What to do in Newport & Providence, RI
Recently, A and I took a trip to Rhode Island and I would be a pretty bad blogger if I didn’t share my thoughts on what to do in Newport and Providence. Last summer I shared some saturation happy photos and tips on traveling to South Beach, Miami, and then Ithaca, New York.
However, since then, my blogging style and the main focus have changed. I haven’t shared a travel diary with a big focus on myself in quite some time.
I even went on my New England vacation not entirely sure whether or not I was going to do a proper recap! Yet, as each day went by and I shared more and more of my experience on social I thought that it wouldn’t be complete without one.
If you follow along on the gram you may have caught some of my Instagram Stories from our time there. There was a really awesome bathroom that I’ll get into later on in this post and that place truly deserves its own post – no joke!
Killer bathrooms were just the beginning of my raised expectations. I’m sure by the end of this I’ll have you all booking trips to New England in no time!
Experience Convenience:
A and I booked our stay at the NYLO. It’s located in Warwick, Rhode Island, and is perfectly situated between the two cities. It’s also near a bunch of chain restaurants, a mall, grocery store, and more.
For us, it was important that we pick a hotel that was in between the two towns because we knew we didn’t just want to visit one. Depending on your budget and your preferences it might be better to stay in Newport and then make a day trip to Providence.
Although more expensive, Newport has a ton of options to fill up your days and you can easily spend a week there and still not do everything. Providence, however, has WaterFire, which unfortunately wasn’t happening during our stay. 100% an excuse to come back!
Experience Nature & Luxury:
- Cliff Walk – This was the highlight of my trip! I LOVED the cliff walk. The entire walk takes about 2 and a half hours and heralds amazing views of the shoreline and the beyond glamorous Newport Mansion. Parts of the terrain are unpaved and require you to walk over rocks but oh man is each and every step worth it!
- Newport Mansions – We walked the Cliff Walk and took in the mansions on the same day. The walk came first and if I could do it again I would probably shoot for the mansions first. They had different closing times and in order to make sure you see the ones you want it makes more sense to opt for that before the walk. We were only able to see The Breakers and a little of Rose Cliff.
- Newport Beaches – A would have preferred that we visited multiple beaches but we settled on the more popular Sachuest Beach aka Second Beach. I’d also recommend First Beach for its great view of the Cliff Walk and Third if you’d prefer something calmer.
- Roger Williams Park – This park boasts a zoo, carousel, botanical garden, casino, a museum, and even a boating area. We spent our time just walking around the 435 acres and taking in the serene beauty.
Experience Culture:
- RISD Museum – I always try to squeeze in something art related while I’m away. The RISD Museum wasn’t my first thought when I was figuring out what to do in Newport and Providence. Still, it was without a doubt a pleasant time. I really enjoyed the Todd Oldham Fashion: All of Everything exhibit. The clothes were colorful and eccentric! Keep a lookout for a future post!
Experience Brunch:
- T’s Restaurant was a great diner! I’m big on french fries and the quality of the french fries here was awesome! The wait staff at their East Greenwich location was also really friendly.
- Julian’s Kitchen is located in Providence and was hands down my favorite place of the bunch! I ordered the shakshuka which was served with this amazing garlic bread for brunch. The restaurant decor was such a standout! The bathroom there is filled with Pez dispenser, funky wallpaper, and a TV. If you want to know where to eat and what to do in Newport and Providence then Julian’s is it!
- Dante’s Kitchen comes through with personable and welcoming staff. My breakfast was good but the only drawback was that the day we went they weren’t serving lunch so there were no fries.
Experience Dinner & Nightlife:
- Figidini was a stellar Neapolitan style dinner spot in downtown Providence. They seasoned the calamari to perfection and the pizza was so so good! I also liked their Saganaki and the side of olive oil we ordered. Bonus points for the purple lighting!
- Brick Alley Pub is the one Newport restaurant that was recommended to us before we got there. I ordered more calamari (duh) and it was breaded to perfection. I also loved the fun decor featuring a red car inside the bottom floor. A ordered a delicious coffee cocktail and I opted for a frozen blackberry drink. Very different but also good.
- Rooftop at the Providence G is a nice nightlife spot if you want to dance and hang out in a slightly nicer than the casual environment. The only downside is in your personal preferences. If you prefer to party solely with a younger crowd then this venue isn’t for you. There was a cross-section of all walks of life there and plenty of people with gray hair. It was interesting, to say the least, but it didn’t detract from our evening.
Have you been to either location? Share your thoughts and suggestions on what to do in Newport and Providence!