Issues → May/June 2009 → Interact → 10 Things to Do → Ten Great Weekends →

Block Island, RI, Weekend

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(page 3 of 3)

Ice Cream Place

The lemonade is squeezed while you watch, and the cookies and peanut-butter brownies are enormous. The top-notch ice cream flavor is French Silk, a light, creamy chocolate laced with bittersweet chocolate shavings. [DETAILS]

Block Island Parasail

Block Island is a migratory stop for many, many birds -- if you want to enjoy a bird's eye view of pristine beaches, try a turn at parasailing. Block Island Parasail and Watersports has been "flying" visitors for 20 years. The staff consists of USCG licensed captains who are committed to providing a safe and memorable experience. Reservations must be made on the day of sailing because the boat's activity is dependent on the weather conditions. Block Island Parasail has flown over 40,000 people (tandem and solo). [DETAILS]

North Light

The North Light sits amid gentle dunes at the end of Corn Neck Road. The handsome granite building is about a 10 minute walk from the parking area (where there is a stone memorial to Block Island's original settlers). The walk feels longer though because the sand on this spit of land is deep and we recommend you remove your shoes for the full effect. The lighthouse marks the entrances to Block Island Sound and Long Island Sound. Only the first floor is open to the public. Here a museum has artifacts that relate to Block Island's seafaring history. Also on display is a Fresnel lens formerly used in the lighthouse. Island photographer Malcolm Greenaway has captured the North Light in its many moods, but perhaps his most stunning picture is "Dusk at North Light" where purple clouds hover over the lighthouse, framing it, with the golden light of late afternoon glancing off the dunes. There is hardly a better spot than this for a romantic sunset picnic. [DETAILS]

Southeast Light

A must-do on Block Island is a visit to the Southeast Light, the stately brick lighthouse that presides over the terra-cotta colored clay cliffs of Mohegan Bluffs. Here, erosion has bitten into the overhang so much that in 1993, the lighthouse was moved 300 feet back from the bluff. There is no more romantic spot to watch the sunrise than this classic lighthouse that presides over endless miles of sea. [DETAILS]

Block Island Chamber of Commerce

Only 11 square miles, but what treasures. Pristine beaches ... wild roses ... steep red-clay cliffs overlooking an ocean that stretches toward Portugal. Kayakers glimpse rare birds dotting hundreds of freshwater ponds. Cyclists pedal up Spring Street to Southeast Light for a breathtaking view of Mohegan Bluffs, or ride to the end of Corn Neck Road, where a 20-minute walk through the sand (do it barefoot) heads to North Light. When you go, stand quietly and listen to the seagulls cry above this granite building set among rolling dunes. Here, you’ll understand the sea just a bit better. [DETAILS]