Newport tourism (Providence, East Providence, Westerly: rental car, rental, hotels)

[Vin100]

Hi,
My senior parents are visiting us from other country and we plan to take them to Newport this weekend.
I shall appreciate if I can get any suggestions of the places to see, how to schedule a one day itinery, etc. We have been to Newport only once before for few hours and enjoyed the sea side restaurants and the battery car self drive.
I have heard that visiting a mansion is a must...but how do we choose which mansion to see. Also, any other activity, famous place to see?? Any special discounts that we dont know of..any special promotions etc..
Thanks

[Rhody2Mn]

If you only have time to tour one mansion, I recommend The Breakers. If everyone in your party is physically able to, the Cliff Walk is also a must see. http://www.cliffwalk.com/

[boulevardofdef]

A drive down Ocean Drive has never failed to impress anyone I've taken to Newport. Stop at Brenton Point State Park to look at the water close up. You may want to bring a kite -- it's the kite-flying center of Rhode Island.

[Vin100]

Thanks for the suggestions....
Yes, i heard Breakers is a must,..though I am concerned if my parents will be able to do a long walk through the mansion..I am realizing they are having old age problems..fatigue/ arthritis.

[Nightengale212]

Originally Posted by Vin100

Thanks for the suggestions....
Yes, i heard Breakers is a must,..though I am concerned if my parents will be able to do a long walk through the mansion..I am realizing they are having old age problems..fatigue/ arthritis.

I hope your parents had an enjoyable visit to Newport. Wish I had came across your post sooner as I worked for a couple of years as a tour guide at the Breakers and a step-on tour guide with Viking Tours and could have provided a few pointers in touring Newport.

[cb2008]

Hello,
I am looking for a trip for the two of us to Newport 1st or 2nd week of September. I am looking for hotels and things to do. I looked at Outlook Inn which seems nice, located centrally, but pricey.

We plan to visit the bird santuary, take a couple of tours, walk the Cliff Rd. We would like to book a boat ride for a reasonable price.
I hope by September things will be back to normal. It is a road trip for us so no fear of flying right now!
Any suggestions for things to do, places to eat (One of us is vegetarian) and any info on entertainment will be welcome.
Thank you

[independent man]

Originally Posted by cb2008

Hello,
I am looking for a trip for the two of us to Newport 1st or 2nd week of September. I am looking for hotels and things to do. I looked at Outlook Inn which seems nice, located centrally, but pricey.

We plan to visit the bird santuary, take a couple of tours, walk the Cliff Rd. We would like to book a boat ride for a reasonable price.
I hope by September things will be back to normal. It is a road trip for us so no fear of flying right now!
Any suggestions for things to do, places to eat (One of us is vegetarian) and any info on entertainment will be welcome.
Thank you

Carve out a little time, away from the hustle bustle, to visit Jamestown. Newport's sleepy island cousin. Beavertail Lighthouse is a dramatic setting & is a must see. There are a few good restaurants in town (Simpatico & J-22) with excellent veg options. You picked a perfect time of the year to visit the area.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by Nightengale212

I hope your parents had an enjoyable visit to Newport. Wish I had came across your post sooner as I worked for a couple of years as a tour guide at the Breakers and a step-on tour guide with Viking Tours and could have provided a few pointers in touring Newport.

I'm escaping the FLA August heat for 4 wks, & chose R.I. because I like the sea, boats, seafood, & "feels like" temps <113 degrees (like FLA has).

Arrive TF Green 7-29, p/u rental car, & drive to Newport. I've booked a room at 2 different Inn's (both have parking) depart Newport August 9th.

I chose July 29th due to the Newport Jazz Festival. I'll do the Cliff Walk, tour a couple Mansions (Breakers & ???), drive up to see the animal topiary gardens, charter a power yacht for 1/2 day (not fishing), & maybe take the ferry to Block Island for a day...worth it?

In Newport, I'll shop for mens clothes, art, gifts, & small decorating items, eat at seafood restaurants (prefer raw clams, #2 baked, #3 steamed), & Lobster, have a couple of cocktails at bars prior to walking back to the Inn's by 10 pm.

What else to do in the Newport area? I like to cycle, & saw a trail from Bristol to Providence. Is it safe to cycle around Newport? Should I rent a bike? I saw something about a car museum I can do if it rains.

If I go to Gant flagship store in CT, I'll tour Mystic CT, and maybe Westerly RI along the way.

My last 4 nights are in Plymouth Mass (whale watching tour?), but I still have 13 nights to fill in 8-9 to 8-22. I need 2 more places to stay. Ideas? I usually do Inn's, VRBO, AirBNB, & skip hotel/motels; unless they are unique/special & <$500/night.

Boston's too big & crowded w/ crazy traffic, maybe East Providence?, maybe Portsmouth NH. I did Portsmouth to Bar Harbor last time, & I liked Portsmouth. Ogunquit seems too family vacation touristy for this middle-aged male solo traveler.

Much of coastal RI is booked up...from Narragansett to Westerly. Bristol seems okay, Jamestown for a day perhaps. Where are the best places I'm not mentioning w/in a ~2-hour drive from Newport? Is Cape Cod too packed, and all families? Other places in R.I? Maybe just extend my time in Newport? I don't need constant sight-seeing stimulation, because I'm real good at doing nothing, so long as I have a sea view.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I'm escaping the FLA August heat for 4 wks, & chose R.I. because I like the sea, boats, seafood, & "feels like" temps <113 degrees (like FLA has).

Arrive TF Green 7-29, p/u rental car, & drive to Newport. I've booked a room at 2 different Inn's (both have parking) depart Newport August 9th.

