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There are two major ways that you can approach your planning for a family vacation to the state of Rhode Island. On the one hand, you can focus on a particular destination within the state such as Providence and the Narragansett Bay. On the other hand, your family vacation could be a more exploratory visit to the state, following nature trails, heritage trails or scenic roads through the state. Rhode Island is small, so the latter approach is more easily possible than in the other states that you might be considering as destinations for your summer family vacation. But it’s a state that is filled with activity so you could easily pick one spot and spend your entire trip there. Either way could be right for your family.
Destination locations within Rhode Island
Families that want to spend their Rhode Island summer vacation in one particular destination with the state will probably choose either the Providence region or Newport. However, even with as small as it is, Rhode Island is divided into seven different regions. Each of these can make for a great destination within the state so don’t dismiss any of them. But, you can start with looking at Providence and Newport.
Providence, located on the northwest side of the Narragansett Bay, is the capital city and also the largest city in this tiny state. It offers all of the conventional attractions of a capital city such as The Roger Williams Park Zoo which is home to over 1,000 animals from around the world. It also has interesting kid-specific spots like Carousel Village and family-friendly locations like Prospect Park.
Providence has a lot to offer but Newport is frequently considered the better family vacation destination in the state. It’s also located on the Narragansett Bay but has better water activities due to the fact that it’s positioned on an island (Aquidneck). An interesting feature on this island is a suspension bridge which connects it to the neighboring island. Attractions in Newport that appeal to families include the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Fort Adams, the historic Prescott Farm, and the outdoor activities at Brenton Point State Park.
Travel throughout the state of Rhode Island
Since Rhode Island is such a small state, you can easily make it a goal for your family to see the whole thing during your summer vacation here. It can make for a great goal-setting vacation where you pick certain attractions and areas to check off of a family travel list. Or it can be something that you theme around sites like scenic roads, heritage trails or nature trails. The latter two can actually be easily mapped out by visiting the corresponding links on the Rhode Island travel home page.
The Rhode Island Heritage Trails that have been mapped out for you cover various areas in the state and give you help in finding farms, religious landmarks and places of historical significance. Fourteen such trails have been mapped out including area trails like the Providence Heritage Trail and theme trails like the Farm Heritage Trail.
Similarly, there are Nature Trails mapped throughout the state. In this case, there are only four, so you can choose by activity what kind of path you want to follow through Rhode Island during your family summer vacation. Families that really enjoy the water might want to select the Coastal Nature Trail for their explorations whereas families that like animals might prefer the Bird Watchers Nature Trail.
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