Napatree Point

Watch Hill, Rhode Island

Napatree is a sandy peninsula that juts out of Watch Hill’s commercial district, separating the mouth of the Pawcatuck River from the Atlantic Ocean. A little more than a mile of pristine beach forms a pleasant crescent, immediately visible from the top of the dunes adjacent to the parking lot. In the summertime, people carry mesh chairs, striped towels, and small coolers, planning to spend the day at this earthly version of paradise. Off season, the beach is home to walkers bundled up against the cold and wind, some with dogs, others with friends. I often go on my own.

This stretch of land was once home to some forty cottages, simple shingled structures built to provide owners a carefree place to relax in the warmer months. A single lane of pavement, Fort Road, allowed for cars, packed with suitcases from the city and bags of groceries for families and their house guests. On September 21, 1938, this idyllic scene was erased in a matter of hours when a great hurricane struck Napatree, along with the rest of New England, wiping out every single cottage and the lives of 15 people. No one knew the hurricane was coming until it was upon them.

Napatree before the 1938 Hurricane, which separated Sandy Spit from the mainland.

This may be one of the reasons I choose to walk Napatree by myself. It feels like sacred ground, almost like walking in a cemetery without the headstones. But life at Napatree far outweighs its history of death. Today, it’s a nature conservancy, home to thousands of birds and other creatures. The waves roll rhythmically into the shore, sounding musical at times. The sun shimmers on the surface of the water. Boats speed happy vacationers to and fro, and cargo tankers travel along the horizon. In the midst of all this, I see and feel Napatree’s vibrancy; it’s one of the places I feel most alive.

Walking Napatree is one of my birthday activities. Long ago, I decided that the best way to enjoy my day was to actually plan it. Why wait for friends and family to organize a celebration or surprise when I can do it myself – ha! My list usually includes a bike ride in the morning, breakfast or lunch with a friend, a walk at Napatree – the time dependent on the tide – an afternoon latte, and dinner (often lamb chops) grilled by Ted, preceded by a martini made just the way I like it, ice cold with two olives.

I do sometimes bring along a person I really like to walk Napatree with me because it’s fun to share our special places. And also because they get it; they know it’s a place I feel better for having been. And for that reason alone, they kind of love it too. (It’s hard not to get caught up in this kind of enthusiasm.)

Henry and me in 2017. His birthday is in May, too.

Where do you go to find peace, to reflect, to lose track of time, to refresh, to be yourself? Other places, like the pottery studio, the library, nearby woods, and a raft in Niantic, I enjoy for their own reasons. Napatree though? It’s magic, every time.