Exploring the Charm of Nantucket

When Jennifer Garner travels, she never just skims the surface of a destination. Whether she’s chasing the Northern Lights with her mom in Yellowknife, Canada; performing purifying rituals at a Japanese temple; or obsessing over a doughnut shop in North Vancouver, the 54-year-old explores the world with a sense of open curiosity and eagerness to learn.

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And that’s the spirit that she packed when she spent nearly a month on Nantucket filming The Five-Star Weekend, the Peacock series based on Elin Hilderbrand’s best-selling novel. In it, she plays a food influencer Hollis Shaw who mourns her husband’s sudden death by inviting girlfriends from every era of her life for a weekend getaway on the Massachusetts island.

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“It’s the perfect location–especially in September when the crowds have dispersed a bit—where everyone can have their own experience in the day and come back together at night and talk about it,” the actress, who also served as an executive producer, tells Condé Nast Traveler. “We all really fell in love.”

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With a powerhouse cast that also included D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, and Chloë Sevigny, the coastal setting provided just the right backdrop. “I’ve never worked with a group of women like this before on set—we are so different, yet we had such group harmony from the very beginning,” she says.

That rapport grew as they immersed themselves into the island’s way of life. Garner relished in going to “a beautiful congressional church” on Sunday mornings and “really loved” joining local workouts including Pilates and hot yoga—a practice she hadn’t done in a decade. In fact, the cast melded so much into the community that they were even spotted karaoking with locals at The Gaslight restaurant.

Discovering the Beauty of Nantucket

When asked about her trip, Garner shared that she was in Nantucket for three and a half weeks and worked nonstop. However, despite her busy schedule, she made sure to make the most of every minute, as evident from her photos.

Garner confessed that she didn’t know much about the region before filming, having only visited Martha’s Vineyard for a night when she was 24 and lived in New York. She had also been to Nantucket once about 10 years ago to speak at The Nantucket Project for Save the Children, but she had gone straight to meetings and never saw anything on the island.

However, during her recent visit, she was amazed by the island’s beauty and variety. She noted that there are so many different Nantuckets you can experience, from hiking and biking to being a beach bum all day, going on a shopping trip, or having a food journey and enjoying lobster mac and cheese, lobster quesadillas, lobster ravioli, lobster everything.

A Glimpse into Her Packing Habits

When it comes to packing, Garner admitted that she always overpacks. However, she also confessed that she’s not sartorially gifted, so any time her clothes looked good, she was in wardrobe. During her stay, she noticed the local style, which was all about being preppy, with brands like Lilly Pulitzer and Jenni Kayne being popular.

Despite her love for Aviator Nation, Garner confessed to also loving Vuori and Perfect White Tee. She also mentioned that her favorite white t-shirts are from Perfect White Tee and The Great, and she takes white t-shirts very seriously. Her jeans were from Mother and Nili Lotan, and if she wanted to go fancy, she might have had a sweater or two from The Row.

Her Travel Essentials

When it comes to her travel essentials, Garner mentioned that she never travels without her Dove deodorant and Neutrogena sunscreen. She worked for Neutrogena for a long time, so out of habit and loyalty, she still uses it.

She also confessed that she doesn’t travel without Virtue’s Recovery shampoo and conditioner, which she uses to keep her hair healthy, especially when she’s working out in the sun. She will hunt it down if she can’t find it in her destination.

Her Tech and Souvenirs

When it comes to staying connected, Garner uses her phone more than anything else. She also brings an iPad with a keyboard for any computery stuff.

As for souvenirs, Garner fell in love with the Nantucket history and got a lot of whale-shaped things at the Whaling Museum gift store. She even became a member of the Whaling Museum and went to lectures and events to learn more about the island’s history.