My favorite memories were back in the 70s, when the Butler and Fowler families would drive from Cranston to Moonstone Beach, which was the best family beach in R.I. Our young children would swim in the adjacent salt pond while adults swam in the ocean. We all gathered moonstones. In the 80s, the beach became a popular site for “clothes optional” bathers and volleyball players. Alas, the pond became polluted and the piping plovers nesting areas provided an excuse to close the entire beach and drive away the peaceful, sun-loving nudists. -Don Fowler
