Salt Pond/New Harbor is an easy sail from the jumping off points in Connecticut or from Greenport, Sag Harbor, or Montauk on the Long Island side. Crowded and expensive during the summer, but just the opposite after Labor Day. Avoid Block Island Race Week, when it is so crowded you can walk across the Pond on the boats. The Block Island Ferry is the only boat that takes cars to the island, and reservations for your vehicle are required. There are several lots located just down the street from Point Judith for Block Island Cruise Port Parking, which costs about $10 a day.

Most of the restaurants are in Old Town. The walk is just the right distance to build up an appetite on the way over and to walk off dessert on the way back. During the day, rent a bike and circumnavigate the island. If it's hot, bring a water bottle and wear your bathing suit. Cool off in Sachem Pond on the northern end or on the beaches adjacent to Old Town, one of which is a nude beach (you'll have to determine which one this is by inspection). Since the main charm of Block Island is its resistance to being turned into a theme park, the fact that there are only 5 Block Island Cruise Port Hotels, 3 of them authentic Victorian manors, is a good thing.

More than 350 freshwater ponds (from natural springs) and 17 miles of beach invite you to jump in the surf, spend a lazy afternoon or hike up to the North Light and enjoy the 250-foot bluffs. a place to lose yourself in time and in the island's Victorian aura. If you can plan your visit between Memorial Day and July 1, or after Labor Day, you will be rewarded with open moorings, less crowds and fine weather. Block is spectacular in September and October. Things wind down soon after Labor Day here and come to a halt by Columbus Day, even in fine weather.

10-5-2017