In the spring of 2004, I headed out to Block Island for a week of rest and recovery. Block Island is a very popular summer destination, but I chose to go a little earlier than the peak season. Between the timing of my visit, and my choice of accommodations (a cottage on the mainly residential west side of the island), I had plenty of peace and quiet whenever I wanted it.
You can bring cars over to the island on the Block Island Ferry, but I chose to leave mine on the mainland and spend the week getting around by foot and bicycle. This was good for exercise, as the nearest restaurants, stores, and other trappings of civilization were at least a couple of miles away.
Here are some pages with some of the more memorable things that I encountered on the island.
It was an active week in many ways, but I found ample time to relax indoors...
...and outdoors.
All things considered, it was a wonderful place to spend a week, but I don't know if I'd want to spend an entire year there. It's a small island with only so much on it, and if you want to do anything else, there's at least ten to twelve miles of open water between you and the rest of the world. The ferries run several times a day, but even if you had your own boat and could come and go as you pleased, you'd still have a travel time of more than an hour to get to anywhere else. If you live there permanently, you'd better get along with your neighbors, because there's no getting away from them.
So by all means I'd recommend it if you're looking to spend a few days, or even a whole week, somewhere interesting and relaxing. That's what I did and it was worth the trip. I may go back someday, but having seen pretty much everything there was to see on the island, it isn't a "must-go" destination for the near future.
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