Block Island morning

Waking up on Block Island is like being in Eden. As the sun comes up on Champlin's marina, you can hear the small Aldo's bakery dingy zooming around in the Great Salt Pond between the moored boats. The driver will be bringing cakes, sweets and coffee to tardy mariners who are still trying to catch some sleep. He'll zoom around the boats calling, "Alzi! Alzi!" which means,"Get up! Get up!" Once in awhile, you'll see a head pop up out of a cabin and the driver will be flagged down for a delicious croissant or biscuit.

We have stayed at the marina many times and my favorite thing is to steal away from my sleeping family very early in the morning, grab an edition of the Block Island Times, and sit and listen to the Aldo's driver and the birds scurrying by.
The sunlight playing off the water is almost mystical...
Soon my reverie will be broken by my 7 yr old daughter who, bathing suit on and bucket and shovel in hand, will be heading for this small dock in the shallow end of the Great Salt Pond. Crabs are aplenty here and she'll set up what will become a day-long adventure of picking up the small crustaceans, keeping them in the bucket, naming them, and telling me their life stories.

"Mom, this one is friendly. This one hasn't been as nice. Do you think these two are sisters?"


Finally, my husband will wake up suggesting a bike ride. Now a bike ride on Block Island is not for the faint of heart. The island is all hills. Champlin's sits on top of the largest on the island. Getting down is a breeze but getting up...my older two will watch the Crab Catcher while we take a short ride (yikes!) to town.
Here on Water Street we'll grab a quick breakfast at Ballard's, one of the main Inns on the island with the best beach. We'll watch the car ferries come in from RI and grab eggs and toast on the beach.

Then it's back to the marina (ah! My legs!!) where we'll spend the day lounging waterside.


We'll see the boats coming in and out. Some years we've met friends there who are docked for the day before heading off to Martha's Vineyard. Me? I'm not rushing. I'll just relax, watch my children catch crabs and snorkel, and enjoy the gorgeous nature before me. Glad you came along!