Bluffs Beach

Where: Block Island, a 7,000 acre, pork chop-shaped island off the coast of Rhode Island

Why: Often called “the Bermuda of the North”, much of the 17-miles of beach front on this island offers clean, powdery sand and clear, turquoise-blue water similar in feel to the beaches of the Caribbean.

How: Most visitors arrive to the island via ferry from New London, CT or Point Judith, RI, and New England Airlines offers daily shuttle flights, too. Rent a bike or a moped from Aldo’s on Weldons Way—the best way to navigate the island’s winding, country roads.

The main beach on the island is Crescent Beach, which stretches along the island’s east coast from the ferry landing at Old Harbor to Clay Head. It includes Town Beach, a best bet for families as this busy stretch includes a pavilion with food, restrooms, and changing rooms, as well as life guards during peak hours.

Fitness fans will appreciate the journey to Bluffs Beach at Mohegan Bluffs marked by the Block Island Southeast Lighthouse, accessible via a long, steep staircase. Our favorite time to visit is first thing in the morning when the beach is nearly empty, and visitors can wander along and take in the dozens of stacked rocks placed there by previous visitors, and maybe create one themselves.

Vacationers looking for a bit of privacy should bike down the dirt road to the Clay Head Preserve, where a short hike leads to Clayhead beach. On the way back to the trail head, visitors should take time to explore “the Maze”, a series of interconnected pathways offering spectacular viewpoints of the island.

Best of all, admission and parking at all beaches is free.

More: For maps, photos, and travel info on the island, check out the Block Island Tourism Council’s super-helpful website.

Town Beach

Bluffs Beach

A couple enjoys the quiet of the beach accessible via the Clay Head Preserve’s nature trail

via Honestly…WTF

• Some gorgeous shots from around Maine from Honestly…WTF

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• 50 things to do in 50 states via Country Living 

• A look at Mississippi’s last fife and drum blues musicians from T Magazine

• Biking through Vermont with the New York Times

• The recipe for a scrumptious Lemon Icebox Pie from Bayou Bakery in Arlington, VA via Garden & Gun and a recipe for wild mushroom risotto from the Joel Palmer House in Dayton, OR via Wayfare

• Some glorious drives from the Iconic Road Trips series on Gadling 

We’re loving the modern folk sound of Oklahoma band Other Lives. Comprised of Jesse Tabish (vocals, piano, guitar and percussion), Jenny Hsu (cello and backing vocals), Jon Mooney (violin, horns, piano and percussion), Colby Owens (clarinet and percussion) and Josh Onstott (bass and percussion), the group’s songs have a dreamy, dramatic quality that reminds us of Fleet Foxes or Radiohead—in fact, Thom Yorke’s Atoms for Peace project released a remix of the title track of their second album, Tamer Animals. You can check out the video for the song above and, if you want to catch them live, the band will be touring the U.S. this fall, with their first gig set for September 29 in Tulsa, OK. Go here to see the complete list of cities and dates.

Whenever we’re asked to name the favorite places we’ve traveled to, Kauai inevitably makes its way to the top of the list as does the St. Regis Princeville, our favorite place we’ve stayed on the island. Nestled right on Hanalei Bay on Kauai’s North Shore, one of the best things about this property is the incredible view, which visitors have near-constant access to (even in the shower! Check out the photo below). It’s a great choice for people who like an active vacation—guests have access to two dive spots right off the resort’s beach and can also play a round at Princeville’s renowned Makai Golf Club. One local activity that’s a must-try: stand up paddling. Rent your board from the folks at Hawaiian Surfing Adventures, whose instructors also offer surfing lessons in the bay. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, it’s worth splurging on the tasting menu at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Kauai Grill, featuring local fare like Bigeye tuna and soy-glazed short ribs. When you’re ready for some downtime hit the pool where you can wave down waiters carrying chilled pineapple skewers, or visit the poolside spa featuring treatments with local elements like lemongrass and palm oil.

