Any help on what to do or see while spending a night in Rhode Island?
Me and the wife are heading from NC to Northern NH to spend the summer with my folks. My wife has never been to Rhode Island and informed me that we will be going WAY out of our way to go so she can say she's been!
If we have to go I would like to spend the night and at least see or do something while were making a detour to go there.
It will be me the wife our 3yr old son and two dogs in our truck and trailer with the bike. No way I'm hauling all of us and our gear for the summer on just my bike, so yes a trailer.

I really haven't done any research yet and we have all summer to go so I'm started to make plans now. Me and the wife will also be hitting Gettysburg Penn for one of our Associations events with just me and her on the bike and wondering if it would be better to just head over before or after the event?

Anyone have any ideas or advice?
Thanks

 

Not much to think about in my eye's.....Pulling a fully loaded truck and trailer though RI would be as much run as having a tooth pulled....Some beautiful beaches in southern Road Island....You may find a spot you could pull your caravan too in Westerly or some other area but none any better then the 100 beaches you'll pass on the way to get there from NC.....Personally I'd wait until you were on the bike and in PA...You can get to, in and out of RI a lot easier....Hit some of the fine restaurants on the coast and in Providence....

 

Go to Newport. It's a nice place to spend the day, whether you're touring the Victorian mansions on Ocean Drive, or getting some sun at First Beach.

 

Hiway 1 around the coast is nice...and no where is really way out of the way in new England as you can drive from newport to new hampshire in less than 2 hours,lol. I rode my bicycle along the narangassett bay from Long island sound to providence metro area in less than 2 hours....

 

I agree that everything is pretty close, but to avoid traffic we stay away from I95 and take I81. So on the way up if we cut across to Rhode Island from 81 it would take more than a couple hours out of our way to travel there. Also my family live in northern NH/VT around St J VT and Groveton NH so were a little ways up there. But since were not on a time schedule making the trip isn't an issue, its more of what to do when were there. The beach and HWY 1 both sound like a great idea, might have to find a camping area and set up tents for the night if they have any near the ocean.

 

Don't take 81 all the way up. Take 84 near Scranton toward Hartford, and then cross over to RI from there. And then when you're done, head toward Worcester and Manchester NH on up to St J.

For camping, try Fishermen's State Park and Campground in Point Judith. It's only a few blocks from the ocean and pretty decent.

 

I'll defiantly check this out. I know when I go we change from I 81 to I 84 and then to I 91 the rest of the way.

 

+1 on Newport.

But if you come across on I 84 you are a little north out of your way, unfortunately if you want to be in Rhode Island on the coast = I 95. From Penn, that means thru NYC. Good luck with all of that with the full caravan. Maybe you should get everyone situated in NH then ride back down with the wife to RI??

 

Basically..stick to the shore...travel the coast.

My favorite corner....Watch Hill/Napatree Point. (down in southwest corner) Don't go on a weekend...packed with beach crowd. Roll quietly with the right wrist.

Traveling along the coast...north, travel on Route 1A....not route 1.
Some cool stops along Charleston....fun little places to eat along 1A.

Narragansett is great!

Try to hit Aunt Carries...in Point Judith. Awesome chowder and crab cakes
http://www.auntcarriesri.com/

Newport...very packed in the summer. Tourist trap...but fun to see it once. Do a few tours of the well known mansions. Head out to the bluffs at the end of the peninsula. Stay at the Jailhouse Inn while you're there...pick some week days, not the weekend.
http://www.jailhouse.com

Basically...just travel the shoreline. Inland RI...pretty boring. It's small state, can cross it in under 45 minutes. Route 1 follows the coast..but it's inland a bit. Route 1A works in and out of Rt1...but it is closer to the actual shore...you get less traffic, and better scenery, most views of the ocean.

 

I would highly suggest you go to Jamestown Island. And in particular to Beavertail State Park. It is God's country there. Just the rugged beauty of the rocks meeting the ocean at land's end. It is also much less crowded than Newport... plus you won't have to pay the Newport toll. From there come over the Jamestown Verazzano bridge to the mainland on Route 238 to Route 1. There are many very scenic areas along route 1... especially in Narragansett and especially if you love the ocean and the surf

Beavertail is one of the most photographed and painted places anywhere. I ride here many times and I also fish there and there are always people painting and photographing all over the place.

Right down the road is Fort Getty, but it's closed to campers only during the summer. But they keep sites available for daily travelers and you can usually rent a site for very short money with no or little notice