Jonathan Burke
On My Way: Walking the Island sea
We came over the dune to discover the most beautiful day. The sea of the Vineyard Sound was a sun-filled blue. The sky shined...
On My Way: Raking for stuffed quahogs
I looked over the water. The first light with hints of yellow and orange was on the surface. My head hurt a little from...
On My Way: Becham was love
The harmony sounded from the trees. I looked to see. The tops bent and swayed. The branches swirled and the leaves fluttered. The morning...
On My Way: Happy trails
Smiles poured over us. We had made the top. After a 3½-day road trip, countless miles on I-80 through America’s vast and endless cornfields,...
On My Way: Passage to South Beach
The original plan was to paddle from within the Lagoon to the Edgartown Lighthouse. But some four hours later as we battled a headwind...
On My Way: Waking up on the water
My kayak sped over the water on a downwind sail. The water shushed the hull and my paddles splashed. I was just waking. The...
On My Way: Cross-Island hike
The birds sang from their hidden perches somewhere in the trees.
The songs rang out on the gorgeous day of abundant sun and blue sky,...
On My Way: Crossing through curiosity
We sat in our kayaks and looked across the pond. A storybook of large dunes, some streaked with swaths of white and others draped...
On My Way: Voyage to the pond
In May 1869, John Wesley Powell and nine men pushed off from the banks of the Green River in four specially designed and constructed...
On My Way: Walking with Becham on South Beach
Becham dug excitedly, and when he had a hole large enough, he stuffed his nose in, not minding the sand all over his face...
On My Way: A walk in the clouds
We were above the treeline traversing the summit in the clouds for a moment.
This is not entirely true. Trees were all around us, and...
On My Way: Mapping a new trail
A few weeks ago, I had the rare opportunity of following a bouncing ball.
Have you ever wondered how a trail makes its way onto...
On My Way: Community spirit
The annual 5K for KJ is a Thanksgiving tradition in my family.
Our first participation in the event was in ’16 or ’17, when my...
On My Way: Hiking Cedar Tree Neck
Are you looking for a mellow hike of a few hours in a terrain as varied as the Island? If so, the 400 acres...
On My Way: Reflecting on the Red Trail
The Red Trail is not the hilliest trail. In fact, it is flat. Nor is the Red Trail a long trail. The trail of...
On My Way: Riding the gravel trail
The gravel ride from the meadow of Quansoo Farm to the meadow of Nat’s Farm, with all sorts of surprises in between, was fun...
On My Way: Kayaking the Chop and beyond
I have long been enamored of the small, circular Oak Bluffs Harbor that summer folks flock to in droves. The numerous million-dollar yachts tied...
On My Way: Life is good
I took a long sip of the large Cumbie’s iced coffee flavored with a shot of amaretto — the indulgence a reward for a...
On My Way: Cross-Island hike
An electrical current coursed through the cool air.
I leaned against a tree and stretched my legs. Folks congregated outside the Trustees building. We had...
On My Way: Poking around the pilings
I paddled out from the shore. A seagull swooped down in front me. I heard the wash in the water. I had made the...