All photos ©G.A. Peck
Block Island is just off the coast of Rhode Island, accessible by ferries that leave from New London, Connecticut and Point Judith, Rhode Island.
The island only has approximately 1,400 residents, but it’s a popular day-trip, weekend or vacation destination for visitors.
The island has both sandy and pebble beaches, accessible and free.
Beginner surfers catch waves on the main public beach.
There are two lighthouses — one you can tour and another that’s popular with photographers.
The island can be quite crowded during the summer season. But it’s also a wonderfully romantic destination for off-season visitors. One of my favorite trips to the island was New Year’s Eve one year. There were only a handful of tourists. Locals all descended on a local bar, Yellow Kittens, to ring in the New Year, and the next morning, they all gathered on the beach for an annual Polar Bear Plunge and bonfire.
Block Island homes derive nearly 100% of their energy from offshore wind. There are five windmills off its coast, which have become another popular tourist attraction. Chartered boats take you up close and personal with the wind turbines. It’s a great way to get a feel for their massive scale.
The ferries are the most popular way to get to the island, but if you’d like a special voyage, take a small-craft plane out of Westerly, Rhode Island’s airport. It’s a 12-minute flight on a plane that holds about eight passengers and their luggage.
The plane is no frills. There are no drink carts, no extra leg-room seats, and no air conditioning. On this flight, during a particularly hot day, our pilot asked, “Would you like me to turn on the air conditioning?” The passengers all chimed in together with a resounding, “Yes.” Little did we know that the “AC” meant she put her cockpit window down and used the palm of her hand to direct a breeze back into the cabin.
Can confirm.
Gretchen A. Peck 