Liberty Theater. Brenna won 2nd place in the 2015 U.S. Aerial Championships, Silks Division, and was selected as a finalist in the 2016 U.S. Aerial Championships, Lyra Division. She has her 200 hour Vinyasa TT from Atmananda Yoga Studio, her 50 hour Aerial Yoga TT from OM Factory, and her 25 hour Flexibility TT from Elevated Education, through Body & Pole.
Health + Safety
Due to the shared nature of the cottage accommodation, all guests who stay in the house must be vaccinated against COVID-19 (Brenna and Alex are both fully vaccinated, of course!) All guests who are not vaccinated must book hotel accommodation and present a negative COVID test received within three days of departure, as required by Massachusetts state guidelines.
How to Get to Martha’s Vineyard
The easiest way? Fly into the island’s own airport, MVY! You’ll have stunning views on the way in to what is just about the world’s cutest airport. If you chose this option, airport transfers will be included. There are direct flights from New York, Boston, and beyond.
The cheaper way? Fly into Boston. From there, you can take a $35, 3 hour Peter Pan bus directly from the airport to the Wood’s Hole ferry terminal, where you’ll get on the $8, 45 minute ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. We’ll be waiting on the other end!
The no-flying way? Take a ferry! Our accommodation is about a five minute walk from the Oak Bluffs terminal. Again, we’ll be waiting on the other end!
• Steamship Authority from Wood’s Hole, MA: Wood’s Hole to Oak Bluffs in forty-five minutes — and just $9.50 each way!
• Seastreak Ferry From New Bedford, MA: New Bedford to Oak Bluffs in fifty minutes.
• Seastreak Ferry From NJ/NYC: Highlands, NJ and NYC to Oak Bluffs in five hours.
• Vineyard Fast Ferry – Quonset Point, North Kingstown, RI to Oak Bluffs in 95-minutes.
• Island Queen – Falmouth, Cape Cod, MA to Oak Bluffs in just 35-minutes.
Join Us
Due to the current global situation, this retreat has extremely limited space — and is likely to sell out quickly. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. Payment plans are available. Sign up for the Wander Women Retreats newsletter to be the first to know when enrollment opens on future retreats.
This retreat does have a minimum number of guests required to run. Please only book refundable travel until we tell you the threshold has been met! You will have a final decision by May 1st.
Remember, don’t hesitate to email Brenna at highflyingretreats@gmail.com or Alex at retreats@alexinwanderland.com with any and all questions or concerns over if this is the right retreat for you. We’d love to chat!
High Flying Martha’s Vineyard: An Aerial Hammock + Yoga Retreat
$1,100.00 – $2,500.00
F.A.Q.
Will I have time to do my own thing?
This is your retreat and we want you to make it exactly what you want! There’s so much we want you to see and experience on Martha’s Vineyard and it’s a pretty short time, so we will have a pretty full schedule. Any time you want to bow out to have some “me-time” or do your own thing, that’s totally cool.
Can I do a payment plan and pay in installments?
Absolutely. Email us at retreats@alexinwanderland.com.
Will I need travel insurance?
We highly recommend traveling with insurance always, especially given the global situation with COVID-19.
Is there an age requirement?
You must be 18 years old or older.
What is the refund policy?
Remaining invoices are due 15 days before departure. The $500 deposit to secure your space is non-refundable. If the trip must be postponed or cancelled due to events beyond our control (for example, a global pandemic resurgence!), you will be offered the choice between a full refund and applying your payment to a future trip.
Is there a waiting list?
We will have a waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis in case spaces open up. If the retreat is full and you’re still interested, email Brenna at highflyingretreats@gmail.com or or Alex at retreats@alexinwanderland.com and she will add you to the waiting list.