Far from the congestion and bustle of the city, Stone Home is an ideal getaway for the vacationer looking for a quiet, peaceful retreat for the family.

Located on Block Island, a unique Rhode Island community recently listed as one of the "last great places" in the Western Hemisphere by the Nature Conservancy, this vacation rental offers all the comforts of home while providing easy access to the wonders of this rare and special corner of New England.

This cozy two-story wooden home is perched on an inviting plot of soft grass with green trees, accented with lawn chairs and a hammock that will lull you to sleep under a canopy of leaves. Its four bedrooms and two baths, sleeps 8. Amenities inside include a full kitchen with cooking utensils, washer and dryer, cable television, telephone, stereo, and dishwasher. A wooden deck with picnic table and lounge chairs juts off the back of the home and is surrounded by flower-filled gardens. This area makes a perfect area for firing up the grill and treating the family to a barbecue as you feel the soft breeze from the ocean wash across the deck.

The ocean, of course, is only a half-mile from Stone Home. Block Island is a one-of-a-kind place, completely surrounded by the Atlantic, ten miles off the southern shore of Rhode Island, and accessible only by ferry and plane. As a result, there's plenty of beach -- 17 miles, to be precise -- on which to explore and play among the splendors of the ocean. There's even a story about a visitor who dropped into a cafe to ask where the beach was; four locals answered him by each pointing in a different direction.

Block Island itself was formed ten thousand years ago during the last ice age, when glaciers drove their way across the East Coast and left the island behind as a remnant. Today, Block Island is a land of sweeping views and a fragile ecosystem, preserved by the careful residents of the island for all to share and enjoy.

During the winter, the native population of this tiny island is only 800. Due to the forces of nature and geology that shape this land, there is no other place quite like it on earth.

Witness the North Light or the 400-foot Mohegan Bluffs, rising to a height seen nowhere else south of Nova Scotia. Take in the clean air and crystal clear nighttime skies. Explore the more than 350 freshwater ponds, an amazing statistic considering the island's size and location. Or just jump into one of the island's popular activities: fishing, swimming, clamming, sailing, tennis, or any number of other outdoor activities that makes life on this island so special.

You owe it to yourself and to your family to see Block Island, and one of the best ways to enjoy it is staying at Stone Home, a unique vacation rental in this unique part of the world.