I have always been curious about Rhode Island. It is the smallest state out of our great 50… it has a dark, mobster past… it has amazing seafood everywhere you go… and…it is NOT an island even though it’s in the name but everyone’s ok with that (weird?)
Nate and I flew into Providence (actually, Warwick)…it’s just a short flight away from Chicago. The T.F. Green International Airport is a smaller one that has the nicest airport bathrooms I have ever seen…ever. That in itself should be a destination. Visiting Rhode Island was just our first vacation stop on a trip dedicated to East Coast exploring. This blog post will focus on Rhode Island, a post featuring Newport and Cape Cod are in the works!
Rhode Island was our first stop on a romantic whirlwind trip with my husband. We only had two full days in Providence so I maximized our experience. There are a few things I absolutely wanted to do while there… 1. walk through Roger Williams Park, 2. explore and eat in Federal Hill (foodie destination), and 3. go to a winery! There were more things I wish we could have done that we did not have time for, I have included them at the end of this post.
If you are thinking of planning a trip to the East Coast, here is our full agenda (includes Newport and Cape Cod) to help you get started and make your own!
The History
Did you know that Rhode Island, in its entirety, is only 48 miles long and 37 miles wide? That’s amazingly small for a state. It was founded by Roger Williams way back in 1636 under a different name…The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. I like the shorter version 🙂 It was one of the original 13 colonies that declared independence from England. It borders Connecticut and Massachusetts which makes it ideal for a return visit with many more days to explore and stay. Rhode Island is beautiful and has so much to offer the curious traveler. It was home to the famously-known Patriarca crime family who ran their ‘business’ in Federal Hill. Today, Federal Hill is home to amazing restaurants and Italian heritage.
Roger Williams Park
This park is referred to as ‘the people’s park.’ It is truly a beautiful location to go for a morning walk which is exactly what we did. As you can see, it was a perfect weather day to walk the grounds. This was our first morning in Rhode Island. After breakfast, we drove here and simply walked the grounds together. Sometimes just taking a walk and holding hands while the sun is shining beats any other tour or excursion on the list! We love doing things like this together.
Tours & Wine
I’m a tour junkie…I want someone to tell me everything about a place. I’m also obsessed with the winery scene and always try to find one (or two) to visit wherever we go. The tour we did was perfect...Experience Rhode Island Tours. We boarded a bus with a tour guide that seemed to know absolutely everything one could know about Rhode Island! He took us all over the city. We were able to get out a few times and take pictures, as well. Highly recommend this tour…it was an engaging hour and a half seeing places we otherwise wouldn’t have seen. That’s Nate below in front of Brown University…a graduation ceremony was underway when we stopped which was very cool.
Oh, the wine 🍷 …there were a few wineries in the area but we only had time for one. We drove to Leyden Vineyards to enjoy an afternoon of music, wine, and the peaceful scenery. This winery is very low-key and humble, in my opinion. You walk out back to what looks like someone’s yard with casual seating everywhere. We sipped Cabernet Sauvignon and listened to Tom Petty…perfection.
The Food
There are so many great restaurants in Providence that it was hard to pick only two. One restaurant was downtown, the other restaurant was in Federal Hill. Federal Hill is home to many MANY Italian restaurants due to its rich, Italian culture. I will be writing more about the food here in Rhode Island in a separate post, it certainly deserves one. But for this blog, I’ll mention that the oysters were my big draw and absolute focus on this trip…. and they did not disappoint! (Side note: the agenda for download above has all of our restaurant visits).
This area of Providence is one to be explored. One of the oldest bakeries still operating here is Scialo Bros. Bakery. There was an impressive market you could walk thru that had everything from fancy pasta and cheese to various meats and wine. We also checked out the ‘chicken place’ where they have live chickens in the back, you pick the one you want, and they prepare the chicken right there while you wait. That’s about as fresh as you can get for chicken but I will say it might give you nightmares. The smell is horrendous and the machines they use to kill and de-feather and cut the chickens are right there in front of you. This wasn’t for me. I’ll buy my chickens at the store.
Where We Stayed
My husband loves staying in bed and breakfasts, and seeing as this trip was for his birthday, I had to find the perfect accommodations! The Christopher Dodge House was the chosen one. This home was built in 1858 and is still very charming on the inside and outside. Historical homes like these are always such a treat to stay in. I chose the room on the first floor because of the exposed brick. Love it. There were many rooms to choose from here, it is a very large house. Just outside of the dining space outside was a sitting area with cafe lights. We had coffee out there in the morning. The location was great…we took a short Uber ride to our fabulous restaurant (saving this later for an East Coast foodie post). We did have a Turo rental car which was parked in the lot behind the house. Neither one of us wanted to drive around the city, especially after some fancy drinks. The breakfasts in the morning were excellent and the ambiance was lovely… a very romantic 2-night stay ❤️
Other Things To Do in Providence:
If only we could have stayed for a few more days! This trip required us to move on to Newport and Cape Cod (also amazingly beautiful!). Here are a list of things I hope to do next time we visit:
- RI Spirits – Distillery and Tasting Room
- The John Brown House Museum
- La Gondola (just like Venice! So romantic…)
- Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard
- Taste of Rhode Island Tour (from Experience Rhode Island Tour Group)
Rhode Island was everything I thought it would be…full of history, beautiful architecture, amazing food, and exceptionally romantic. It was the perfect beginning to many days together 🥰 I can’t wait to visit again one day… the East Coast has our heart and travel here is ALWAYS on our list
We hope this inspires you to plan a trip! Breathe deep and enjoy… you will love it here.
#GoAdventure
Heather and Nate
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