First Ocean

I found a photo online of the beach where I first saw an ocean.


I hitchhiked into Galilee, aka Pt. Judith, Rhode Island in June of 1970. I arrived after dark, and the ferry to Block Island, my destination, wouldn't leave until morning. I walked through the tiny town past seafood restaurants and found the ocean. Wow. I had grown up around the Great Lakes, but the ocean was DIFFERENT.

I wandered back through town wondering where I could sleep for the night. I came across a group of Vietnam Vets sitting in the back of an old pickup passing a jug of wine around (and other stuff), and they invited me in. Later they told me about an old refrigerated fish trailer I could camp out in. No, it didn't smell -- it was clean. I did worry that someone would discover me there in the morning before I woke up.