For once the kids' school vacation fell after April 15, so we planned out "an adventure" as Levi termed it. Michael and I had visited Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island way back before children, and determined we'd go back someday.
This is such a beautiful unique spot. More than 1/2 of the island is conservation land and there are over 360 fresh water ponds. You have to take a ferry out of Galilee, RI since it's 11+ miles off the coast.
We had to be at the ferry an hour before our reservation for sailing time. Michael had to back the Freestyle up into a really tight spot on the ship...so tight we all had to climb out the rear window b/c the doors couldn't open.
Once we made our escape from the car, we headed up on deck (2 floors up) to enjoy the sunshine. It was such a beautiful day. As soon as the ferry pulled away from the dock Levi's eyes lit up and he said "I think we are on an adventure!" That right there was worth the whole trip!
We stayed at the beautiful 1661 Inn this room with a wrap around deck, jaccuzzi, and gorgeous view of the ocean. At night, you could see the lights from the mainland just on the horizon and hear the waves and peepers in the salt marsh.
A major part of the adventure was the boys getting to go "horseback" riding (on ponies) for the first time. They were so excited, but a bit unsure of what to expect. When they found out their pony's names were Flash and Ariel, Levi pronounced that Ariel was a girl's name, so he wanted to ride Flash. He changed his mind pretty quickly when he saw that Ariel was much smaller and less intimidating than Flash.
The man who was their trail guide was quite the character...we couldn't decide if he was a pirate or a hippy...but I'm sure he's had his share of pot over the years. It only added to the adventure when he told them pirate stories as they rode to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Both boys decided they wanted to bring their ponies home with them. I wonder how much a pony costs on the ferry?
Our second day on the island we hiked the "Clay Head" trail. It starts out at sea-level and they boys had a ball throwing rocks in the ocean and collecting the prettiest ones.
As we hiked along, we got higher and higher up the cliffs. Here the boys are 30+ feet above the ocean tho you can't tell it from the picture
In this spot I believe you are more than 40 feet up - again, the picture kind of flattens your perspective.
Beautiful Block Island: Everywhere you look is another fresh water pond. Stone walls stretching in every direction. Lots of wildlife...tho the island has no squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons or skunks (interesting!).
Daffodils right along side the trail. There were many of these on the island. It's also loaded with blackberry bushes.
The best shot I got of the edge of the bluffs. We were maybe 70 to 80 feet up here. Needless to say we were a bit nervous about how daring the boys were getting closer and closer to the edge.
Back at our inn: Beautiful grounds. The Innkeeper keeps quite a menagerie. They have many different kinds of animals including a zebu, zedonk (1/2 zebra, 1/2 donkey), a camel, some kind of highland steer (huge slightly scarey snorting animal), fainting goats (would have loved to see why they are called that), llammas, a miniature horse, and several other types of exotic animals.
A few more exotic creatures to add to the mix:
Such a sweet spot. Wouldn't want to pay the price to stay there in "high season", but it was such a peaceful get away - just what I needed. The phenominal breakfast buffet each morning did nothing to help me do away with 5 or so extra pounds I have left over from tax season.
Our room was facing the ocean, ground floor on the end. The boys want to go back every year, but it will be awhile before their vacation and my schedule line up again.
