Rhode Island

Where three rivers converge in downtown Providence, you’ll find this ongoing fire sculpture installation. 100 bonfires are lit in pans on the water and blaze all night while flotillas of performers go down the river, musicians perform and outdoor vendors supply visitors with food and drink.

 

The venerable Vanderbilt home is a 70-room Italian Renaissance palazzo and includes within the estate a stable and carriage house. Spend the day on a leisurely self-guided audio tour, then explore the grounds to catch the sunset over the Atlantic. For perspective on the daily operation of this expansive estate, take the servant life tour.

RISD, as it’s commonly called, is one of the USA’s greatest art and design schools. Together with the school’s museum, which houses nearly 100,000 objects in its collection, the school’s three galleries and thesis exhibitions offer visitors a dive into art and design culture from ancient times to today. Before you leave, stop into the school’s 80,000-specimen Nature Lab.

Located on Block Island, the 60-meter-tall Mohegan Bluffs offer one of the most dramatic views of the Atlantic Ocean in all of New England. Vistas from these clay cliffs can extend all the way to Montauk on the tip of Long Island in New York State. Take the set of 141 steps leads down from the bluffs to one of the most beautiful and secluded beaches on the island. The shoreline here may be rocky, but that only adds to the incredible perspective of the ocean and bluffs.

On this National Recreation Trail set in the National Historic District of Newport, you’ll be peeking into the backyards of the rich and famous, but that’s welcomed. The homes you’ll see are magnificent examples of Gilded Age manors. Over 5.6 kilometers, you’ll be taken over rocky coastline, through meadows of wild bush and high up over the shore, where you can watch surfers and sailboats alike.

Recognized as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, the 1793-era Slater Mill is the centerpiece of this peaceful historic district. The site also features the Sylvanus Brown House, a pre-revolutionary artisan worker’s cottage dating to 1758, and the Wilkinson Mill and Machine Shop, with its massive reconstructed waterwheel. Take a self-guided tour to learn more about this period in U.S. history through these historic buildings, exhibits and interpreters.

This classic New England saltwater beach with its smoothly curling waves is known for having some of the best surfing in New England, but it’s also a great place to relax and soak up the sun. Its convenient amenities include two pavilions with snack bars, changing rooms, restrooms and ample parking. When you’re ready to stretch your legs, walk north along the shore to see the mouth of the Pettaquamscutt River, or head into town for shopping and dining. Insider tip: Pick a restaurant with an outdoor deck overlooking the beach.

This street dense with Colonial homes, museums and churches is served by the Providence Preservation Society, which lays out a self-guided architecture tour. Other themed tours are available that explore the thoroughfare’s role in 18th and 19th century culture and history, including an H.P Lovecraft walk and a women’s history walk. 

Boating enthusiasts will find themselves with plenty to do on this estuary, home to 30 islands and accessible from Providence and other towns. Take a seal-watching tour, narrated boat cruise or see what it’s like to be out on the water in a historic schooner. From Scarborough State Beach, you can fish, snorkel or scuba dive.  

Stretching more 23 kilometers from Providence to Bristol, the East Bay Bike Path traces the route of a former railway line. Today, the paved, multi-use path connects vibrant neighborhoods and tranquil parks and passes alongside scenic views of coves, marshes and city skylines. Featuring both forested and waterfront portions, the trail is packed with photo ops and gives visitors a chance to see another side of Rhode Island from two wheels.