I chose July 29th due to the Newport Jazz Festival. I'll do the Cliff Walk, tour a couple Mansions (Breakers & ???), drive up to see the animal topiary gardens, charter a power yacht for 1/2 day (not fishing), & maybe take the ferry to Block Island for a day...worth it?

In Newport, I'll shop for mens clothes, art, gifts, & small decorating items, eat at seafood restaurants (prefer raw clams, #2 baked, #3 steamed), & Lobster, have a couple of cocktails at bars prior to walking back to the Inn's by 10 pm.

What else to do in the Newport area? I like to cycle, & saw a trail from Bristol to Providence. Is it safe to cycle around Newport? Should I rent a bike? I saw something about a car museum I can do if it rains.

If I go to Gant flagship store in CT, I'll tour Mystic CT, and maybe Westerly RI along the way.

My last 4 nights are in Plymouth Mass (whale watching tour?), but I still have 13 nights to fill in 8-9 to 8-22. I need 2 more places to stay. Ideas? I usually do Inn's, VRBO, AirBNB, & skip hotel/motels; unless they are unique/special & <$500/night.

Boston's too big & crowded w/ crazy traffic, maybe East Providence?, maybe Portsmouth NH. I did Portsmouth to Bar Harbor last time, & I liked Portsmouth. Ogunquit seems too family vacation touristy for this middle-aged male solo traveler.

Much of coastal RI is booked up...from Narragansett to Westerly. Bristol seems okay, Jamestown for a day perhaps. Where are the best places I'm not mentioning w/in a ~2-hour drive from Newport? Is Cape Cod too packed, and all families? Other places in R.I? Maybe just extend my time in Newport? I don't need constant sight-seeing stimulation, because I'm real good at doing nothing, so long as I have a sea view.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

All good things to do and a great way to spend the summer.

Given the amount of time you have, I think the following (though many of your suggestions are 2+ hours from RI):

• Block Island for a day is worth it. You could even do a night or two there if you wanted, but it's definitely worth it either way.
• Newport's pretty good for cycling in/around town and many people get around on cycles. It's a lot cheaper/easier than parking a car in many spots. The crowding in the summer combined with the narrow streets is double edged - you'll be dodging pedestrians on some of the little streets, but it also means car traffic won't be blowing by you for the most part. I'd bring it on the ferry for the day trip to Block Island too - great way to see the island.
• Mystic and Stonington are great stops.
• Plymouth itself is fine, but not overly impressive. Plymouth Rock may be the most overrated tourist trap in the country (exaggerating, but not really by much). A whale watch isn't a bad idea, but I'd consider somewhere other than Plymouth (more on that below below) depending on where you stay. All of the boats go to the same spot (Stellwagen Bank) and boats from Plymouth (and places like Gloucester) spend more time going out and back than actually looking at whales. Not the worst spot to take one if you don't end up going anywhere else, but I'd consider other options depending on where you end up staying.
• There's not much to see in East Providence. Portsmouth is a great little city. Staying there for a few days with side stops in Kittery, York, and Newburyport is a great way to spend a long summer weekend.
• I don't think Ogunquit is too family-centric. It is, however, an LGBTQ vacation hub which is worth keeping in mind in case you have an aversion to that scene. Personally, I think it's a charming, picturesque seaside town and worth visiting as a solo traveler. Also in Maine, Portland's certainly worth a long weekend. You have enough time to set up shop on the Midcoast too (Camden, Belfast, Rockland, etc.).
• Back down south, Cape Ann MA is worth some time (Rockport and Gloucester have a lot going on) and you're not far from Salem which is a cool place to spend an afternoon/evening. Cape Ann has whale watches too, but like Plymouth, it's a lot of time going to/from vs. looking at whales.
• Cape Cod is a big area with a number of towns. Many of them are very much family-focused in terms of vacation appeal. But there's plenty for a solo traveler. I'd consider setting up shop on the outer Cape (Wellfleet, Truro, Provincetown) where you'll have easy access to both the Bay (calmer, more family-centric beaches) and the National Seashore (surf, seals, occasional shark, and dramatic dunes). Provincetown is sort of the cultural and entertainment hub for this stretch of the Cape and it's an LGBTQ mecca (though in the summer it's a pretty big mix of tourists from all walks of life too). It has great nightlife, good restaurants, a decent amount of shopping and it's very bike friendly. The beaches along the Outer Cape are among the best in New England (you can watch whales right from the beach at Herring Cove and Race Point). P-Town has, without question, the best options for whale watching in New England. The boats leave almost hourly between 9 and 5 on weekends that time of year, and there's a good chance you'll start seeing whales barely after you exit the harbor. You'll see more in 2-3 hours out of P-town than in 5-7 on a boat out of Plymouth or Gloucester (Boston has fast boats, that shorten the trek, but you said you're not into Boston).
• Alternatively, you could set up shop in Martha's Vineyard (Oak Bluffs or Edgartown are the most active spots on the Vineyard) and see it all by bike. Great beaches, fun towns, and perfectly enjoyable as a solo traveler. Tough to beat the ocean views (and night sky) out there.

[RhodyRepub]

Here's my advice: Parking can be a B****, and it can also cost ya.


I like to drive in from the "opposite end" (via East Bay and Portsmouth/Middletown rather than the Pell Bridge.) This avoids the toll, and traffic is often better despite the distance from West Bay.


Then I eat @ The Mooring. They always have plenty of parking, and will only charge you two dollars if you get validated. Joint can be pricey, but you can also get your standard lunch fare for normal prices. At least pre-pandemic anyway... Food was great too. I recommend the Nashville Hot chicken sandwich if they still got it.


I also always like to stop by Busker's for some Irish food and a pint.


It's a great little city, enjoy it!