run to eat :: repeat

7/7: DAY TRIP: BLOCK ISLAND

:: from car to ferry to walking the beach to diving in the waves ::

13 miles off Rhode Island, ~1,000 residents live on Block Island year-round / it’s 1 of 12 places in the western hemisphere that appear on The Nature Conservancy’s list of “The Last Great Places,”

and besides rightfully describing it as “pork-chop-shaped,” The New York Times has this to say:

Block Island remains blissfully undisturbed by the current of commercialism, mostly because of strict zoning laws and conservation efforts that date to the 1960s. The island remains largely rural, with rolling hills, chalky cliffs and stone walls that resemble the coast of Ireland. The Victorian architecture of Queen Anne porches and mansard roofs has changed so little that it’s possible to identify buildings in photographs from the turn of the 20th century. Besides a Ben & Jerry’s and a tiny Starbucks, the island is free of chain stores, and there is nary a neon sign or traffic light. – “On Tiny Block Island, Summer Lasts Longer”

Kelly and I drove down from Boston—it took an hour and 45 minutes—and here’s a snapshot of our budget-friendly, low-key itinerary:

TAKE THE BLOCK ISLAND FERRY FROM NARRAGANSETT: aim to arrive half an hour before the ferry departs, and park in the lot that’s closest to the ferry terminal off Great Island Road / at $10 for the day, it offered the cheapest rate (we passed other lots w/ fees of $15)

then hop on the Traditional Ferry for $22.55 roundtrip (including tax) / it takes 55 minutes to cruise thru Block Island Sound, and expect a crowd that is ready to PARTY—lots of tiny neon bikinis and 1 out of every 2 people crushing amazeballs Bloody Marys w/ all the fixin’s / once the ferry docks,

RENT A BIKE AT THE OLD HARBOR BIKE SHOP: unless you own a mountain bike, leave your wheels at home and eat the $25 to rent a cruiser for the day—their super fat tires will allow you to off-road easily along bumpy, rocky paths to the beach, and they’ve got baskets + cushy seats / a couple storefronts past the parking lot, make a pit-stop at the

MAKE A PIT-STOP AT THE RED BIRD LIQUOR STORE on Dodge Street where you can pick up some suds / throw ‘em in your basket and then bike ~1 mile ½ to

MANSION BEACH, OFF CORN NECK ROAD: it’s 1 of 3 beaches that make up Crescent Beach, and highlights include: free access, no lifeguard, great surf, and soft sand / + north of the beach, you can apparently find “Pots & Kettles,” “iron-rich clay deposits” where you can bathe/take a mud bath in clay pools / once you’ve soaked in your daily allotment of sun and salt, bike your way to

THE OAR, IN THE BLOCK ISLAND MARINA: the best seats are outside in Adirondack chairs or at picnic tables in the grass where you can alternate noshing w/ playing bocce, beer in hand / Kel and I sat at a hightop in the bar where frozen mudslides were going down like water (note: they are DELICIOUS) and Carmindy from “What Not to Wear” sat w/ us for a bit (we had to ask a rabid fan who she was) / I ordered some very awesome sushi (most rolls cost $10), Kel dug her mahi mahi crab cakes, and she introduced me to my new favorite summer beer, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy 

then, when you’re ready to call it a day, drop off your bikes and hit

THE ICE CREAM PLACE: it’s right across from the ferry on Weldon’s Way and they’ve got homemade waffle cones, “real” whipped cream, and a serious selection of flavors / it’ll ease the pain of having to leave this relaxed, lovely island

enjoy! :)