Sometimes you just need a weekend away to somewhere new.
This is the first of three posts about a visit to Rhode Island. I spent two days each in the three charming and underrated cities of Westerly, Newport and Providence. Any one of them (or a combination) would be great destinations for a relaxing and enjoyable weekend getaway.
Why Rhode Island?
At a college reunion in May, a friend mentioned she lived in Westerly, Rhode Island. When I told her that it’s the only state in New England I’ve never seen, she graciously extended an invitation for a visit. It took all summer to work out a date, but I finally made the journey north in late August. Nancy and her husband were wonderful hosts.
Rhode Island Is Famous For Many Reasons
Rhode Island lived up to its reputation as the smallest state in the U.S. because travel between cities was so quick. According to the state’s official tourism site, VisitRhodeIsland.com, it’s 48 miles long and 37 miles wide. It’s nicknamed the Ocean State because it’s shoreline along Narragansett Bay borders the Atlantic Ocean.
Two of the most visited cities are Providence and Newport. Providence, Rhode Island is well known for the America’s Cup, the U.S. Naval Station Newport, and Brown University. Newport, Rhode Island is known for being a charming coastal town and home to the magnificent mansions of the wealthy from the Gilded Age. Each of these cities are less than an hour from Westerly, Rhode Island. I could not wait to see them as well.
Where is Westerly, RI?
Westerly is located on the southwestern shore of Rhode Island. It’s a beautiful beachfront community made up of a dozen small villages that range from the wealthy Watch Hill to the more down-to- earth Misquamicut.
It’s no surprise that Rhode Island is surrounded by water. What really amazed me was that the coast of both Connecticut and Long Island are so easily visible from Westerly. It makes sense from a geographic standpoint, but being able to look across the water at these two other states and Block Island was so unique.
Day One – Beach Walk and Watch Hill
After breakfast, we decided get some fresh air and explore. On a sunny summer day, what better place to exercise than along the shore?
Misquamicut Fire District Beach
We started at Misquamicut Fire District Beach and took a very long walk. As we strolled along, I noticed that the beach names actually change from one end to the other.
Almost all the beaches in Westerly are private, although they are ways to gain entry. For example, local homeowners get a free pass to enter Misquamicut Fire District Beach. Attendants check visitors for entry passes and parking nearby is very tight. The soft sand is clean and the beach has numerous lifeguards on stands to keep swimmers safe. This is a lively beach with restaurants, hotels and more shops across the street.
A number of hotels are on the beach or have their own private entrance onto the beach. For the price of a room, guests can also get a pass to enjoy the sand and water. Hotels nearby include the Pleasant View Inn, the Sandcastle Inn and the Sandy Shore Motel. Another option with its own restaurant is The Hotel Maria.
Farther down, there are more restaurants are along the shore as well. Plenty of people were enjoying happy hour as we walked by the Andrea Beach Bar and the Windjammer Surf Bar. Between the music and the view, who wouldn’t want to sit at a patio right above the sand?
Ocean House
A long way down the beach, a beautiful old hotel painted in bright yellow with white trim caught my eye. This turn-of-the-century resort became well known by wealthy New England patrons as a genteel place “to summer” at the shore.
The Ocean House still attracts a luxury clientele today with its 49 spacious rooms, and designation as “the only Forbes five star spa in Rhode Island” and “one of the top 100 hotels in the world” by readers of Travel & Leisure.
Watch Hill Beach
One of the nice things about a beach stroll is the chance to people watch and to enjoy the local real estate. In addition to restaurants and hotels, there are a number of homes right on the beach and they vary from moderate to quite large in both size and price.
At the far end of the Westerly shoreline sits the village of Watch Hill. This is the exclusive neighborhood of those with high incomes. Most of the houses are protected from visitors by extensive landscaping and/or interesting fences. Parking is very expensive near this end of the beach, most likely to keep the traffic from becoming a problem because the roads are a bit narrow in places.
Watch Hill Mansions and Celebrity Owners
Clearly no expense is spared at this end of town. From sprawling Tudors to large colonials with wrap-around porches, each house is different from its neighbors. Even the landscaping is beautifully executed with unique touches like this wooden fence.
Up on a hill at the end of the beach, a well-known music star has a huge fenced-in house with a swimming pool on the property. Security was evident; a guard with his feet hanging off a rock wall sat motionless. Given the lack of activity and his laid-back demeanor, Taylor Swift was clearly not in residence. Conan O’Brien has a house somewhere in Westerly as well.
Watch Hill Lighthouse
In the afternoon, we drove back to Watch Hill to explore further. I am a fan of lighthouses, and I had read in advance that the Watch Hill lighthouse has been there since 1807 when Thomas Jefferson commissioned it.
Although we could see it easily, trying to find the road that led to the lighthouse was a bit of a mystery. After some searching, we found a private road and walked the half-mile that ended at the Watch Hill Lighthouse.
The setting is beautiful and well worth a picture. The antique lighthouse stretches up to the sky and beneath it, red roofed buildings with bright white walls provide contrast to the green grassy square out front.
