Clams in my pocket - A Rhode Island Getaway

I've had Block Island on my mind recently...and not necessarily as a place I want to see again but as a destination that will likely suffer a dearth of tourists this summer and probably fall into a deeper economic downward spiral.


This all came up with the topic of our 15th wedding anniversary that's coming up in September - and would we want to spend a weekend on BI, where we were married, or would we want to do something else....?


There's no question that Block Island holds so much allure for me. There's really no place like it that I've been to on the New England coast with it's immensely beautiful and diverse natural surroundings,


and it's quaint and charming size that you can cover on a bike in two hours. Plus, the beaches are fantastically pristine.


But as I posted last summer, the accommodations on Block Island leave so much to be desired. Just. can't. rationalize. 500 clams for Victorian wallpaper and wall-to-wall carpeting.

But what I could see or really recommend, in lieu of a remote island get-away would be a weekend in Newport. IF I had deep pockets, I might dream up the following weekend romantic retreat:

Beachy and private lodging?


















found here at The Inn at Castle Hill:



With its Adirondack chairs, sprawling lawn, and front row seating for some amazing 12 meters, j-boats, and the like that skirt the rocky coast.


We come here a lot in the summer, co-mingling with the guests. Usually to toast the sunset with a glass of wine or cocktail. We've never stayed for more than a couple of hours, but we always manage to grab a chair. And in June the scent of clover and rosa rugosa is intoxicating. If we can't swing the overnight, surely a seat by the sea will do.