5 RI Road Trips: WaterFire, Mansions, Beaches, ‘Last Great Place’

RHODE ISLAND — Second only to New Jersey in population density, Rhode Island with 1.094 million people living in its 1,214 square miles, the state has more than 100 beaches with 400 miles of coastline.

Known as the Ocean State, it’s a great place for surfing and other water sports — not to mention freshly caught seafood. Rich in Colonial history, Rhode Island is a nature lover’s paradise with stunning views from seaside cliffs (or a hot air balloon), but also an arts and culture mecca with a well-established food scene.

Here are five road trips:

Let WaterFire Move You

WaterFire isn’t the only reason to go to Providence, but it’s a compelling one. Barnaby Evans’ award-winning sculpture installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence has been praised by Rhode Island residents and international visitors who come to see the powerful work. The installation has more than 80 torch-lit vessels that float down the river to music from around the world.

A moving symbol of Providence’s renaissance, it has attracted more than 10 million visitors since its installation nearly 30 years ago, bringing life to the city’s downtown and revitalizing the state’s capital city. Saturdays are the best time to take it in because that’s when full lighting programs occur.

Providence is a great place for foodies. Professionally guided tours are available at a cost, or explore on your own. Eater Boston has a good sampling of 15 places to eat that appeal to a variety of tastes.

There are plenty of other things to do in Providence. Some options include tours of historic buildings and sites, museums, art galleries, family-centered activities and, for the adults, lots of nightlife.

Visit One Of the ‘Last Great Places’

Block Island is not the easiest place to get to logistically — you’ll need to take a ferry from Point Judith to Old Harbor to get there — but it’s worth the effort. The 11-square-mile seaside resort 12 miles off the Rhode Island coast was heralded by The Nature Conservancy in 1991 as one of 12 Last Great Places in the western hemisphere.

“This special designation highlights the island’s abundance of rare plants and animals and the community’s unique support for conservation,” according to The Nature Conservancy, which set up a permanent field office on the island soon after to manage more than 2,000 acres of wildlife habitat.

While you’re there, stay at any number of beautifully restored Victorian hotels and inns and bed and breakfasts nestled in the rolling green hills and dramatic bluffs, or rent a cottage or house.

• Related: Block Island’s ‘Secret Beach’: What To Know

Block Island has 17 miles of free beaches and an extensive trail system goes through meadows, woods and the sandy shore. The Block Island Tourism Council has sample itineraries, a calendar of events and more information.

Ferries also depart, in season, from Newport, and Block Island Airline has regular 20-minute flights departing from Westerly.

Grab More Summer At Misquamicut

This road trip to Misquamicut, a beach community within the town of Westerly, is a perfect getaway. Misquamicut Beach is one of the state’s best beaches. The beach has 45 businesses ranging from surf shops and food joints to bowling lanes and Atlantic Beach Park, a Misquamicut vacation destination since 1921.

The horses on the 1915 Herschell Spillman Carousel at the arcade were hand-carved by Marcus Charles Illions, a master carver of numerous wooden carousel horses. Carousels were prolific from the turn of the 20th century to the Great Depression, with about two or three thousand, but only a few hundred have survived.

This 15-foot-wide merry-go-round of prancing horses is a beauty, a sister to one at Disney World. The carousel mechanism was rescued from Rocky Point Amusement Park and is one of the oldest in the country. The horses were carved somewhere between 1890 and 1920.

The mechanism for the carousel came from the Rocky Point Amusement Park and is one of the oldest in the country. The Illions horses date from about 1890 to 1920 and the carousel mechanism was built in 1915.

A dragon chariot carved by Illions is also worth seeing. Visitors can also experience the nostalgia of a drive-in movie, which remains open through Sept. 13 with Misquamicut Fallfest Weekend 2024.

There are plenty of places to stay on the beach or in Westerly at-large, ranging from high-end luxury resorts to historic inns to eclectic to cozy. Westerly’s business district features boutiques, specialty shops, arts galleries and places for scrumptious seafood and fun eats. The town’s centerpiece is the 14-acre Wilcox Park, an open meadow surrounded by trees that has a fish pond, monuments and perennial gardens. The Napatree Point Conservation Area is a great place for a hike.

Step Back To The Gilded Age

A tour of the Newport Mansions is a step back to the Gilded Age the period of 1870-1910 when the expansion of industry and transportation — and the lack of an income tax — gave rise to a new wealthy class of people with names like Vanderbilt, Morgan, Ford, Carnegie and Rockefeller.

Of the seven mansions open for public tours, The Breakers, once owned by the Vanderbilt family, is the grandest. It serves as a stunningly well-preserved Gilded Age museum with a self-guided audio tour. The entire mansion, its stable and carriage house are part of the tour.

For his wife’s 39th birthday, William Vanderbilt had the Marble House built. It set the pace for Newport’s subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to one filled with opulent mansions. Audio tours are offered here, too, with stories including how the Duke of Marlborough met his future Duchess, Consuelo Vanderbilt, at Marble House.

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Also open for tours are The Elms, modeled after a French château; Rosecliff, built for Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs that has a heart-shaped grand staircase; Chateau-sur-Mer, a grand representation of High Victorian architecture and interior finishes; Kingscote, a Gothic Revival landmark that brought the “cottage boom” to Newport; and the Green Animals Topiary Garden, a perfect place for a picnic.

The oldest topiary garden in the country, it also has more than 35 formal flowerbeds, geometric pathways, arbors, fruit trees, and vegetable and herb gardens.

Road-Tripping On A Budget

You don’t have to spend a ton of money to enjoy Rhode Island, whether a one-day trip or one stretched across a few days. This sample itinerary from Only In Your State doesn’t cost a lot, and it’s provided with Google Map directions that can easily be customized.

Here are the stops along the way:

The Providence Athenaeum, Providence: The circa 1836 library is a gorgeous structure. Take a self-guided or group tour to experience its sheer beauty. It’s free.

Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge, Foster: It doesn’t cost anything to visit Rhode Island’s only covered bridge, but it is next to a house, so bring your manners along — along with your camera.

Exeter Scrap Metal Inc., Exeter: This is a great place to stop and take a selfie in front of the larger-than-life scorpion sculpture made of scrap metal.

Cliff Walk, Newport: The breathtaking views along this 3.5-mile path include everything from the ocean to the Newport Mansions.

Emilie Ruecker Wildlife Refuge, Tiverton: This natural area is perfect for a hike, with a good chance of seeing local wildlife.

Colt State Park, Bristol: Called the “gem of the Rhode Island park system,” this is a great place for a breather, whether by flying a kite, taking a stroll or having a picnic.

Mare Rooftop, Providence: After being frugal along the way, splurge at this rooftop restaurant offering elevated Mediterranean cuisine while enjoying stunning views of the city.

5 More Rhode Island Road Trips

• Fall Leaf Peeping Trips
• Be A Keeper Of The Light
• Roadside Attractions Road Trip
• Take A Whirlwind Carousel Tour
• Spend A Day In Purgatory (Chasm)

Planning to travel out of state? Check out more Patch Road Trips.