Visiting for 4 days in mid-September

We have never been to the east coast (Calif folk)

We are staying at a friend%26#39;s vacation home in Wakefield, near Narragansett and will have a rental car. Looking for suggestions on the following:

1) things to do around the area

2) possible day trips for mid-September

3) restaurants - we love all types of food $$ budget, but will splurge $$$ for something special

4) hotels if needed for any ';can%26#39;t miss'; side trips

Thank you!

Visiting for 4 days in mid-September

You will enjoy yourselves in Rhode Island. The first thing to know is just how small the state is. You can get anywhere in a day with time to spare.

Since you%26#39;ll be based in Wickford, day trips along the south coast are very easy. You can start in Narragansett and work your way all along the coastline, passing through the coastal towns of Matunuck, Charlestown, all the way to Westerly, which is the last town before Connecticut. There%26#39;s a section of Narragansett called Galilee where the fishing fleet is based which is a cute fishing village. You can get some good seafood there. Another area of Narragansett is called Point Judith. Follow route 108 down past Breakwater Village to a little dirt road on the right for some great scenery of the ocean high above the cliff.

Newport is about 20 minutes away and should provide you with a solid day trip without going anywhere else. You can do mansion tours, walk the Cliff Walk check out the quaint shops and taste some really good food in Newport. There%26#39;s also a couple of nice beaches there as well as a couple of nice state parks.

There are awesome little coastal towns nearby Newport like Bristol, Little Compton and Jamestown to check out. The BeaverTail State Park in Jamestown is really nice. Little Compton is really charming and has the Sakonnet Vineyards there if you like wine. Bristol is really cut too and has a great park called Colt State Park.

A 1/2 hour journey takes you to Providence. It%26#39;s a small city but very vibrant. Excelelnt italian restaurants that rival New York can be found all along Federal Hill. The downtown has Waterfire which gets rave reviews for chilling out along the river.

The East Side of Providence is home to Brown University and has wonderful old school homes and buildings, as well as funky/hip places to eat and shop.

Wickford is about 2 hours from Cape Cod if you want to go see the Cape. LOTS to do and see there. You could cross the bridge and pick up route 6A which is an awesome 34 mile drive to Orleans. Push on to the National Seashore or turn around and do 6A again. It%26#39;s that nice.

Daytrips into Connecticut could include both the Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun Casinos or Mystic Seaport.

Even Boston is considered a day trip and should not be missed if you have a whole day. Boston is just an amazing city slightly less than two hours from Wickford.

Visiting for 4 days in mid-September

I suggest you eat at the SPAIN restaurant while in Narragansett. It%26#39;s in the Pt. Judith area on the way to the Pt. Judith lighthouse along Ocean Rd.

Visit Wickford Village, a quaint marina village with shops and downtown Wakefield has some fun shopping along the Main road.

Block Island would be a nice day trip. The Ferry leave from Galilee ( near Pt. Judith area) and there are places to park the car while you take the ferry over and back.

Newport is a must do. Tour the mansions, take a sailboat harbor tour, lots of shops and open air dining around the cobblestone wharfs.

My husband I went to Narragansett, RI for the first time in May 2009. We were there for 4 days....but went to Block Island and Newport for a day each. We had a blast at both places. But, Block Island was my fave. It was sooo much fun. We took a ferry from Pt. Judith and it took and hour from Narragansett. Then, we rented a moped (mind you we had never been on one) and had too much fun!!!! You can also rent regular bikes and smart cartes(tiny cars that fit 2 people)....went to the lighthouses and Mohegan Bluff (which is a must!!!)....beautiful beaches and scenery!! The ferry was about $20 p/p roundtrip. It was great! Go to Block Island....nice restaurants, beautiful place! Enjoy!