I’ve been to Nantucket at least a dozen times, but every time I return I discover something new.

On a warm but overcast day during our recent summer vacation, my husband and I decided to take a stroll down memory lane. Years ago, we rented a historic cottage on Old North Wharf for three nights in October. We decided to see how Lydia had weathered the years since our visit.

Strolling past the tiny cottage brought back fond memories of a perfect New England Columbus Day weekend in the late 1990s. I remember the sky was brilliant blue, the sun was warm, the beaches were empty, and autumn foliage was beginning to paint the landscape.

We decided to walk on toward the end of the wharf, checking out the other cottages lining the crushed clamshell path. A few doors beyond Lydia, we noticed an open door. Who could resist? We stepped inside and traveled back in time: We had stumbled upon the Wharf Rat Club.

Set in the midst of historic fishing shacks, now renovated and pulling in hefty summer rental rates, the Wharf Rat Club is a surprising but welcome blast from the past. Two older gentlemen, one dapper in a blazer and ascot and the other looking like the “Ol’ Salt” character from a vintage novel, welcomed us as if we were old friends.

It took me a few beats to realize I hadn’t stepped into a re-enactment al la Plimoth Plantation or Old Sturbridge Village. These guys were the real deal. A bunch of them had banded together way back when to purchase the fishing shack. And they won’t budge. Good for them!

— Lisa Matte, editor in chief