What Should I Do In and Around Portsmouth, Rhode Island for a weekend?

July 9, 2018 11:38 AM

I'm leaving from Manhattan on a Thursday evening to head to wedding on a Friday in Portsmouth, Rhode Island -- and then have nothing planned until we head back Sunday evening! What should we do and where should we stay with all of our time?!

I'm mostly interested in nice and unique places to stay on Thursday and Saturday nights (assuming we're staying in Portsmouth on Friday), and what kinds of fun boating/ferrying/oyster-eating/historical/hiking/weird stuff we can explore at all other times.

Assume we're not planning on hanging out in Providence or Newport -- been to Providence before and really don't have a lot of interest in gawking at wealthy people's lifestyles, and way more interested in the off-beat Rhode Island everyday people stuff. But if you have something we MUST see or do in those places, open to it! Really just want to be on the water as much as possible and have a hell of a time.

(Two thoughts in other states that I would love your thoughts on -- we might stop in Mystic, CT on the way home if there's time, and were thinking of New Bedford, MA Whaling Museum.)

Thanks team!

posted by knownassociate to Travel & Transportation around Rhode Island (12 answers total)

Best answer: were thinking of New Bedford, MA Whaling Museum

This place is better than it has any right to be. I haven't been in a few years but I've been a few times and was always so surprised at how much it held my interest. It's right in the middle of downtown New Bedford too so you could also see the art collection at the NB Public Library (it's in a room upstairs and sometimes they are cool with showing it off, there's some neat/weird stuff there), the Seaman's Bethel if you're into Moby Dick stuff and the oldest continually operating elevator in the United States which is in New Bedford City Hall and open to the public. If you go to New Bedford have dinner at Antonio's unless you have some objection to amazing Portuguese food and would prefer really good Mexican (there is a burrito place downtown NB which is fine, but Taqueria La Raza is my fave)

Do you want to do water activities? I spend the summers in Westport MA (about halfway between your wedding and New Bedford) and there are some really nice places to kayak there and one place to rent kayaks, Osprey, which I suggest. I think there are also rentals in Fall River but I don't know as much about them. If you want AWESOME BEACH, I'd skip Horseneck (the big beach in this area) and go to Demarest Lloyd State Park. Not as much surf, but equally beautiful and a cool place for birdwatching.

In the weird category: Lizzie Borden House is in Fall River. I think it's a little overrated but if that's your thing, it's pretty epic history. There is also the Chow Mein Factory (I've never been) which is the source of the local specialty the Chow Mein Sandiwch.

As far as place to stay, this place is, as it claims, unique. Great location. Cutie little fishing village. Might be too spendy for what it is but it's pretty unusual and it's a neat place to poke around.

As I said, that's my general neighborhood in summer so if I can help with any other local stuff please drop me a note.
posted by jessamyn at 11:55 AM on July 9, 2018 [4 favorites]

The Norman bird sanctuary has some nice short hiking trails just south in Middletown
posted by TheAdamist at 12:40 PM on July 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

I respect that you said no Newport, but one cool thing I recently found there was a lobster boat tour. Surprisingly informative and a pleasant bit of time out on the water. If you could find one out of a different harbor all the better.
posted by nixxon at 12:51 PM on July 9, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: If the weather is hot Beavertail State Park on Jamestown is generally breezy and cool. There is a working lighthouse (19th century, now automated) with a museum on the ground floor, a small aquarium of Narragansett Bay species, leftover bits of military architecture, great views, and a rocky shore. There are supposedly bits of Africa stuck to it, taken when the continents drifted apart, but I've never figured out exactly which rocks these are. It's all free and very well used but we have always found parking and it's spacious enough to not feel crowded.
posted by Botanizer at 1:22 PM on July 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

Mystic Seaport is quite cool, and I believe a MeFite works there this summer as an intern.

That Whaling Museum in New Bedford is, indeed, pretty great.

If you have a car, drive down to the Beavertail State Park and walk past the Beavertail Iighthouse onto the rocks. Then walk over to the far side of the parking lot and wander around on the slippery rocks. (Don't fall in!) Bring a chair if you have one, or a blanket, to sit on. Bring a lunch, too, and mellow out for a few hours, gazing upon the waves. [JINX]
posted by wenestvedt at 1:24 PM on July 9, 2018

(When we were there a month ago, the museum in the lighthouse was closed. Might be open again already, but we had a ball even without it.)
posted by wenestvedt at 1:25 PM on July 9, 2018

Definitely go to Beavertail State Park. Beautiful spot to climb around on the rocks and explore, you can go up in the lighthouse and there's also a cute little aquarium.

The East Bay Bike Path Runs from Bristol to Providence and it's a really nice ride mostly along the water. I think there are places you can rent a bike in Bristol (Pedego?), but I have no personal experience with that.

Colt State Park in Bristol is a nice spot on the water (also where the bike path begins)-- if you want to lay on actual grass with a view of the bay, it's your spot.

If you're in Bristol or Warren (they're right next to each other), get a spinach pie at Ricotti's or go to Eli's Diner.

You can take a ferry out to Prudence Island on Narragansett Bay-- mostly undeveloped and only accessible by boat. I haven't actually been, but I've heard good things!

New Bedford Whaling Museum is great!
posted by geegollygosh at 1:37 PM on July 9, 2018

Ha, I retract a lot of my suggestions, I was thinking you'd be the other side of Newport. RI geography--very hard.
posted by geegollygosh at 1:46 PM on July 9, 2018

Coggeshall Farm in Bristol is a working 18th-century farm, and it's lovely. My mother and I used to volunteer for them during events.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 5:00 PM on July 9, 2018

Battleship Cove in Fall River
Herreshoff Museun in Bristol

Easier to find good Portugese and Italian food than traditional RI specialties like Johnnycakes.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:24 PM on July 9, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: A very Rhodey thing to do for is to drive to the small town of Galilee (yes, like in the Bible: the town across the harbor is named Jerusalem) and go to a beach named after a dead radio personality, Salty Brine Beach to hang out for a while. (Park on the public roads just past the beach like everyone else does, or in a for-pay lot a little closer.)

At dinnertime, eat a bunch of fried seafood from the window at George's or, tastier and less greasy, while sitting on the shiny, wooden upstairs tables at Champlin's (and then get ice cream from the place on their ground floor, The Sweet Spot). Watch the little fishing boats come into the harbor from a day out on the water, and the anglers, and the sunset, then take a picture with the harbor behind you while sitting on the rocks outside The Sweet Spot. There's your Christmas card picture, five months early!
posted by wenestvedt at 9:49 AM on July 10, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! We hit up the Whaling Museum, Lizzie Borden House, Beavertail State Park, drove around Newport (timing was wrong for a boat tour, though, much to our dismay), ate Portuguese food, checked out Battleship Cove, and had a hell of a time! Much, much appreciated!
posted by knownassociate at 12:54 PM on August 8, 2018 [2 favorites]