Crowd Pleaser as Sun Sets at Menemsha Beach
Eager crowd begins to arrive well before sunset to stake out their place on the beach.
Eager crowd begins to arrive well before sunset to stake out their place on the beach.
Many pick up seafood on Dutcher Dock for dinner.
Many pick up seafood on Dutcher Dock for dinner.
Boaters look westward.
Boaters look westward.
Capturing a special family moment.
Capturing a special family moment.
Shadows lengthen as the sun slips lower in the sky.
Shadows lengthen as the sun slips lower in the sky.
Best seats in the house?
Best seats in the house?
Young and old alike get their phones ready.
Young and old alike get their phones ready.
Magic time as the sun touches Vineyard Sound.
Magic time as the sun touches Vineyard Sound.
Packing up to head home.
Packing up to head home.
As the sky off Menemsha Beach begins to turn pink — the first sign of the show — the beach is already packed. People bring chairs, others set out towels. Everywhere, iPhones are held up and aimed westward. People sipped cups of chowder and slurped oysters.
At around 7:47, the blaze slipped beneath the horizon beyond the sea. The crowd claps. A boat honks, and the parking lot begins to empty. People walk up Basin Road, back to their cars, past a sculpture in the dunes of a man, his harpoon and his catch.