June 2018

Hi guys,

We just got back from the best trip to Rhode Island. It’s such a gorgeous part of America, we found it very relaxing and peaceful but there is loads to do as well. It has something for everyone. Below are all the details of the trip including how we got there, what we got up to, where we stayed and what we ate. If you have any more questions just let me know, I’m happy to help 🙂

How we got there:

It’s super easy to get to Ireland to Rhode Island. We flew with Norwegian Airlines direct from Dublin to Providence, Rhode Island – but they also fly direct from Belfast, Cork and Shannon as well. This was my second time flying to the US with Norwegian and I honestly have nothing but good things to say about the experience. You can read about my first trip to New York with them here. They are a low-cost airline which means you can get tickets to the US for as little as €250 sometimes! This price doesn’t include meals or additional luggage but you can pay for these after if you need them. I also recommend to come prepared, as there is no in-flight entertainment make sure you have a book to read or a movie downloaded on Netflix. Bring water and snacks and a neck pillow if you’ll need it (I never travel without mine anymore!) We did add on a ‘Nice & Tasty’ meal to our tickets and it was delicious. I got Chicken and Gerard got Beef and it came with a little pasta appetizer and a dessert as well. Our meal voucher also included two drinks each. Providence T.F. Green airport is 15 mins from the city so it’s really convenient and easy to get to!

What we got up to: 

We split our time between 4 main places in Rhode Island: Providence, Newport, Narragansett and Block Island.

Providence:

• Get a gondola down the river
• Go for drinks at the Rooftop bar at Providence G hotel
• Visit Federal Hill and enjoy some amazing Italian food
• Explore the RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) Museum
• Visit the Roger Williams Park & Zoo
• Stop by the famous Brown University (the smallest of the 7 Ivy League Schools in America)

Narragansett:

• Visit the Ocean House in Watch Hill – one of few 15 star hotels in the world this place is definitely worth a visit. It’s stunning! You can take food, wine and art classes here which is fun and if you’re lucky enough to stay there OMG you will just be in heaven. It’s just down the road from Taylor Swifts $17 million dollar mansion as well.

Block Island

• You can get the ferry out here from Galilee. There is an express ferry which takes 30 mins and a slower one that takes about an hour.
• We rented bikes as soon as we arrived to the Island and cycled around the whole island. We visited the Nature reserve there (where there is seals – cute!), the two lighthouses, and my favourite thing we saw was the Bluff’s. The views were incredible. It was worth the 3 hours of cycling.

Newport

• First and foremost you have to visit the mansions of Newport – they are just out of this world! We visited The Breakers and it’s honestly like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It is more extravagant than some castles I’ve seen. Rosecliff and Marble House are two other mansions that are quite popular to visit.
• Drive down Ocean Drive and just stop and stare at the houses! John F Kennedy and Eisenhower both had houses here and the history of the area is so impressive.
• Walk the Cliff Walk – its 3.7 miles long and stretches right along the coast overlooking the back gardens of some of Newport’s most famous mansions. Let’s just say there is not much chance of you getting bored on a walk like this.
• If you are interested in Tennis you should stopby the International Tennis Hall of Fame – we passed it and it looks beautiful but unfortunately we didn’t get time to go in.
• Go sailing with 12 Meter Charters – Newport is the sailing capital of the world so it would be a shame to visit and not get out on the water.
• Head to neighbouring Middletown for a wine tasting at the Newport Vineyards – we didn’t get a chance to do that this time so we’ll just have to go back 🙂

How we got around: 

We rented a car from Hertz when we arrived at T.F. Green Airport. We saw the forecast for the week and decided to go for a convertible car. We got a Chervolet Camaro and it was amazing. It was great having the freedom to drive ourselves around and we found Hertz brilliant to deal with, great insurance deals and not too expensive 🙂

Where we stayed:

We did a lot of hotel hopping on this trip as we wanted to see as many places as possible:

Providence:

• The Omni Providence – connected to the mall, 15 mins from airport, big spacious rooms. 

Narragansett:

• The Break, Narragansett – such a cute beach-side hotel with heated pool, rooftop lounge and gorgeous modern rooms. It’s a small hotel so the atmosphere was just lovely. We wanted to come back and stay another night here but it was booked out. The owner Jimmy was so friendly and helpful.

Newport:

• Newport Marriott – the interiors of this hotel, I just couldn’t get over how nice it was. Our room felt like we were on a really . modern, comfortable and clean ship. We had a gorgeous view overlooking the harbour as well. This hotel was 10/10.

• Gurneys Newport Resort and Marina – the grounds of this hotel made it for me – the outdoor pool, the hammocks, the lighthouse and the firepits. It’s very pretty and romantic and almost every room has a gorgeous view!

Where we ate:

Providence:

• We ate in New Rivers for dinner – it was American Cuisine, but in a tapas style. Very romantic and the food was so tasty!
• We had breakfast at Café Dolce Vita in Federal Hill – a typically delicious American-style breakfast

Narragansett:

• Head to the Matunuck Oyster Bar and enjoy some of the most famous seafood in America. You can actually watch the Oysters being farmed there while you eat too – it’s pretty cool! The calimari and bread are to die for as well.
• Chair 5 in our hotel (The Break) did a delicious meal for us that night. We had Oysters for breakfast, lunch and dinner that day!

Block Island: 

• Ballards is a really fun beach bar, you can get food in the restaurant then go to the beach, get a lounger and enjoy some drinks. They have live music nearly everyday and it’s just a really fun vibe!

Newport:

• We had dinner in The Chanler at Cliff Walk which over looks the beach and cliff walk. It was expensive to eat in the fine dining restaurant, but they have a more casual restaurant too depending on what you’d fancy.
• We had lunch at the Castle Hill inn, and I couldn’t recommend this place more. It’s such a gorgeous set up and the food was incredible. Definitely get the calimari and pork belly to start. We had fresh salads for lunch and they were lovely too.
• If you are craving some delicious italian definitely check out Scarpetta in Gurney’s – I got lobster pasta mmmm. 

Ok so that’s everything I can think of. That should definitely keep you busy if you are planning a trip to Rhode Island. We loved every second, and every place we visited. It’s somewhere I’ll definitely have to go back to again. Next time we might rent a house and take it at a slower pace, but the world is literally your oyster when you visit Rhode Island – you can make it whatever kind of holiday you want it to be.

I’ll be back later in the week with a blog post on all my outfits I wore on the trip,

And my vlog should be up tomorrow too 🙂

Lou x

*Big thanks to Norwegian for partnering with me on this post and to the Rhode Island tourist board for inviting me on this incredible trip!