Bristol

The largest town in Rhode Island's somewhat overlooked but enticing East Bay region, Bristol lies about midway between Newport and Providence. Once a center of boatbuilding, this dapper town that hugs the eastern shores of Narragansett Bay is home to a handful of prominent attractions as well as a beguiling downtown with a smattering of noteworthy places to stay and eat. The main drag, Hope Street, is painted with a red-white-and-blue center stripe—this patriotic community has been celebrating the Fourth of July with a downtown parade longer than any other town in the United States. It's also the terminus of the 14.5-mi East Bay Bike Path, which begins in Providence and follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way.