In an Aeroplane Over the Sea

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to Block Island with my dad. And what a better way to visit than by airplane? Dad's a pilot and with a sizable portion of dedication, he built his own plane a few years ago. It's a shiny blue single engine propeller plane that's got tons of speed and plenty of windows for viewing stunning skylines. Some folks are a little hesitant to hop into such a small aircraft but with my father at the wheel (yoke, actually) I am absolutely at ease! Really, it's an experience like no other. Small aircrafts fly at much lower altitudes than jets do so the view can't be beat. Plus, with a trip like this, a 25 minute flight beats a two hour driving/ferry trip any day. 

It was pretty swell to see the whole island from above as we were flying in as it gave me a great sense of the layout. The coast is a mix of rocky cliffs and sandy beaches while inland is dotted with beach houses, ponds, and open fields. Talk about some lucky residents, all the buildings are very spread out so you can still have privacy even though you are live on slice of land that's only 10 square miles. The island is so small in fact that we could walk from the airport to town in a few minutes. We thought about renting bikes but ended up on one of the hiking trails that cut through the center of the island. The path was lined with honeysuckle bushes and wild roses, oh and did I mention that there was not another soul in site? What a great way to spend father's day weekend!

On the way home we flew over my family's vacation spot, Westport, which I have mentioned here and here. After coming here all my life, it was pretty mind blowing to see the area from the air. I never realized how wide the river really is and how much green space has been preserved. In the second photo, the river and the farm fields sandwich our property which is hidden in the trees.