It's been a great end to the freedom of summer here in Rhode Island.  Although summer certainly isn't over yet, school starts Wednesday and with that goes the freedom for all of us to explore nature together anytime rather than only after 4:00 p.m.  So we're ending with a bang with lots of great outdoor activities.

If you ever have an opportunity to visit Block Island, here is a list of four family-friendly nature activities that we did today and are highly recommended:

• Walk (or bike) along the dunes down Corn Neck Road to Corn Neck Beach and enjoy the ocean view.
• Park yourselves on a blanket at Corn Neck Beach and play in the fantastic surf with great abandon!  It's great for boogie boarding too! 
• Build the best drip castle ever with the wonderfully fine black-and-white sand.
• Take the traditional ferry between Point Judith and Block Island (sailing time 55 minutes).  Sit on the upper deck and enjoy the sun and the view of the Rhode Island and Block Island coastlines and the Block Island Sound.  Watch the gulls follow you hoping someone will throw a treat.

 Although our trip to Block Island is over, we still have another day of fun ahead of us here in Rhode Island.  Tomorrow we will be exploring the rocky coast of Newport, so please stay tuned!