This is where our adventures became even more fun! There are more things to see, do, and explore…all in a new location. The best paradise all on its’ own – Rhode Island!! Yet, it was another state I’d never visited before this glorious road trip to Maine.

In this special paradise, my kids and I explored every nook and cranny of fun we could fit into our 2-day schedule. Boundless adventures awaited us!

Best Places To Visit And Explore

Newport, Rhode Island

The Breaker’s Mansion

We stayed in Providence, RI for our 2-overnights; however, we traveled to Newport both days. We loved it in Newport THAT much! It is truly a paradise all on its’ own in Rhode Island. The Breaker’s Mansion took me by surprise. We almost did not visit this mansion only because I had little knowledge of just how nice and fun this type of activity would be. Typically, if I’m booking adventures we are outdoors and not indoors! If we’re indoors we are either jumping around, touching things or moving our bodies in some kind of way! Haha…so this was a new “exploration” for the three of us.

I wanted us to do something outside of our norm and low and behold, we loved it!!! Words cannot put justice to the beauty that is within this mansion. Between the three of us we shared so many “Whoas! Ahhhh! Oh my god!! Holy cows!” while touring its’ interior and its’ enormously gorgeous landscaped grounds surrounding the mansion.

Who knew Rhode Island was a paradise in itself! Everywhere you see what looks like gold; to include but not limited to the pillars and the doorways and the ceilings. If it looks like gold, that is because it IS gold. Not plated gold. Solid. Real. Gold. The home is full of gold and marble. In every direction. The doorways are insanely massive in height. So much so that my 6’2 son looked extremely short standing in the doorways. Hahaha. The mansion was emaculant! A MUST SEE if you’re visiting the Rhode Island coast.

The Cliff Walk

The Cliff Walk, also located in Newport, RI truly reflects the paradise of Rhode Island. The water crashing against the rocks along the Cliff Walk was so magical I couldn’t stop zoning off into the waters. I was mesmerized by what was in front of me. We walked along the Cliff Walk and took in all the views of the different mansions. These homes were so gorgeous and just seemed surreal, to say the least. The landscaping of the grounds, the structure, the uniqueness of each mansion.

The total Cliff Walk is approximately 7 miles – out and back along a concreted path which makes for an easy walk. Part of the Cliff Walk can be more challenging towards one end; however, we stuck to the concrete portion of the walk to take in all the scenery. The entire Cliff Walk can take a good 2 hours or so to complete. It’s also free to explore! Definitely something to do if you’re visiting in Newport, RI.

Easton’s Beach – First Beach

Not only does Newport, RI offer all the views, but there is also a gorgeous beach, Easton’s Beach that is right beside the Cliff Walk. The locals like to call this First Beach. So once we were done exploring the Cliff Walk, we changed things up and hung out at Easton’s Beach. The water was cold, but refreshing! It was semi crowded with locals and tourists alike. Seagulls flew among the people as if they were searching for their person. We stayed on the beach for the majority of our second day in Rhode Island. It was very relaxing and fun to visit yet another beach in the New England region.

I loved capturing my son, who is the older of my two kids enjoying the simple things in life – creating in the sand while my daughter enjoyed the crisp, cool waters. Life is so great when you can embrace the simple moments in life and soak them in. Easton Beach is yet another visit to Rhode Island I highly recommend. There is ample parking and a small aquarium right off the beach to visit as well. So, you know what that means for my adventurous little fam, right?

Save The Bay – Exploration Center And Aquarium

The Save The Bay – Exploration Center and Aquarium is by far one of the smallest, yet coolest aquariums the kids and I have visited. You get to touch almost every creature in the aquarium. This includes petting nurse sharks, and stingrays, holding crabs, starfish, and so on. We loved this aquarium! It’s a short walk from the beach; however, if you visit the link above it states the aquarium has moved to a new location, a much larger location – Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium opening Winter-2024. I can only imagine how much more FUN the encounters will be for people with all new exciting things to experience in the new aquarium expansion.

Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Rail Explorers

We visited Portsmouth, RI on one of our two days briefly for one thing only…our next adventure. I’d never heard of or seen this before so why not try it out, right? That’s what we do over here. I go for new and different experiences. What fun is life just doing the mundane? Let’s shake it up some. So off we went to the Rail Explorers activity. From my research, it looked like we would ride what appeared to be a mix of an old-school go-kart (who remembers these?) on railroad tracks! I was right! Hah, what a combination of FUN mixed in together! This was so much fun!

Rhode Island has two different Rail Explorer locations you can visit. We went to The Southern Circuit located in Portsmouth, RI. The total ride is 6-miles round trip. We pedaled 3 miles out, stopped for snacks/drinks and took in the view of Narragansett Bay and then pedaled 3 miles back. It was quite the ride full of laughs and giggles! We were absolutely having the time of our lives!! Imagine a 15 year old boy at 6′ tall trying to pedal with his short 5’1 mom and little sis. We were quite the group and we just had so much fun!

Don’t be fooled though. Six miles of pedaling on railroad tracks is quite the workout too! I smile now just writing about our adventure because I can recollect all of our laughs and giggles along the ride both there and back! Priceless, friends. Priceless! As you’re riding along the rail tracks, you get to see the coastal woodlands of Aquidneck Island. We made sure to have a small cooler with bottles of water and some small snacks to hold us over. There’s a little shop when you first arrive; however, they don’t sell food. So, it’s important to pack your goodies for the ride. This was by far one of the more unique and fun adventures the kids and I have done. I’m so glad that I found this mini-adventure! If you get a chance to check it out – DO IT!!!

“Life is too short to not have adventures.”

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Follow below to read about our favorite road trip EVER!

The Ultimate Summer Vacation – The Best Road Trip to Maine

XO, Christine