Read more about the article One Day on Block Island, RI
Arriving at Block Island

One Day on Block Island, RI

Block Island sits 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island. Many people recommended Block Island over Nantucket because it is much less crowded. The island is small (only 7,000 acres) and much has been preserved from development. It was a nice way to relax after touring around Newport the previous day.

The best way to get to Block Island is by ferry. And that is exactly what we did from Point Judith. The trip takes a little less than an hour (on the traditional ferry) and you can buy snacks while on board. Since we weren’t taking a car with us and we were returning the same day, the round-trip tickets were less expensive. Block Island Ferry also departs from Newport and Fall River, MA. (more…)

One Day in Newport, RI

Famous for its Gilded Age mansions, Newport offers visitors a chance to see what living was like in the late 1800’s high society. I couldn’t wait to tour the abundance of lavish estates until I realized that my dear husband (DH) and teen daughters don’t share the same enthusiasm for home and garden tours. Fortunately, Newport offers a wide array of other options including the Cliff Walk, sailing excursions and many restaurants.

We traveled to Rhode Island last summer mainly because Southwest offered ridiculously low airfares to Boston. Because we decided to visit different areas of the state, we made our home base in Fall River, MA. Only about 20 miles away from Newport and Providence, the location was ideal (and less expensive) than staying in either city.

We spent our first day driving around some of Boston’s universities: Tufts, Harvard and Boston College followed by an evening with my relatives in Providence. We devoted our second day to explore Newport and arrived around 9 am. (more…)

A Few Hours in Providence

Last summer, we planned a quick trip to Rhode Island. We landed in Boston around noon, ate lunch and drove by Tufts, Harvard and Boston College. Then we checked into our hotel in Fall River, MA and drove another half hour to Providence, RI to meet my cousin and his family for dinner.

Providence is beautiful!

Brown University

We stopped at Brown University and walked around the campus.

Manning Hall opened in 1834.

Although Brown is one of the country’s oldest universities, it got off to a somewhat rocky start. Originally known as Rhode Island College, the school began in 1764 with only one student and one professor in Warren, RI. After the prominent Brown family of Providence campaigned heavily to move it to Providence, construction began in 1770 and enrollment steadily increased. Unfortunately, the Revolutionary War prompted the college to close for six years. (more…)