A Day on Block Island, Montauk's Best-Kept Secret
I could never have imagined that just one hour off the coast of Montauk by boat I would find a magical island of alpacas, dance parties, stunning beaches and mudslides by the bucket. But that is exactly what I discovered last weekend when I boarded a ferry from Montauk Harbor and set sail for a land I had only heard about in stories. The land is called Block Island, and I suggest you bring your bike.
10AM: Board the high-speed ferry from Montauk Harbor. To be safe, get your tickets ahead of time. Don't be late....our ferry disembarked at 10:03 sharp.
11AM: You've arrived at Block Island! Find yourself surrounded by hundreds of yachts as you pull into the dock, which is painted white and festively adorned with potted plants and American flags. If you didn't bring a bike on the ferry, head for the bike rental at the base of the dock (around $30/day).
12PM: Ride to Abrams' Animal Farm (adjoined to North Light Fibers) where you will frolic with and pet alpacas roaming in a green pasture on a hill. Full disclosure: while the alpaca pasture was magical, the rest of the animal farm was kinda sad. There was a window screen and plastic cups lying around the enclosure for the llama and the yak had a bleeding, broken horn. The camel seemed to be pacing. The bottom line is that if you are an animal lover you may have varying reactions to this farm, but I'm pretty sure you'd love the alpaca pasture, so maybe just go there.
1PM: Ride to Ballard's Inn for lunch. Sit on the tables outside on the sand and order oysters and a bucket of blackberry mudslide. A mudslide (which is basically an alcoholic ice cream shake) is the kind of ridiculous indulgence justified only by the fact it is the island speciality. So just go with that....and order them everywhere. Around 2pm, you'll notice that there's a band playing and everyone is dancing. Don't worry, you're not crashing a wedding. It's the mudslides.
2PM: Tear yourself off the dance floor despite groans of disappointment from your fans, and get back on your bike because you're heading to the lighthouse. This is where you'll work off that mudslide because-- I'm sorry to tell you--the ride is mostly uphill. Take pictures of the lighthouse and observe the view. You can skip this step if you want, but I thought I'd mention it in case you're a sucker for lighthouses on small islands.
2:30PM: Just a few yards down the hill by bike you'll find what will likely be the most impressive sight of the day: Mohegan Bluffs. Lock up your bike and descend the wooden staircase to the beach, amidst lush greenery and dramatic, prehistoric cliffs. I spent about an hour on this unexpectedly marvelous beach.
3:30PM: Ascend the crazy stairs and mount your bike. Lucky for you, the ride is all downhill from here. You're heading to The Oar, a classic Block Island bar with picturesque harbor views from three directions. As you sit amongst a thousand painted oars, wash down your surprisingly tasty sushi with another mudslide. Remember, the mudslides are a cultural activity, necessary to achieve the full Block Island experience. I think that means the calories don't count.
4:30PM: Head to the harbor to return your bike and catch the 5pm ferry. As you walk back down the dock to the ferry, note the revelers dancing and drinking on the boats all around you and wonder who they are and why you don't have any friends with large boats.
5 PM: Head home on the ferry. You'll be home by 6pm, so you'll have time to shower up and head out for a night in Montauk.
