Location Review
Rhode Island: the Smallest State in New England

BY LYNN HILDITCH LRPS

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the US and often overlooked when visiting New England, however, despite its diminutive size (48 miles from North to South, 37 miles East to West), Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (to give the state its full title) has some of the most beautiful sights for a photographer.

I have visited Rhode Island on many occasions and was fortunate enough to live there in the mid-1990s when I was an exchange student at the University of Rhode Island (URI) located in the small community of Kingston. Kingston is within the Washington region and about half an hour south of the state capital Providence and an hour and a half south of Boston. Although Kingston consists of the URI campus and little more, within an hour by car you can visit some of the most breathtaking areas and scenery in the American North East: the still-thriving fishing ports of Galilee and Port Judith, the historical coastal towns of Narragansett and Newport, the beaches at Scarborough and Charlestown, and the cosmopolitan city of Providence.

Lynn Hilditch , The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island

The state boasts 400 miles of stunning coastline earning it the title of “the Ocean State”, and, as you would expect, the seafood is fantastic with plenty of excellent seafood restaurants to sample (the crab cakes and clam chowder are a must!). Just 12 miles off the south coast is Block Island, only 11-square miles in size but heralded as “One of the Last Twelve Great Places in the Western Hemisphere”. Block Island ferries leave Port Judith and Galilee regularly and the best way to get around the island is by foot or bicycle (bicycles can be hired by the hour or by the day). The north and south lighthouses are definitely worth a visit.

If you take Route 138 east and cross the impressive Jamestown and Newport bridges, you’ll reach one of the most beautiful towns in Rhode Island, historic Newport. Known for America’s Cup yacht racing and the Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport is also home to the magnificent mansions of the Gilded Age, once owned by families such as the Vanderbilts and the Astors. Rosecliff, the setting for the 1974 film The Great Gatsby starring Robert Redford, and The Breakers, are just two of the “summer cottages” not to be missed with their sweeping views across Rhode Island Sound to the Atlantic Ocean. If you enjoy walking, Newport has the Cliff Walk that runs for 3.5 miles along the back of the mansions and is great for nature photography and coastal landscape shots.

Lynn Hilditch , Cliff Walk, Newport, Rhode Island

Route 114 north from Newport takes you into the region of East Bay, and the small harbour town of Bristol. Bristol is home to the Roger Williams University, named after one of the state’s founders. Again, if you’re interested in walking or cycling, Bristol is on the 14-mile East Bay Bike Path which also runs along the coast and through the other pretty East Bay towns of Barrington, East Providence and Warren. When I was in Bristol in November 2004, I came across a cemetery with the graves of hundreds of G.Is who died during WWII. The memorial flags effectively display both the patriotism of the American people as well as the poignancy of the subject.

Lynn Hilditch , Bristol Cemetary, Rhode Island

I would describe the capital Providence as New England’s second most vibrant city after Boston. Known as the “Renaissance City”, Providence is filled with history, culture and art from its eclectic mixture of Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian houses to Federal Hill, Rhode Island’s “Little Italy”, to historical Benefit Street. The Rhode Island State House, Arcade, John Brown House and the Meeting House of the First Baptist Church in America are among the many historic buildings which are open to the public throughout the year. Providence is also famous for its “Waterfire” displays, a series of 100 small bonfires that run along the length of the three rivers (the Providence, the Woonasquatucket, and Moshassuck) which pass through the centre of the downtown area. You can take a gondola trip to experience the full effect of the Waterfire, which runs from May to October. A trip to Providence would not be complete without a visit to the white marble State Capital building, famous for having the second largest self-supported dome in the USA, and the fourth largest in the world, located at the top of Smith Hill.

Lynn Hilditch , State House Providence, Rhode Island

Just outside the city is the 430-acre Roger Williams Park and Zoo, a fantastic sight throughout the year but particularly during the Fall season when, like most of New England, the trees turn into a stunning mass of gold, brown, red, and yellow. Well worth a visit!

Lynn Hilditch , Roger Williams Park, Rhode Island

Lynn Hilditch , Downtown Providence, Rhode Island

Rhode Island is a wonderful location to visit at any time of the year and has something to offer for everyone.

Recommended Sources:
Official Rhode Island Website - HYPERLINK "http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/" www.visitrhodeisland.com/
Map of Rhode Island - HYPERLINK "http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/RI1.htm" www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/RI1.htm
Visit New England - HYPERLINK "http://www.visitri.com/" www.visitri.com/
Newport - HYPERLINK "http://www.gonewport.com/" www.gonewport.com/

Please send any comments to Lynn