Travel Notes: North America: Rhode Island Travel Notes

Also known as the Plantation State, Rhode Island uses the term 'Ocean State' to promote tourism.

The state capital of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the city of Providence.

Quick Links

Block Island, Bristol, Map of Rhode Island, Newport, Providence, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Features, Rhode Island Municipalities, Rhode Island Travel Guides.

Providence Weather - Rhode Island Weather.

Map of Rhode Island - with TravelNotes Hotel Guide

Zoom in on the map to travel around the state and find where to stay.

About Rhode Island:
Find out more about Rhode Island before you travel there. Order tourist brochures and look at where you'd like to stay.

Providence

Roger Williams was forced out of Plymouth Colony on account of his religious beliefs, and after securing some land from the Narragansett tribe, laid the foundations for the first Baptist Church of America.

Providence sits pretty on its seven hills with an array of colonial buildings and cobbled pavements for walkers to admire.

The seat of the Rhode Island state government is also full of studious arty types from Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Most of the interesting historical finds are around the 350 year-old district of College Hill. Walking tours of Brown University are highly recommended.

Accommodation in Providence

Hotels in Providence, Rhode Island:
Find hotels in Providence, Rhode Island with special online rates.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is one of the six states that form the region known as New England. The others are: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

States neighbouring Rhode Island are: Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Rhode Island offers much diversity in a small space, from the fine museums and restaurants of Providence and the sophisticated shops and mansions of Newport, to the quiet pastures and woods of South County and the tranquil beauty of Block Island.

With 36 islands and a mainland sliced nearly in two by Narragansett Bay, the Ocean State has over 400 miles of sandy beaches and rocky headlands along its varied coastline.

Rhode Island Tourism:
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the Union of America and is often overlooked by visitors to New England.

Rhode Island Travel Tips

In Rhode Island, go to any Point Judith area restaurant and order the Clam Bake: it's a feast of lobster, clams, mussels, potatoes, corn, and fish; served right off the fishing boats.
Sent in by: Rhode Island Roads.

Newport

The 'New Port' community was founded by religious refugees from Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1639, and soon became a haven for Quakers and Sephardic Jews.

It helps to have money in Newport, and there's certainly a lot of it swimming about here. Just take a look at some of the yachts in the marina.

If anyone ever invites you to their summer home in Newport, you've probably got good connections.

Go Newport:
As America's First Resort, Newport takes pride in ensuring that everyone finds something that appeals to them. Tours abound in Newport -- consider a sunset harbour cruise, a winery tour, or a trek down breathtaking Ocean Drive or the renowned Cliff Walk.

Newport Chamber:
The Chamber of Commerce's travel and tourism guide for the Newport area of Rhode Island.

Newport Mansions:
Just how many bathrooms do a loving couple need? When in Newport, your jaw will drop. If these were late 19th century summer houses, then where did they live in the winter?

Tennis Fame:
The Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino, site of the first U.S. National Championships in 1881, was founded by tennis innovator James Van Alen in 1954 as 'a shrine to the ideals of the game'.

Accommodation in Newport

Hotels in Newport, Rhode Island:
Find hotels in Newport, Rhode Island with special online rates.

Sort Newport Hotels by: Hotel Price, Hotel Rating, Hotel Name.

Block Island

Newport's beaches attract the crowds, and if you want to slip anchor you'd be wise to head for Block Island.

Getting to Block Island

The most frequent departures are from Galilee State Pier in Point Judith, Rhode Island. It is also the shortest route, and the cheapest.

In season there are also daily ferries from Newport, Rhode Island; New London, Connecticut; and Montauk, New York.

Block Island:
In the Atlantic, ten miles south-east of Newport, the Wildlife Refuge makes an interesting day-trip from suburbia. You can hire a bike once you get off the ferry.

Bristol, Rhode Island

Discover Bristol, Rhode Island:
Bristol is indeed the quintessential New England waterfront town and plays host to the oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration in the nation.

Bristol Accommodation

Bradford-Dimond-Norris House:
The stately Bradford-Dimond-Norris house sits in the heart of downtown Bristol, just a stone's throw away from America's oldest Fourth of July parade route.

Bristol Harbor Inn:
An elegant boutique-style 40-room hotel located on the water at Thames Street Landing in the heart of Historic Bristol, Rhode Island. The waterfront setting offers guests spectacular views of Bristol Harbour and Narragansett Bay.

Hearth House:
Hearth House, an authentic example of federal architecture, stands at the juncture of Hope and Thames Streets and offers the warmth of its 10 fireplaces in winter, cool breezes in summer and, in all seasons, sweeping views of Bristol Harbor.

Point Pleasant Inn:
An English country manor house from another era, Point Pleasant Inn offers 'a rare look of life from the pages of romance novels'.

Rhode Island Features

Rhode Island Roads:
The online magazine of travel, life, dining, and entertainment for people who love Rhode Island.

New England:
Previews of the region's historic attractions, cultural events, outdoor adventures, educational institutions, shopping, lodging and entertainment.

Rhode Island Municipalities