Narragansett/Wakefield
Diversions

The beaches are the big attractions, and the natives consider them the best in New England. There’s one for every taste: quiet beaches, noisy beaches, people beaches and secluded beach. The Narragansett Pier Town Beach in the Pier area in the center of town is the most crowded and often has good surfing. Scarborough State Beach to the south along Ocean Road and the Roger Wheeler State Beach at Sand Hill Cove are less crowded, sandy beaches. Scarborough is especially appealing, with landscaped pavilions and beach houses; if ever a beach could be called elegant, it is this, although members of the Dunes Club adjacent to the town beach might disagree. Salty Brine State Beach at Galilee, protected by breakwaters, is good for family swimming and you can watch the Block Island ferry as it comes into the channel.

WATER SPORTS. Kayaking and canoeing are special on the Narrow River, a unique mix of tidal inlet, wildlife refuge, salt marsh, estuary, a fjord-like pond and a river that empties into Narragansett Bay. 

FISHING. Some of the world’s most fertile fishing grounds are found off the Rhode Island coast, particularly the famed Block Island and Cox’s Ledge areas. Galilee is known as the tuna capital of the world, and the annual late-August tuna festival is a major attraction. The area is the third largest exporter of lobster in the world. It is the third largest fishing port in New England and has one of the oldest fishing co-ops in New England. Other catches include bluefish, cod, flounder, shark, swordfish and marlin. A number of large open party boats sail daily at 6 a.m. and charge by the person. Charter boats are reserved for the day. The Chamber of Commerce lists eleven charter and party boats, most sailing from Galilee or Point Judith.

BOATING. You can rent a boat from a number of marinas to sail the waters made famous by the America’s Cup races off Newport. You also can take the ferry from Galilee for a day trip to Block Island. 

Southland Riverboat, State Pier, Galilee. (401) 783-2954. Eleven-mile narrated sightseeing cruises on the two-decker Southland are offered in season out of Galilee. The 149-passenger boat goes through the Galilee Breachway into the protected Harbor of Refuge, on to the historic Point Judith Lighthouse and back past Jerusalem and Snug Harbor into the Great Salt Pond. Sunset cruises are available Wednesday-Saturday at 7; adults $12. Sightseeing cruises daily in summer at 11, 1 and 3; adults $8, children 5.

Interstate Navigation Co., State Pier, Galilee. (401) 783-4613. One-hour cruises to Block Island are offered on the auto ferry seven times daily in peak season. The island is one of the most beautiful in the Atlantic and makes a good day trip or overnight excursion. Its long shoreline contains good beaches and one of the best harbors in the Northeast. Bicycling is a favorite pastime. The town of Old Harbor is fun to explore. Same-day round trips, adults $13.50, children $6.50.

HISTORY. The area is steeped in history, although it doesn’t flaunt it.

The most visible is The Towers, the last remaining section of the famed Narragansett Pier Casino, which in its heyday was the center of the summer social season. Now under restoration, it’s home to the Narragansett Historical Society and a gift shop, and used primarily for functions. The Narragansett Indian Monument at the junction of Kingstown Road and Strathmore Street is one of a series throughout the country honoring Native Americans. The 23-foot sculpture was carved by artist Peter Toth from a single Douglas fir.

Another landmark is the Point Judith Lighthouse, 1460 Ocean Road, an octagonal brick building erected in 1816. Visitors may tour the grounds and pause on benches at the adjacent Rose Nulman Memorial Park, a scenic overlook above the ocean.

South County Museum, Boston Neck Road (Scenic Route 1-A), Narragansett.

Nearly 20,000 items relating to early Rhode Island life are on display on Canonchet Farm, across from the Narragansett town beach. The 174-acre park is a 19th century working mini-farm with a wildflower garden, nature trails and several farm buildings. A cemetery with graves dating to 1700, a one-room schoolhouse, a country kitchen and a general store also are of interest. The museum has an extensive collection of tools, farm implements, utensils, toys, vehicles and mechanical devices depicting life a century ago. An old print shop shows how newspapers were produced at the turn of the last century.

Gilbert Stuart Birthplace, 815 Gilbert Stuart Road, Saunderstown.

Born here in 1755, Gilbert Stuart was the foremost portraitist in early America, best known for his portrait of George Washington. His dark red, Dutch Colonial-style house is turned away from the road to face a mirror-like millpond reached by a footbridge. The National Historic Landmark house, which contains few of his art works, is maintained more as a Colonial house museum than an art gallery. An operating snuff mill with water wheel, the first in America (1751), is on the lower level of the house.

Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road (Route 1-A), Saunderstown.

A 300-acre working farm that was the site of Revolutionary War activity, this is one of the original plantation farms of the Colonial era. Still functioning as a community-supported farm, it has a fine collection of barns, organic gardens and an assortment of animals. The 1750 Casey Homestead overlooks Narragansett Bay and Conanicut Island. The house museum displays memorabilia interpreting several generations of the Casey family who were leaders in the U.S. military and Army Corps of Engineers. Now owned by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, the house contains original furniture, family paintings, prints, china, and military and political documents over a span of more than 200 years from the 18th through the 20th centuries.

(401) 295-1030. Open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 1 to 5, June to mid-October. Adults $3, children $1.50.

WICKFORD. The entire village of Wickford is worth exploring. Old churches, quaint shops, beautiful gardens and historic homes combine to present an image of life unchanged over the years. Established in 1641 and laid out in 1707, this is our idea of the ideal New England seaside village – historic through and through, and made all the more charming by the glimpses of Wickford Cove here and there. The Old Narragansett Church (1707) on Church Lane is the oldest Episcopal Church standing north of Virginia. Its organ, the oldest in America, dates to 1680. The church is open for tours in summer, Friday-Monday 11 to 4.

SHOPPING. What passes for downtown Narragansett is a landscaped shopping plaza named the Pier Marketplace. Shops come and go and are mainly of the basic tourist or local service variety. Among them are Christine’s Casuals, Special-T Shop, the Shell Boutique, The Victorian Lady for home and garden accessories and, across the street, Flowerthyme. The main commercial area is around Mariner Square, heading west toward Wakefield. Shops like The Hope Chest, The Aunts’ Attic, Lion’s Mane and Cottage Treasures are favored for antiques and collectibles.

To our minds, Wickford has the area’s most interesting shops. We particularly like the Wickford Gourmet Foods and Café complex, with the Wickford Gourmet’s Kitchen & Table out back. Robin Hollow Outfitters is Rhode Island’s largest Orvis dealer. Wilson’s of Wickford has a tradition of fine clothing since 1944.

Material excerpted from Waterside Escapes in the Northeast, by  Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2005.

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