We’re, well, enormous fans of Enormous Champion, a Brooklyn-based design studio from creative couple Jordan Provost and Jason Wong, whose whimsical and well-made creations like this Whales Tea Towel ($25) always put smiles on our faces. Their stationery is amazing, too. We particularly love this letterpress printed, blank “Mix Tape” card ($5), perfect for sending a note just because, and this sweet “Our Love Is Here To Stay” card ($5), which also comes as a limited-edition silk screen print.

With the heat wave hitting NYC, we’ve been dreaming of cool breezes and the white sand of the beach. Hence this week’s Glorious Getaway, The Surf Lodge in Montauk, a boutique property with a casual, bohemian vibe on Long Island’s East End. New this summer is the property’s restaurant Byron, serving prix-fixe brunch and dinner menus designed to showcase the fresh seafood and local vegetables the area is renowned for. While you’re out East, head to the beach in Ditch Plains to watch the surfers and snack on summery treats like lobster rolls at the popular Turf Truck. Need a brunch stop on your way out of town? Check out local favorite Mr. John’s Pancake House and order their specialty, crepe suzette.

all photos via The Surf Lodge

Is there anything more Glorious than a fantastic song? One that makes you smile or dance—a melody that takes you back to a wonderful memory or reminds you of a favorite person or place? We’ve been meaning to incorporate more music onto the site for a while, and so we’ve created a new category called Glorious Tunes, which will feature songs from modern American bands we love. This week it’s Trampled by Turtles, a soulful bluegrass group out of Deluth, Minnesota who recently released their sixth album, Stars and Satellites. Check out their outstanding cover of Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)”, one of the performances from the AV Club’s musical web series Undercover. If you like what you hear, take a look at their upcoming tour dates—this summer they’ll be playing cities across the U.S. including Newport, San Francisco, Omaha, and Chicago.

Wandawega Camp Store in Wisconsin via Design Tripper

• Shopping cool camping store Wandawega in Wisconsin at Design Tripper

• Great shots of New York City taken from the Empire State Building on Hither & Thither

• A mountain biking trip for the whole family in Colorado on Outside

• All kinds of delicious 4th of July recipes from Southern Living

• The results from the first ever American pizza survey from Zagat

• A trip through North Carolina’s Bluegrass music scene from Afar

What a Glorious moment it was when we discovered the wonderful, whimsical work of New York City-based Coral & Tusk. Created by RISD-educated textile designer Stephanie Housley and her husband Chris Lacinak, the company’s stationery, home decor, and adorable pins, badges, and slippers for kids (above) manage to feel both playful and sophisticated, like something plucked from a Wes Anderson film. We particularly love their signature embroidered linen pillows like the keepsake-worthy Fox Tooth Fairy Pillow (below, left). See more from their gallery below and shop the entire collection here.

This week’s Glorious Getaway takes us to Marshall, California and Nick’s Cove and Cottages nestled along Tomales Bay, 50-miles north of San Francisco. We love the cozy, rustic vibe of the place, a local institution for over 80-years. The charming cottages here include amenities like wood burning stoves and private decks over the water, and many of the rooms are pet-friendly, too. Outdoor enthusiasts can take advantage of Nick’s new Kayak Adventure package, which includes a three-hour kayaking tour of the Bay, overnight accommodations for two, and BBQ oysters at the property’s fantastic restaurant for $675. Wine fans should also investigate the restaurant’s Vinters’ Dinners, which take place on the first Thursday of every month. July’s event features dishes like wild boar sugo with rosemary polenta and heirloom tomato salsa paired with selections from Healdsburg’s Thumbprint Cellars (upcoming dinners will feature Russian River’s Halleck Vineyard, and Freemark Abbey and Patz & Hall from Napa Valley). Each pairing menu is $89 and reservations can be made by calling 415-663-1033.

all photos via Nick’s Cove & Cottages