Rhode Island (RI)

Rhode Island State Flag

 

"Little Rhody" and "The Ocean State"

Why visit Rhode Island?

For the affluent travelers seeking beaches, hiking, historical sites, hunting, mansions, mountain biking, museums, shopping, vintage homes, water sports and yachting.

Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport, RI. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Capital: Providence
• State Bird: Rhode Island Red Hen
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Violet
• State Gemstone: None
• State Mammal: None
• State Rock: Cumberlandite

Providence, RI. Photo Credit: Michael Denning/Unsplash

Fun Facts

• Founded 1638, First Baptist Church in America (First Baptist Meetinghouse) is one of the oldest (Providence).
  
• In 1806, Pelham Street (Newport) was the first in the country to be illuminated by gaslight. 
• Since 1850, has the oldest flying horses carousel (Watch Hill).
• In 1890, they built the first nine-hole golf course in our country (Newport).
• In 1896, hosted the first automobile race on a track (Cranston).
  
• In 1904, our nation's first speeding ticket was issued (Newport) to a driver for being 15 miles over the limit which even resulted in a jail sentence.
• Late Jacqueline Bouvier and former President John F Kennedy (JFK) were married at St Mary's Church followed by their reception at Hammersmith Farm (Newport).
  
• There are more than 30 islands within the bay.
  
• Only place where the rare type of rock, Cumberlandite is found (Cumberland).
  
• Second state to abolish capital punishment.
  
• Tourism roughly provides 39,000 jobs and generates around $4.56 billion.
  
• A leading manufacturer of boatbuilding, costume jewelry, electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, shipbuilding and submarine construction.
• Agricultural provider of dairy products, eggs, nursery stock and vegetables.
  
• Slater Mill (Pawtucket) was the first to cotton spin commercially with a mechanized power system in our country.
  
• Home to the oldest Fourth of July Parade in our country (Bristol).
• Features 15 State Parks.

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Emme Rylan (Actress), Harry Anderson (Actor), Jason Marsden (Actor), Mena Suvari (Actress), Meredith Vieira (TV Host), Miguel Cotto (Musician) and Van Johnson (Actor), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Amistad (1997), Dan in Real Life (2007), 27 Dresses (2008), Dumb & Dumber (1994), High Society (1956), Irrational Man (2015), Meet Joe Black (1998), Me Myself & Irene (2000), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Great Gatsby (1974), The Pauly D Project (2012) and There’s Something About Mary (1998), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Rhode Island: Avery's Knot (written by Mary Cable), Black Duck (written by Janet Taylor Lisle), Death on the Cliff Walk (written by Mary Kruger), Hide Yourself Away (written by Mary Jane Clark), Murder at the Breakers (written by Alyssa Maxwell), Murder Stalks a Mansion (written by Anne-Marie Sutton), Rogue Island (written by Bruce DeSilva), Rogue's Wager (written by Thomas Gately Briody), Shadows in the Starlight (written by Elaine Cunningham), The Rhode Island Dictionary (written by Mark Patinkin) and The Rhode Island Handbook (written by Mark Patinkin), just to name a few.

The National Hotel, New Shoreham, RI. Photo Credit: Falkenpost/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Has four major off street bike paths.
  
• Locals call downtown Narragansett, "Pier".
• Federal Hill is referred to as Providence Little Italy.
  
• Considering the population of deer be aware of ticks carrying Lyme Disease.
• Expect beach traffic delays on Route 4 and Route 1 (South County).
• Evenings tend to be chilly, even during summer months. Pack accordingly.
• The state is mostly flat with no real mountains.
• Prostitution is legal indoors.
  
• Same sex marriages are legal.
  
• Offers several Ferry Services (some seasonal): Providence - Newport, Block Island - Newport - Narragansett, Bristol - Prudence Island, Connecticut - Massachusetts - New York, Martha's Vineyard, Block Island - New London - Connecticut - Montauk and New York.
• Locals speak with a distinguished aw sound. Example coffee is usually pronounced as kaa-fee and Rhode Islanders say KAW-fee.
• Locals refer to drinking fountains = "bubbler", foot-long sandwich = "grinder" and milkshakes = "cabinets".
• Quahog is a large local clam usually used in a chowder.
  

Subject to hurricanes, snowstorms and tropical storms.

• Best Time to Visit: June - August and September - November
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July 
• Peak Season: June - August

Islands to visit Aquidneck Island, Block Island, Coasters Harbor Island, Conanicut Island, Goat Island, Prudence Island and Rose Island.

