Published: August 26, 2008 01:44 pm      

TRAVEL: Take a trip around the 'Block'

NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. — There aren’t many places on the United States’ eastern seaboard where one can watch a sunset over the Atlantic. Of those places, few are more enjoyable than New Shoreham, the only town on Block Island, R.I.

“The Block,” as it’s called, lacks the pretension of its neighboring summer destinations, and offers more focused summer fun and relaxation, not ostentatiousness.

Located 15 miles off Rhode Island’s Atlantic coast and a ferry ride away from the eastern tip of Long Island, New London, Conn., and Point Judith, R.I., this bucolic, 10-square-mile island offers the best summertime New England has to offer.

Arrival by boat

This summer my family and I departed for our second trip to Block Island, leaving Western New York in a packed mini-van, for the eight-hour trek to the ferry landing in Naragansett, R.I., at Point Judith. After the long drive with children, ages 4, 2 and 1, it was nice to enjoy gin martinis from a cooler prepared specifically for this purpose and a feast of clams, mussels and fish at the Sea Breeze Cafe. We previously tried a restaurant across the street called Jimmy’s Port Side, which may be better, but the Sea Breeze featured a children’s bounce house, which was invaluable as we waited about 90 minutes for the ferry.

It is worth noting that imposing a one cocktail maximum after arrival is wise, as motorists are required to drive their automobiles about 1/8 mile in reverse onto the ferry, where crewman orchestrate the grid of cars packed as tightly as possible. I had to climb out the window after parking.

The ferry fare for a vehicle is $45 one way, and each person must present a passenger ticket, about $10.45, less for children. The Point Judith ferry is the only one that accommodates cars. New England Airlines also serves Block Island with hourly flights from Westerly, Conn.

Accommodations

After 55 minutes riding across international waters, the Interstate Navigation vessel arrived at the island's old harbor. The picturesque harbor is filled with centuries-old New England mansard roof-seaside hotels, and inns featuring quaint fudge, ice cream and retail shops.

While we stayed in a 2 bedroom rented house for our week's vacation, Block Island is full of day-trippers who canvas the island with their rented transportation. The harbors are filled with moored and docked power and sailboats, mostly transients, ranging from modest to monstrous, hailing from ports all over the world. There are more than a dozen hotels, inns and beds-and-breakfast on the island. From the Atlantic Inn or National Hotel to the slightly more demure bed-and-breakfast, expect to pay $325 or more per weekend night for a basic room during travel season.

Activities

The island features great hiking trails in its acres of protected green space with picturesque views of the Atlantic Ocean. The Nature Conservancy has gobbled up acres of land to protect against development in what is a great example of conservation. The Mohegan Bluffs, where we descended the roughly 125-foot staircase one morning, offers breathtaking views, as well as large waves favored by the island's surfing community. Rodman’s Hollow, which we did not hike, appears to be a majestic valley from above and is said to be the island’s best trail.

Aside from hiking, in the way of free activities, the Abrams Animal Farm is a hit. The farm, run by resident and hotel owner Justin Abrams, features an eclectic collection of wildlife, including a dromedary, Scottish highland steer, emus, turtles and geese.

The island's narrow roads are overwrought with scoot ers and bicycles, available for rent at the harbor, as well as vehicles such as Jeeps. The picturesque countryside features sweeping ocean views over the island’s rolling valleys. Lots of land is covered with lengthy stone walls a few feet high, which lend a British feel.

We enjoyed great sunset views from our West Side Road cottage each evening. On clear evenings, the sun set with a panoramic view of Montauk, Connecticut and Rhode Island on the horizon — three states in one view.

While we stayed away from activities that one has to pay for, there is n o shortage. Near our home were a couple horse farms offering horseback tours, including a sunset ride on the beach. There are also water activities like banana boating, where a group rides on a large inflatable raft pulled by a boat, as well as parasailing, SCUBA diving and rentals of kayaks and speedboats.

Fishing

In the middle of the week, we planned a fishing excursion with my father-in-law and brother-in-law. Our fine guide Andy, a Maine native and undergraduate English major at Tufts University, took us toward the south side of the island. We started out fishing with rubber lures on heavy poles with wire line. After pulling in a few, Andy switched us to smaller poles so we could experience more fight as we reeled in our catches.

Andy felt this was a good experience for my young brother-in-law Simon, age 9. We continued to catch blues and I even caught a small sand shark, but the striped bass we pursued proved elusive. Finally, using live eels as bait on small poles in about 40 feet of water, my father-in-law Mike hooked a striper and reeled him in with Simon's help.

Andy, in tune with our excitement, quickly got that pole back in the water and landed another fish, handing the pole to me to reel in. The fish was a mighty foe, unlike any I'd experienced before, and took a good amount of line before I finally wound him up to the surface. Andy got him on a hook and pulled him aboard. It was another striped bass, larger than the one before, and we were ecstatic that we caught what we'd sought.

With two stripers, the larger nearly 40 inches, we had not only enough fish to serve eight adults but also to freeze and bring home. We prepared the fish as the guide suggested, to great satisfaction. We took the filets, placed them in aluminum foil and added beer, lemon, garlic, onions and a little butter. Wrapped tight and grilled for 20 minutes with some tabasco sauce, our catch made for a positively delightful supper.

Beaches

The family-friendly beaches are mostly public and located around the entire island, below its high bluffs. The most popular beaches are in the northeast corner of Block Island where the bluffs are subdued and dunes act as a natural barrier. We were proud of making it to the beach every day, and Mansion Beach, at nearly the northern most point, was our favorite.

Others, like Scotch and Fred Benson Town, are also fine but nearer to downtown New Shoreham and a bit busier. The waves are also not as large, so they're not as good for jumping in and boogie boarding. We visited in the Tropical Storm Bertha aftermath and enjoyed large waves — fun for us and the surfers.

Standing on the sand bar and jumping in the waves, the cadence of the surf offered me the serenity truly yearned for in a classic summer vacation. A few moments away from the woes and stress of the daily grind and a chance to appreciate a stunning vista and precious family time.

Dining

While we fixed meals at home most of the time, including freshly caught lobster on my brother-in-law Brendan’s birthday, the island is full of bars, restaurants and cafes, covering the spectrum of casual to fine dining. On the previous trip, we ate at a seafood restaurant called Dead Eye Dicks, which was fair, but not great, and expensive (nearly everything is expensive).

We tried The Oar, which my wife and I visited for a drink during a trip two years ago. The draw then was a $1 Pabst draft. This time, we enjoyed several seafood standards. Among the best were broiled scallops, a fish fry and some typical children’s menu fare. It’s worth noting the chowder here and at Point Judith is very different than the Manhattan red base or New England cream base, to which most people in Western New York are accustomed. A clear clam broth is filled with clam and potato, and it’s really a treat.

Also worth visiting was Payne's Dock, which is a small restaurant on the dock at the new harbor, serving lobster rolls, clam chowder and other seafood delights.

Contact staff photographer Doug Benz at 693-1000, ext. 103.