Sitting on the boulders that outline the property, the sea in the distance also begs to be photographed, especially at sunset.
Watch Hill Village
Walking around this historic seaside town, we saw a number of attractive shops and restaurants.
Flying Horse Carousel
One of the highlights in this quaint village was an antique carousel. Watch Hill is well known as the home to the Flying Horse Carousel, the oldest continually operating carousel in the U.S. and the only flying horse carousel left.
As we stood along the outer ring to watch, a child in the crowd pointed out that the horses seem to have real horse hair manes and tails. It’s clear from the bright colors, and the painted scenes on the back wall of the carousel that it’s meticulously maintained.
Another unique element was the opportunity to reach for a prize. As they rounded one side, each of the young riders reached out their arms to grab a silver ring that rolled down a wooden arm next to the ride attendant. Even the littlest ones were handed a ring so that they didn’t miss out on the fun. Although the rings are no longer made of this metal, it was a real life example of the phrase “Reach for the brass ring.”
Watch Hill Yacht Club
On the far end of town along the waterfront, smaller boats, yachts and other watercraft were tied up at the marina.
Next to it, the Watch Hill Yacht Club provided owners with a private club to stop in for refreshments and a chance to share their sailing adventures.
The Watch Hill Cabanas
Across the street from the yacht club, my friend pointed out a very long row of cabanas lined up like mini-townhouses. At first, I thought I was looking at a movie set. Instead, it was clear they are very real. The cabanas are owned by Watch Hill Yacht Club members. They provide a private place to change clothes or store gear right near the marina.
Day Two – Boating, the Public Beach and Lobster Dinner
Waking up on another sunny beautiful blue sky day, my friend suggested going out kayaking in the water near her house. Since boating is a big deal in Rhode Island, it sounded like a fun adventure.
I had never kayaked before and was surprised to find that it was much easier than I thought. As a beginner, Nancy had me climb in and sit down on the bench in the kayak while it was still on the bank at the water’s edge. While I held my paddles horizontally across the bow, she expertly pulled the lightweight kayak down the bank and gave it a good push away from the shore.
It didn’t take long to get the hang of paddling. We made our way out to the middle of the pond and saw lots of birds and tall reeds around the marshy edges. Off in the distance, we saw a white heron standing on spindly legs. At the edge of the pond, small turtles sat on the rocks sunning themselves. Kayaking reminded us that taking time to enjoy nature is a healthy way to live.
Getting out of the kayak was another story. I paddled up to the dock as my friend suggested. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep my balance as I tried to climb out. Even though she kept telling me to stay low or I would fall in, I laughingly kept telling her I wouldn’t. Splash! She was right. I went in backwards. Lost my sunglasses but kept my hat on so, to me, a minor victory. All in all, it was a fun way to be part of the boating crowd in Rhode Island, even if it was for only an hour.
Block Island
While we were paddling around, Nancy pointed out Block Island. It’s only 12 miles offshore from Rhode Island. It’s a popular place to visit because it has two lighthouses, a coast guard station, hiking and biking trails, numerous public beaches, shopping, and restaurants.
Although this little island in the Atlantic Ocean is not as famous as Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, visitors can take a ferry to Block Island there as well. There are multiple departure points in Rhode Island, as well as from New York and Connecticut.
Misquamicut State Beach
Most people have a favorite beach. Friends of mine (who grew up in Connecticut and Massachusetts) told me that when they were younger, Misquamicut State Beach in Rhode Island was always their beach of choice and well worth the drive.
Misquamicut State Beach is fairly large and it faces the Atlantic. Although the college kids and families were mostly gone, there were still a few people catching the last rays of the season.
I can see why my New England friends loved this beach and why it’s great for families. Misquamict State Beach is well designed for a day at the shore. It has a huge parking lot, a large bathhouse with bathrooms, plenty of lifeguard stands, a playground, picnic tables and gazebos with shade. The beach itself is wide and looked very clean, even at the end of the summer.
Lobster Dinner
In the evening, we drove over to the town of Wallingford in Connecticut and had a delicious dinner at Westbrook Lobster. From the giant standing lobster in the lobby to the wooden floor, brick walls, and blueberry lemonade cocktail, this seafood restaurant has a lot of charm. It’s no wonder it’s referred to as the “Best Seafood Restaurant in Connecticut.”
The menu was a treat to read. From appetizers, soups, entree’s and specials, I had never seen so many lobster dishes. Have you ever heard of: lobster tacos, lobster pot pie, lobster carbonara, lobster quesadilla, lobster fritters, lobster flatbread and lobster tots?
We ordered the “Lobster Westbrook” special which arrived split and quartered in the shell with butter, bourbon, wine, shallots and herbs. Delicious!
The lobsters were plentiful and quite fresh. Here’s a picture of one of the lobsters who was walking around in the tank until the kitchen staff fished him out for a photo.
Moving On…
After days of experiencing Southwestern Rhode Island, I was full of salt air, fresh breezes and ready to continue onto Newport and Providence to see what other big adventures this small state had to offer.
