Block Island is lovely. it is the idyllic beach town. — except when I think about how white people brutally stole this land from indigenous people. And how white and wealthy it is here. It is idyllic, but also so isolated from the reality that most people experience. And yet, it is all of that because of its beauty. It’s isolated, full of beaches, and wildlife and casual places to eat and walk. We have a list of hikes and sites we hope to visit while we are here, so we are not yet sure how long we plan to stay. I like that feeling.
We purposely waited until after Labor Day to arrive and this is supposedly what it looks like when it is not crowded. We were told there can be 1,000 boats on busy weekends.
We walked six or so miles on Clay Head Trail. The trail is on a bluff overlooking the ocean. First, we took a “wrong” turn and ended up on a beautiful, quiet, beach where we walked for hours. Vince spotted seals that we watched through binoculars. One had a huge head! We were tired after and went to the Poor People’s Pub where we both scarfed down lunch. We walked back to the dinghy and stopped at Dick’s market on the way to pick up fish and asparagus for dinner. Now we are hanging out on the boat having some quiet time—catching up on writing, reading news, doing required things like planning a trip during.
Yesterday, Vincent spotted dolphin in Great Salt Pond where we are on a mooring ball. I was shocked to see them swimming where there are literally hundreds of boats moored. I read that Great Salt Pond was originally a freshwater pond. In the late 1800s it was opened up as a passage to the ocean. It became a literal cesspool as over the years boaters would anchor and moor and dump their heads. The efforts of local conservationists have paid off (including five free pump-out boats that are available for boaters at any time) and the Great Salt Pond is now a spawning ground for many juvenile fish. Thus the dolphin coming for breakfast and dinner. We have not seen them since we left Sandy Hook — none the entire time we were in Rhode Island, and here they are amongst hundreds of boats.
This is the first place that really feels like what we hoped the places we would visit would feel like. Cuttyhunk, and island in Rhode Island that we visited the week Michael and Lori were here, did feel that way somewhat, but it was much smaller. We liked Bristol and spent weeks there, but that was mostly so that we could slow down, relax, catch a breath, and take a little more time getting used to this new experience. We’re feeling better from that break.
We have been in Block Island since, I think, September 1st, which means we have been here already for a week. That feels hard to believe. I have fallen hard for Block Island, and yet I know it is because we are here in September. From everything I have heard, Block Island’s beauty is its downfall — the summer months are awfully crowded and it becomes unappealing. In the latter part of this week, we can see the visitor numbers really beginning to thin, but the island is still as busy as I would like to see it.
We have really had a wonderful week. We have done a lot of walking, and gotten to see some of the places that were on the top of our list. We even spent a few hours just hanging at a beach. Yesterday, we walked eight miles. (As Vince said last night, “remember earlier today when we came across the unexpected vista?” I delighted in that comment because it is so not something that he would have had the opportunity to say in our former life, but he can now.)
I will say again that Block Island is the first place on this journey that I would choose to travel to if I was planning a trip or a vacation. The other places have been nice enough, but this has the ocean views, the beaches, the hikes, and the degree of solitude, or at least a lack of crowds, that makes it very special. It has a good vibe.
Set A Course 