Michael J. Fox Said He Was Happiest At This Vacation Destination

If you're looking for destination inspiration for somewhere that inspires happy feelings, perhaps take some advice from the man behind some beloved feel-good films. Michael J. Fox has a solid idea of what a happy place looks like to him. When asked by Vanity Fair when and where he was happiest, Fox's answer painted a picture of a beach day in Martha's Vineyard, the dune-and-clam-shack-dotted island off of Massachusetts' coast. He described, "The last time my wife, Tracy Pollan, and I and all four kids were together on the beach in Martha's Vineyard. Dogs chilling in the shade behind the beach chairs." There's no glamorous premiere or far-flung adventure in that scene — Fox's happy-place vignette is a pretty simple blueprint for travelers to follow on the long stretches of the island's sandy shoreline.

Martha's Vineyard has been part of Fox's family story for decades. The Vineyard Gazette reported in 2021 that Fox has been a summer vacationer on the island since 1988. Another article in the Gazette noted that Fox and Pollan had their honeymoon there, which is how Fox discovered the island in the first place. The couple once owned a home in Aquinnah, a town on the far west tip of Martha's Vineyard, as Martha's Vineyard Magazine reported. They even named one of their children Aquinnah. Over and over, Fox has chosen Martha's Vineyard as the place to spend time with his family and unwind. Travelers can find plenty of ways to enjoy the iconic American island that captures an English village charm, whether traveling with families or solo, from lounging on beaches to exploring gingerbread cottages and lighthouses, all topped off with a seafood dinner at sunset.

If you're following in Michael J. Fox's footsteps in Martha's Vineyard, you could start in Aquinnah, where the Edmonton-born actor once owned a home. At the Aquinnah Cliffs Overlook, you can admire the multicolored clay cliffs that rise above the Atlantic, then walk a short distance over to the 19th-century brick Gay Head Light. For some beach relaxation, Moshup Beach sits below cliffs and is reached by a roughly 10-minute walk from the Moshup Trail parking area, but be warned or welcomed: a section of the beach is clothing optional.

On the north shore of the island, Lambert's Cove Beach is a coveted stretch of white sand with Caribbean-like waters. Visitors reach the beach via a wooded trail that crosses a dune on a boardwalk, leading to a cove with gentle waters, but access is more limited than some other Martha's Vineyard beaches — from mid-June through mid-September, daytime entry is generally reserved for local residents or renters with beach passes, as per the West Tisbury website.

If you want to see some of Martha's Vineyard's whimsical architecture, you could head to Oak Bluffs, a resort beach town full of colorful cottages. Wander through the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association to see the fanciful homes up close, then head toward the waterfront for the sandy beaches and the historic Flying Horses Carousel. Nearby Vineyard Haven also has an interesting tie to Fox — it was at the town's Black Dog Tavern where Fox first spoke to Davis Guggenheim, who would later direct a documentary about Fox (via the Vineyard Gazette). The tavern is still a well-loved fixture for clam chowder and lobster rolls with 4.2 stars on Google Maps at the time of writing.