Planning to take a day trip to Block Island? We are sharing our lessons learned so you can be more prepared than we were!
First, a little about Block Island
Block Island is located in the Atlantic Ocean about 12 miles from the coast of Rhode Island. There is no road connecting Block Island to the mainland. Most people travel to the island by ferry.
The island is very seasonal. You can catch a ferry from various points on the mainland during the summer season. However, the only ferry with year-round service is the Block Island Ferry from Point Judith, Rhode Island. The Block Island Ferry runs less frequently outside the summer season so always check the schedule.
You will also find that many shops and restaurants are not open year-round. If you aren’t visiting during the summer season, then you will want to plan ahead if you are interested in shopping and eating during your day trip to Block Island.
Now, a little background on our trip
We spent a weekend in Providence, Rhode Island, and wanted to take a day trip to Block Island. While our time in Providence went pretty much according to plan, our day trip to Block Island, well, not so much. It was definitely a travel failure-ish, if you know what I mean.
We visited Block Island in July on one of the hottest days on record. It’s true – there were news articles about it.
Our plan was to take the first ferry of the day to Block Island, spend a few hours touring the island by bike, and then be back at our rental in Providence early/mid-afternoon for Callum to nap. We all know how important it is to be mindful of your toddler’s schedule when traveling.
We thought we had researched and had a pretty good plan laid out. Oh, how wrong we were.
We are sharing our lessons learned and things we wish we knew before our day trip to Block Island so you can be better prepared and have a travel win!
Things No One Tells You About a Day Trip to Block Island
A Trip On The Point Judith Hi-Speed Ferry Can Be Turbulent
The first ferry of the day was the Point Judith Hi-Speed Ferry. The hi-speed ferry is a 30 minute ride compared to 60 minutes for the Point Judith Traditional Ferry.
Who doesn’t like the idea of a shorter commute, especially when traveling with a toddler?
Well, what we didn’t know was how bumpy the ride would be. And by that I mean having the feeling of your stomach falling for the entire ride! We sat at a booth with a table and I spent the whole ride with one hand holding Callum tightly in my lap while my other hand was white-knuckling the table.
It was also Callum’s first boat ride so I was anxious the whole time about Callum getting seasick. Even people who didn’t normally get seasick were having a hard time stomaching the trip.
Biking On Block Island Is Not For Amateurs
When researching Block Island, I read a lot about how the best way to see the island was by bike. I might have been pulled into the idea because it seemed very classic, and chic, and New Englandy to take a ferry to an island and ride around on bikes.
My desire to do something that seemed so in tune with the area caused me to overlook the tiny fact that Callum did not have a great history with bikes. We tried taking him on bike rides twice before and both times were a failure.
After renting bikes and riding for all of two minutes with Callum screaming and crying the entire time, we gave up and returned the bikes. By the way, we rented from Beach Rose Bicycles. They had great bikes, awesome customer service, and were very gracious about us returning the bikes.
Lesson learned – don’t plan to bike Block Island with a toddler unless you know your toddler will ride on a bike. Also, have a backup plan, so you don’t end up like us – stranded on Block Island.
However, the thing we wish we knew before going to Block Island was how difficult biking on the island is. We might not be in the best shape, but we can definitely ride a bike on flat terrain for a while without getting winded. Well, Block Island is hilly. So biking on the island is less about pleasure and more of a workout.
Plus, the roads are tight with no shoulder and some are dirt roads. So for an amateur bike rider that bikes a few times a year for pleasure, it was a little scary sharing the roads with the cars. I would not have been comfortable biking the island with a toddler. Heck, I wouldn’t be comfortable biking the island without a toddler.
Mohegan Bluffs Are Not Toddler-Friendly
One place I wanted to visit on the island was Mohegan Bluffs. The bluffs are a popular tourist attraction on the island and offer spectacular views.
We did make it to the bluffs after a walk that should have been short, but seemed like it took forever since we were sweating profusely and carrying a toddler.
The bluffs were beautiful and peaceful and well worth a visit.
We knew there were about 150 steps to get down to the beach, which meant having to come back up the stairs. I went down and up by myself and I was completely out of breath once I returned to the top. A toddler would not be able to make the trip. You would need to carry the toddler. Another lesson learned – we totally underestimated how much exertion it would take.
At the bottom of the stairs, there is a nice landing. However, in order to get to the beach, you have to traverse an incline of rocks and wet sand. It isn’t safe for a toddler and would be unsafe to do while carrying a toddler. It’s not easy as an adult.
We wish we had known that the Mohegan Bluffs were not a toddler-friendly attraction. I would have still visited the bluffs, but having more realistic expectations would have been nice. Clearly, my idea of going down the steps and frolicky on the beach as a family was make-believe.
Bring Cash Just In Case
We never think to bring cash. It seems so outdated and unsafe to travel with cash. Doesn’t everyone take debit, credit, payment apps, etc.?
Well, apparently not. At least not on Block Island.
When we were finished at Mohegan Bluffs, some good luck came our way in the form of a taxi pulling into the parking lot at the bluffs. Walking back to the town of New Shoreham in the heat, carrying Callum, would have pushed us over the edge. However, the taxi driver only accepted cash, which we did not have.
It would have been good to know that credit isn’t accepted everywhere and we should have brought some cash. Probably a good reminder for whenever and wherever you travel.
Thankfully, the taxi driver was super helpful and radioed for a taxi that did accept credit to come and pick us up.
Block Island Is Expensive
I know, New England isn’t the cheapest part of the U.S. Plus, islands are often more expensive since so much has to be imported.
However, since no one called this out to me, I didn’t learn this lesson until we paid over $13 for a coffee and over $40 for two orders of chicken fingers with fries.
I wish we had been prepared for the prices before our day trip to Block Island. If you want to avoid the sticker shock, you can bring food items with you instead of purchasing food on the island.
Well, there you have it. Hopefully reading about our travel fails will keep you from making the same mistakes.
