Block Island: Serenity Now!
Written: Jul 02 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: beautiful, relaxing, not built up, charming, nice beaches
Cons: expensive, ferry can be nauseating, can be hard to get a reservation
The Bottom Line: I didn't want to leave.
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| beckytcy's Full Review: Block Island |
I’d been having a stressful few weeks leading up to my four-day weekend on Block Island. All day long, it seems, I have endless e-mail exchanges and phone calls with realtors, mortgage lenders, furniture stores, lawyers, banks, and banks’ lawyers. I was a little concerned about going away in the midst of my delayed real estate transaction, but this vacation couldn’t have come at a better time.
While Boston is cold and rainy and filled with stress, Block Island, eight miles off the coast of Rhode Island, is calm and charming. And it was sunny while the mainland has been experiencing the wettest summer on record. I returned to Boston relaxed and rejuvenated, and with a pretty sweet tan. It’s still raining, and my real estate drama continues, but at least I was able to escape for a few days.
Popsrocks calls Block Island Northern Bermuda I couldn’t agree more. Both islands are oases of tranquility, away from the hustle and bustle of cars and stress. Of course, Bermuda has a much higher population and several corporate businesses, including banks and insurance companies. Many Block Island residents (or Blockheads) have to commute off the island to work.
Only about 1000 people live on Block Island year-round. In the summer, the population swells to about 15,000. Unlike Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island has maintained a rustic, uncrowded feel thanks to the acres and acres of conservation land. There are a few gift shops, but there was not one place that I would describe as tacky. In fact, I think the island could use a bit more entertainment, such as a mini-golf course. There’s a small movie theater and arcade in town, but there’s really not much to do there if it rains.
Lodging
Block Island hotels and B&Bs are quite expensive, from what I’ve read. A more economical idea is to rent a house or apartment for a week. My aunt found a weekly rental on craigslist and booked it for our family. My parents and brother and I stayed in the house for the first half of the week, and my aunt and uncle and cousins stayed there for the rest of the week. Our landlady, who lives in the main house during the off-season, stayed in a cottage on the property with her adorable dog. Other wildlife that we saw outside the house included a peacock, a mother hen and her chickens, and a pony who had escaped from the local riding school.
Being on Block Island is kind of like finding yourself in a children’s book. All the houses are adorable (many have mansard roofs, which I love), and there are lovely ducks and birds everywhere. The Hotel Manisses, where we had a fantastic dinner one night, has a zoo area that features all kinds of exotic animals. I felt like I was at the drop-off point for Noah’s Ark! There were tortoises, a goat, a yak, a Scottish Highland steer, a camel, llamas, emus, and a half-zebra/half-donkey — a zebu!
Getting There
Flying from Westerly Airport takes about 12 minutes; the hi-speed ferry takes 30; and the regular ferry takes about 55. We took the regular ferry (from Rhode Island) because you can bring your car on it, and it’s the cheapest option. Warning: you might feel a little seasick on the ferry. I didn’t feel great on the way there, but it’s possible that my hangover could have contributed to that. On the way back, I stood on the top deck and looked at the horizon and felt fine. If you plan to take your car, make sure you book your ferry a few weeks in advance because they tend to get booked up.
Once you are on the island, drive slowly because the roads are in pretty rough shape. A lot of people ride bikes or rent mopeds on the island, but the dirt roads are not conducive to two-wheeled vehicles.
Activities
As I mentioned, there’s not a lot to do on the island besides going to the beach and checking out the zedonk at Abram’s Animal Farm. But that was fine by me! I was content to lie on the beach and go boogie-boarding. The nicest beaches seem to be Mansion Beach and the Town Beach (both part of the crescent of beaches on the west side). Town Beach is the only one that has a bath house. Seventeen miles of beaches surround the island, but some of them are rocky and not suitable for swimming. It’s fun to skip rocks and walk around, though.
If you are more motivated do DO STUFF, you can rent kayaks on the Great Salt Pond, go parasailing, or go fishing.
In addition to lying on the beach, we took a few hikes. It’s peaceful to walk through Rodman’s Hollow in the middle of the island, but be careful of the poison ivy. My favorite location that we hiked to was the Mohegan Cliffs. The setting is gorgeous with the rolling hills and stone walls. I almost felt like I was in Ireland.
There are several lovely art galleries and unique shops in town, but prices tend to be really high. There’s a decent-sized supermarket in town, but it is really expensive. We bought some cereal and juice and lunch stuff, but we went out to dinner all three nights. Which brings me to…
Dining
There’s no shortage of delicious restaurants on Block Island. All the restaurants are relatively casual; none require jackets. Compared to the high prices of food at the supermarket, the restaurants are reasonably priced. The first night we went to Sharkey’s where I got a giant hunk of sesame-encrusted tuna with soy and wasabi. I also sampled some calamari as an appetizer and some of my family’s fish and chips. The fries weren’t nearly as good as the beer-battered fries that we got at the Oar the next night, but the clam chowder was nice and creamy. The Oar is even more casual than Sharkey’s and is decorated with multi-colored oars. It’s a great place to bring kids. I got crab cakes with the aforementioned French fries, but I was kind of jealous that I didn’t get the lobster BLT that my mom got. Narragansett on tap is only $2.
On Monday night, we went to the hotel Manisses to celebrate my uncle’s 60th birthday. That dinner cost more than the other two combined, but it was definitely worth it. I got the chef’s tasting menu of tuna in three different styles including sashimi and tar-tar. My parents got lobster mashed potatoes with their swordfish, but we were all a little bit disappointed by the mashed potatoes. I think they needed more lobster. After dinner, we went upstairs to the hotel lobby to get a famous flaming coffee. The presentation was worth the $10 as they put baileys, Godiva liqueur, and some other kind of alcohol into a cinnamon-rimmed glass and then drench the glass with Baccardi 151 and light it on fire. Fantastic! We passed it around like a joint and all enjoyed the coffee/alcohol goodness.
There's not much in the way of nightlife, but that was just as well since I was with my parents.
Snackwise, we got some decent bagels and excellent homemade hummos at the Old Post Office bagel shop. Also, you should try some Dell’s frozen lemonade while you’re in Rhode Island.
Ferries leave from Point Judith, Rhode Island, two ports in Connecticut, and Montauk, NY. So, pop some Dramamine and get thee to Block Island!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
beckytcy
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Member: Becky
Location: Boston
Reviews written: 277
Trusted by: 236 members
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