South East Lighthouse, Block Island (Mohegan Bluffs/New Shoreham), RI. Photo Credit: Sandy Niles/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Arcade, Bellevue Avenue Historic District, Block Island South East Light, Brick Market, Château-sur-Mer, Cocumscossoc Archeological Site, College Hill Historic District, Corliss-Carrington House, Crescent Park Looff Carousel, Edward King House, Eleazer Arnold House, First Baptist Meetinghouse, Fleur-de-lys Studios, Flying Horse Carousel, Fort Adams, Gen Nathanael Greene Homestead, Gilbert Stuart Birthplace, Gov Stephen Hopkins House, Governor Henry Lippitt House, Hunter House, Isaac Bell, Jr House, John Brown House, John N A Griswold House, Joseph Reynolds House, Kingscote, Marble House, Nelson W Aldrich House, Newport Casino, Newport Historic District, Nightingale-Brown House, Ocean Drive Historic District, Old Slater Mill, Old State House, Original US Naval War College, Redwood Library, Site of Battle of Rhode Island, The Breakers, The Elms, Thomas P Ives House, Trinity Church, United Congregational Church, University Hall Brown University, Vernon House, Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, William Watts Sherman House
• Museums: Annmary Brown Memorial, Artillery Co of Newport, Audrain Auto Museum, Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, Belcourt of Newport, Block Island Historical Society,
  Bristol Art Museum, Cape Verdean Museum, Chepstow, Clouds Hill Museum, Coggeshall Farm Museum, General Nathanael Greene Homestead (Spell Hall), Gilbert Stuart Birthplace & Museum, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Hearthside House Museum, Herreshoff Marine Museum, Hunter House, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Jamestown Historical Society, Lippitt House Museum, Living Sharks Museum, Museum of Natural History & Planetarium, Museum of Newport History, Museum of Work & Culture, National Museum of American Illustration, Naval War College Museum, New England Wireless & Steam, Newport Art Museum, Newport Car Museum, Newport Historical Society, Newport Restoration, Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark, Old State House, Paine House Museum, Providence Children's Museum, Rhode Island Computer Museum, Rhode Island Museum of Science & Art (RIMOSA), RISD Museum, Seabee Museum & Memorial Park, Smith's Castle, South County Museum, The Breakers, The John Brown House Museum, The Stephen Hopkins House, Tomaquag Indian Museum, Tomaquag Museum, Vanderbilt Mansions, Varnum House Museum, Varnum Memorial Armory, Warwick Center for the Arts, Whitehall Museum House and Whitehorne House Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Arcadia Management Area, Atlantic Beach Park, Aquidneck Island, Beavertail State Park, Belcourt of Newport, Biomes Marine Biology Center, Black Point Ruins, Blackstone River Greenway, Blackstone River Valley, Blithewold Mansion, Blue Shutters Town Beach, Bowen's Wharf, Boyd's Windmill, Brenton Point State Park, Burrillville Spring Lake Beach, Castle Hill Lighthouse, Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, Charlestown Town Beach, Chateau-sur-Mer, Colt State Park, Conanicut, Dune's Park Beach, Dutch Island Lighthouse, East Bay Bike Path, East Matunuck State Beach, Easton's Beach, First Baptist Church in America, Fishermen's Memorial State Park, Fort Adams State Park, Fort Wetherill State Park, Garden City Shopping Center, Goat Island, Goddard Memorial State Park, Great Swamp Management Area, Green Animals Topiary Gardens, Hazard's Beach, Hog Island Shoal Light, India Point Park, Isaac Bell House, Jerimoth Hill, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Kingscote, Lincoln Woods State Park, Mackerel Cove, Mansion Beach, Marble House, Miantonomi Memorial Park, Misquamicut State Beach, Mohegan Bluffs, Napatree Point Conservation Area, Narragansett Bay, Narragansett Town Beach, Newport Tower, Norman Bird Sanctuary, Ocean Drive Historic District, Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark, Plum Beach Light, Point Judith Lighthouse, Prospect Terrace Park, Providence Place Mall, Prudence, Rail Explorers, Redwood Library & Athenaeum, Rhode Island Mall, Rocky Point State Park, Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Roger W Wheeler State Beach, Rose Island Lighthouse, Rough Point, Roy Carpenter's Beach, Sakonnet Lighthouse, Sakonnet Vineyards, Salty Brine State Beach, Second Beach, Slater Memorial Park, South East Lighthouse, South Shore Beach, Superman Building, Step Stone Falls, The Elms, The Stephen Hopkins House, The Towers, Third Beach, Touro Synagogue, Vanderbilt Mansions, Vernon Court, Warwick Mall, Watch Hill Lighthouse, Waterplace Park, Westerly Armory, Wood River, World War II Memorial Park, Yawgoo Valley and Yawgoo Valley Ski Area & Water Park.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Block Island, Bristol, Charlestown, Coventry, Cranston, Cumberland, East Providence, Exeter, Johnston, Little Compton, Narragansett (Pier), North Providence, South Kingstown, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Wakefield, Westerly, West Greenwich, West Warwick, Wickford and Woonsocket.
• Special Events: (January) Wellness Week, (February) Winter Festival, (March) St Patrick's Parade, (April) Daffodil Days Festival, (May) Oyster & Chowder Festival, WaterFire, (June) Black Ships Festival, Federal Hill Summer Festival, Flower Show, Folk Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, PrideFest, (July) Blessing of the Fleet Weekend, Hall of Fame Open, Kite Festival, (August) County Fair, Grecian Festival, Jazz Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, Rhythm & Roots Festival, Seafood Festival, Victory over Japan Day (Victory Day/VJ Day), (September) Arts Festival, Culinary Adventure, FirstWorks Festival, Heritage Day Festival, International Boat Show, Mansions Wine & Food Festival, Newport Waterfront Irish Festival, Ocean State Oyster Festival, Rhode Island Calamari Fest, Rhode Island Music & Arts Festival, Rhode Island Seafood Festival, (October) Harvest Fair, Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, Wharf Seafood Festival, Yankee Steam-Up, (November) Restaurant Week, (December) Christmas in Newport, First Night and Holiday Stroll & Luminaria.

Atlantic Ocean, RI. Photo Credit: CD_Photosaddict/Pixabay 

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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.