Rhode Island

You could drive across the smallest state in the U.S. in an hour, but if you're in a hurry, you'll miss the best of it. A vacation in Rhode Island takes you to the Gilded Age summer palaces of Newport, to beaches with lighthouses, and to a state capital where fires burn on the river on summer evenings.

Landscape: the "Ocean State"

Rhode Island lies in New England between Connecticut and Massachusetts. Although the state is only about 60 kilometers (37 miles) long, Narragansett Bay, which reaches deep inland and holds more than 30 islands, gives it a coastline of several hundred kilometers. In the south, sandy beaches and salt marshes line the shore, while in the north, river valleys and old mill towns shape the landscape. Offshore lies Block Island, with its bluffs, stone walls, and nature preserves, reachable by ferry in summer.

Sights in Rhode Island

In Newport, America's wealthiest families had their "cottages" built in the late 19th century—in reality, palaces modeled on European examples. You can tour The Breakers of the Vanderbilts, Marble House, and The Elms. The Cliff Walk, a coastal path of about five kilometers (3 miles), runs between villa gardens and crashing surf. For decades Newport hosted the America's Cup and remains a stronghold of sailing to this day; in summer it hosts the Newport Jazz Festival and the Folk Festival, where Bob Dylan played electric for the first time in 1965. The Touro Synagogue, built in 1763, is considered the oldest surviving synagogue in the U.S. In Pawtucket, Slater Mill, the birthplace of American industrialization, is part of a national park in the Blackstone River Valley. Watch Hill near Westerly attracts visitors with a historic carousel and beachfront mansions.

Cities: Providence and Surroundings

Providence is the capital and cultural center. Brown University and the art school RISD, with its outstanding museum, shape College Hill, with its colonial houses along Benefit Street. During WaterFire, dozens of braziers are lit on the river downtown on select evenings, accompanied by music. In the Italian-influenced neighborhood of Federal Hill, trattorias and delicatessens line the streets. Warwick, home to the airport, and Cranston are the largest neighboring cities, and East Providence and Pawtucket are also part of the metropolitan area. Woonsocket in the north was once a French-Canadian textile center. To the south you'll find Narragansett, with its beach and the ruined stone tower known as The Towers, as well as the Point Judith lighthouse, near where the ferries to Block Island depart.

History

Roger Williams founded Providence in 1636 after being banished from Massachusetts for his views. The colony was the first to guarantee broad religious freedom and became a refuge for Baptists, Quakers, and Jews. Rhode Island was the first colony to declare independence from the British Crown, in May 1776, but the last of the original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, in 1790. In the 19th century, textile mills and the jewelry industry made the state prosperous.

Food and Drink

Rhode Island has a distinctive cuisine. Clam chowder here is often served clear rather than creamy, accompanied by fried clam cakes. "Stuffies" are large clams stuffed with bread crumbs and chouriço, and fried calamari with hot peppers is officially the state appetizer. Coffee milk is the state drink, Del's semi-frozen lemonade is refreshing in summer, and "hot wieners" with meat sauce are a classic of local snack spots. Along the coast, clam shacks such as those in Narragansett and Galilee stay open until late in the evening in summer. If you're curious, try the thin "pizza strips" topped with tomato sauce, which Providence bakeries sell cold.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

T. F. Green Airport in Warwick has domestic connections, and many visitors arrive via Boston, which is about an hour from Providence by train; Amtrak trains also connect Providence with New York. The best time to visit is June through October, when the beaches are warm, ferries to Block Island run regularly, and the mansions in Newport are open. September is often ideal: still warm, but quieter.