Live the Live ™

One of the best reasons to visit Rhode Island in the summertime is Block Island. Ferries sail from Point Judith, RI as well as Newport, and Fall River, MA. You can even grab one from New London, CT and Montauk, NY. For me, Point Judith, though on the other side of the state, is the most convenient, because I can grab the high-speed ferry and be there in 30 minutes. For someone that’s not crazy about being on a boat, it’s as fast and as smooth as it gets!

Block Island used to be a well-kept secret, but on a recent weekend, it was clear that the secret was out! The island was packed, and it seemed like every ferry was loaded to the brim with day trippers. That also meant that parking spaces in Point Judith became quite the hassle, and on our trip, we actually got what amounted to the second-to-last parking space after being shut out of dozens of huge parking lots in the area.

Despite using the Waze app, which told me we’d get there on time, we had no idea we’d be searching for a parking space for a really long time. Finding that second-to-last space, and running to the boat with our packs on our backs, we were literally the last people on the ferry.

So rule #1 about going to Block Island during peak tourist season: make reservations online, but still give yourself a lot more time than you think you’ll need to find a parking space!

My buddy, Scarpetti from 94HJY, our radio station in Providence, RI, was doing a live broadcast from Ballard’s the Saturday we traveled, and we hung out there for lunch. Great drinks, excellent food, live music, all on the beach: Ballard’s is just steps away from the ferry dock. It’s no surprise that many people that have been to Block Island have only been to Ballard’s and nowhere else!

 

 

I was on Block Island with my daughter, who looks forward to our yearly trip to the island. I also do a live broadcast from Ballard’s, but this year my schedule changed and I couldn’t do it, so we figured we’d just skip the island this summer. But then we got really lucky, thanks to some friends with connections, and found a room for a single night. (In season, most hotels require a minimum 2-night stay, and usually, I book my room far in advance to get the best deal, but this was a last-minute travel decision.)

 

 

We stayed at the Narragansett Inn, which is about a mile and a half from town. Totally basic: no AC, small rooms, shared baths, but it was clean and it was the only place that allowed us to spend 1 night. They also offered a really nice breakfast buffet, included in the room price.

 

 

We had dinner at The Oar, a really popular restaurant and bar that is always jammin’, partly because they are world-famous for their mudslides. I had a couple on this trip, and I have to say that my memory of the mudslides was better than the real thing. They seemed a bit watered down this time, despite my ordering top-shelf booze in them. No matter, that didn’t stop me from getting a brain freeze!

 

 

The food at The Oar was great. My daughter enjoyed tacos, while I had a half-dozen Block Island oysters followed by one of their signature sushi rolls called the Candy Cane: shrimp tempura with tuna. It was delicious, and finding really good sushi on the island was a wonderful surprise.

 

 

Taxis run all over Block Island (no Ubers) and you really don’t wait very long for one to arrive. we took one back to town from The Oar, and did what everybody was doing: watched the last of the ferries return the daytrippers back home, and then walked around the various souvenir shops, finally grabbing some ice cream before heading back to the hotel.

 

 

Back at the Narragansett Inn, we grabbed a couple of Adirondack chairs and watched the sunset before calling it a day.

 

 

There’s lots to do on Block Island. You can rent bikes or mopeds…you can hike trails to remote beaches…you can party the night away, pub crawling to dozens of bars…you can rent entire homes and just enjoy the sea breezes and the peace and quiet…or you can stay in hotels and enjoy a bit more of the nightlife.

The secret to success with Block Island is to plan and book early. Off-season, the island is just as beautiful and not as crowded. And if you plan on bringing your car to the island, you literally need to be booking the car ferry in January!

 

 

I’ve done all of it, from renting a house to staying in a variety of hotels. It’s all good and a really unique experience. Get to the Block!