Ballard's on Block Island

When you visit Rhode Island, part of the agreement you sign when you cross the border is that you will ride the ferry to Block Island at least once during your stay.  I have no idea why this rule is in place, but I suspect it has to do with justifying the electricity that Block Island uses.  At least the Grunion was super-excited to ride on the ferry.

GRUNION: So there's dolphins and whales and sharks and stuff in this water?
GIBBY: Yuppers.

GRUNION:  Can we catch one of the sharks and one of the dolphins?
GIBBY:  Why?

GRUNION:  So we can watch them fight.  I heard that dolphins can whip up on sharks.
GIBBY:  Okay, that's not-

GRUNION:  Or maybe we could get a whale to swallow us so we could hang out inside.
GIBBY:  You are so weird.

This is the side of Block Island you see when you're pulling up.  Nice.  Not thrilling, but nice.

Ballard's was established in 1952 by the late Paul Filippi, Sr....blah blah blah. 

Whoa.  Kinda dead for lunchtime.

Beach view-check.  Appropriately over-priced($4.95) fries-check.  Let's do this!

Not bad looking.

Not bad looking at all.

Real potato skins still attached, crisp and hot with a fluffy interior.  And sea salt.  A nice touch.

I gotta say, in this setting, these fries are totally worth it.  9 out of 10.

The beach at Ballard's totally sucks, though.