Block Island, RI, Guide and Information

Twelve miles off Rhode Island’s southern shoreline sits Block Island, a charming island community eagerly awaiting your arrival.

Arrive by ferry (departing from Point Judith on the mainland) and spot fishermen heading out to sea during your journey. Stroll through Old Harbor, where you’ll find shops and restaurants worthy of the ferry trip. If you feel like investigating the island further, rent a moped or bicycle and reach the many beaches and dramatic sea cliffs.

The Victorian-era buildings in Old Harbor, Block Island, recall a more laid-back time when people would sit on covered porches and take in the view of the Atlantic.

Named one of the last great places on earth, Block Island is a must-see destination for anyone who visits Rhode Island. Stay for a day (or for a week!) and take in the sights of this beautiful island, which you can only get to by ferry. Quaint shops, delicious restaurants, fun bars and nightclubs, and water-related activities abound in a place with no chain restaurants and no traffic lights.

Most people don’t like dealing with traffic unless it involves a flotilla of boats. Yes, during the summer months especially, you can delight in all the comings and goings on the water in and around Block Island whether you’re in a boat or on land. It’s a favorite stopping off point for people sailing from New York or Connecticut to Rhode Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. If you’re lucky enough to own your own boat in the Northeast, you’ve surely enjoyed some fun times on Block Island. If you don’t, try to get hooked up with a friend’s boat. Or a friend of a friend’s boat. Sailing in this part of the United States is super sweet.Here you’ll find some of the nicest beaches in Rhode Island even though you might have to work a bit to access them. Some of the sandiest swathes are situated at the foot of tall bluffs. To many–perhaps the more athletic types–it’s worth it, since the long set of stairs (some 141 steps) at Mohegan Bluffs leads you two hundred feet down to one of the loveliest beaches in the world. (Just remember that it’s the climbing out part that can leave you weary after your time below. Doesn’t a long day on the beach leave you dog-tired in any event?)

It’s worth mucking about on nearby Vail Beach beneath the cliffs of clay. Get down and dirty and slather the mud all over your body. This mineral-rich clay detoxifies and restores your skin even better than a pricey mud wrap at a chichi spa. Go ahead and indulge, especially since it’s free and you can rinse it off within the salty jets of the ocean.

You can never have too many pictures of lighthouses, especially when they’re so historic that they’re listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built out of brown granite in 1867 and situated on the northernmost tip of the island, Block Island North Light offers a sturdy New England presence from both land and sea.

You should be able to capture some good shots at the surrounding dunes. Get creative with the many wondrous shapes etched within the sand, abstract and otherwise. Keep your eyes out for piping plovers, another joyous subject of interest on this part of the island and get ready to hit play as they scurry about. Head over to the National Wildlife Refuge for more magical shots of wildlife and the land, sea and sky that they inhabit.

On this episode we talk with Jessica Willi of the Block IslandTourism Council.

-www.BlockIslandInfo.com
-www.DiscoveryMap.com
-www.blockislandstay.com