Rhode Trip
 

Heading to Rhode Island for the first time over Memorial Day weekend, and I need some of your good advice.

I'm based in NYC and will have my mother with me (who's in her mid-60s), flying in from Ireland. She's been to New York before so looking to show her some of New England's charm. The plan is to get Boston and Rhode Island in, so we'll have to be selective. She won't forgive me if she doesn't get a walk on the beach, that's the only must do.

Here's the plan as of right now:
Saturday / Sunday - Boston & Cambridge (I've been before so have a good idea of what to do)

Monday - Choice of doing either:
* Block Island
* Martha's Vineyard
* Driving to Provincetown

Tuesday - Newport (Cliff Walk, one of the old mansions, walk around the wharf).

What would you do on Monday, something on my list or should I consider another option?

Where are you staying all of these days?
Getting to Block Island or the Vineyard or P-town and back to Boston on a holiday will take half the day. Is it worth it for you?
If you can find and afford a night in Newport, it is worth spending 2 full days there. If not, maybe spend that Monday in Wickford (charming small town on the river) and Narragansett, beachy but also with a walkable town and , fewer crowds than the islands.

Or drive south rt 77 in RI, passing clam shacks, wineries, beautiful scenery, backroads, water views

The plan is to arrive in Sandwich/Barnstable on Sunday night and stay there, allowing an early start on Monday.

I figured a day would be sufficient for any of them, allowing us to get back to Newport in the evening and stay there that night. That would leave Tuesday to wander around Newport itself.

We could always go straight to Newport on Monday morning instead though, do you think there are two days worth of site seeing?

Why not take the ferry to and from Boston to Provincetown on Monday (has service that day), then drive to Newport?

http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/p...y/default.aspx

I'm suprised you found a place on the Cape for one night of a holiday weekend!

I go to Newport and surrounding areas a couple times per year and can always find something to do. It's easy to go to more than one mansion, shop,eat, see Touro Synagogue and do a walking tour of the colonial buildings in the neighborhood, drive over to Fort Adams, take a pleasure cruise passing nearby islands or to see lighthouses, picnic, etc. There are other places nearby like Bristol a charming small town with Blithewold Gardens and historic house), Green Animals Topiary garden and house (between Bristol and Newport).

Lots of waterfront areas almost anywhere in RI so what else are your site priorities? All of thes epalces will be very busy over the weekend, so factor that in too.

Not a bad idea, is Provincetown worth visiting / is it similar to other towns closer to Newport?

What a shame I can't take the car on the ferry, would have been great to go from Boston and then continue the journey down from Provincetown!

I'm starting to think it may just be better to spend a day walking the beach on Monday and meandering to Newport, rather than trying to get Block Island / Martha's in.

@janie, guess I got lucky :)

I figured it would be busy that weekend so went for Boston first, rather than the other way around (accommodation in Newport drops considerably for Monday night).

What beach in the area would you recommend?

Believe me, there is no place like Provincetown!

I hadn't realized you'd have brought a car from New York. However, the drive from Boston to Newport is not much different -- maybe even shorter, than that from P-town.

Advise you to drop plans for BI and MV. You'll see plenty of sand and water in P-Town and Newport.

The islands are great,but IMHO just too difficult and rushed for enjoying a day trip on a holiday weekend.
Yes, Newport rates plummet on that Monday, Even the Hyatt which goes for $400+ on the weekend has upgraded rooms for $179 on Monday!

Thanks all for the replies, I'm going to skip the islands this time. Still looking for a good beach though? :)

Lots of great beaches in South County, RI. Inquire locally. Several beaches in Newport and just over the Portsmouth town line. Horse neck Beach in Westport, MA, between New Bedford and Fall River is excellent, and the back roads between Westport and Tiverton, RI, are beautiful. But you will need a GPS.

Thanks, GPS isn't an issue. First thing I bought when I moved here!

Beach for swimming, walking along the shore, or just for the scenery?
There are beaches in and around Newport. One is a about half a mile from the easily accessible end of the Cliff Walk, Parking may a problem unless you're there early . It's not a secluded beach though as it backs up the road.
IMO, the nicest beaches in the area for lounging, swimming and spending the day are in "South County" RI (about 30-45 minutes away--I love the beaches in Charlestown) or at the southern end of scenic rt 77 near Sakonnet (also at least 40 minutes away. If you want great ocean views without necessarily sitting in the sand or making a special trip out of the way, drive along the Ten Mile Drive
http://www.oceandrivenewport.com/

Thanks for the advice. Good walking beach is what I'm looking for. Don't think my mother will want to do much other than stick her toes in the sea.

Newport has two close-to-town beaches: Easton's (aka First), which makes for a great late afternoon walk, followed by a sunset cocktail at the bar at The Chanler Inn, which is at one end of the beach and at the beginning of the Cliff Walk. It also has a small hands-on aquarium where you can eyeball the local sea creatures. At the other end of Easton's is the Atlantic Beach Club, a restaurant where the outdoor tables are literally in the sand. I had a lovely dinner there last summer; it seemed like I was in the Caribbean! The other beach is Second Beach, which allows a much longer beach hike than Easton's; it's past Easton's and around the corner. My favorite South County beach is East Matunuck State Beach, where you can get in a great stroll while you watch the Block Island ferries go in and out, along with fishing boats and others. You can end up at dinner at the very casual Jim's Dock, a traditional seafood dive with tables right on the marina and channel (provided it's reopened by then, considering the damage it suffered in Hurricane Sandy), or at Matunuck Oyster Bar, a more upscale favorite where the restaurant in directly adjacent to the oyster farm on an ocean inlet. Rhode Island is absolutely stunning, and as Memorial Day is a bit early for the beaches you might get a deal outside of Newport. There are very few chains in South County but plenty of independents. For example, a room at the Ocean Rose Inn across the street from the ocean in Narragansett is $129 that Monday.