Crisp air and hot cider; that’s how Rich Auntie rolls when the weather drops. To make this dream a reality, I hopped the Acela to Rhode Island, a state serving up autumnal and holiday colors—and Rich Auntie had the outfits to match!
It’s a weekend jaunt through the continental U.S.’ smallest state…with the hungriest appetite!
Stay on Goat Island
Newport, Rhode Island, is a city filled with history and hauntings, right down to my lodgings. I stayed at Newport Harbor Island Resort, an oasis to itself on Goat Island. The property comes with some ghostly folklore: 26 pirates were sentenced, hung and buried in the area. Chills! Rich Auntie isn’t one to mess with the spirits, but my large room, comfy and cozy with its beachy décor and calming viewing of the harbor, was worth taking on any eerie bumps in the night.
This resort had everything Rich Auntie needed: a coffee and pastry shop for morning tea, a gym with a small indoor pool and a spa to knead out the kinks. I dined on-site at its Torpedo Bar and Lunge, enjoying Nyagasset oysters, salmon and meatballs. The best part of the evening was taking my wine out on the patio to enjoy it with a warm skillet cookie, basking in the glow of its firepits. The staff provided blankets for extra warmth to go along with the scintillating conversation of the evening.
Ghostbustin’
Rich Auntie put her fears in lockdown to attend the Newport Ghost Tour, a 90-minute walking tour that points out some of the city’s most ghostly parts. That includes the Jailhouse Inn, a former incarceration facility (do not book a room on the third floor!) and The Artillery Company of Newport Museum, where uniformed spirits are known to roam. Our guide even tested the temperature to see if one part of town was colder than another, which meant spirits were near.
White Horse Tavern, a National Historic Landmark that’s served guests since 1673, may have its ghosts, but push them to the side! Known as one of the oldest operating restaurants in the U.S., it’s been perfecting its Beef Wellington for over 50 years.
Food Glorious Food!
It may be one of the smallest states, but Rhode Island’s got an appetite. Rich Auntie gorged herself throughout her getaway. Wear your stretchiest joggers in Providence, the state’s capital city, ’cause you gonna be eating!
You’ll be anything but at Hangry Kitchen, a contemporary restaurant located right outside the city limits in Pawtucket, where the food is locally sourced. Rich Auntie was with a party of eight, so we pretty much ordered everything on the menu. Standouts included the Parkerhouse rolls with roasted chicken butter and the spaghetti squash made with garlic, tomato, oregano and Calabrian chili sauce. For my fellow eco-conscious aunties, Hangry Kitchen composts all its leftovers to be redirected back into the soil of local farms.
For family-style experiences, head to The Patriots Diner in Woonsocket for pancakes the size of your breakfast plate and O Dinis in East Providence, which serves traditional Portuguese dishes. Enjoy farm-to-table dining and craft beers at Tap Root Brewing Co., part of Newport Vineyards in Middletown. If you want the best champagne and peach cocktail in town, slip on your heels and head to Bellini Providence in The Beatrice Inn for white tabletop service. Rich Auntie sipped on the restaurant’s famed drink at this upscale Italian eatery and enjoyed dressed lobster, gluten-free pasta and mint tea with a cookie plate.
If you can’t choose one restaurant to eat in while visiting Providence, how about booking six at once? That was RIch Auntie’s experience with Rhode Island Red Food Tours, which curates delectable mini-dining experiences throughout the city. Mine included the plant-based pizza bar Double Zero, Celito, a Mexican Kitchen, The Malted Barley with its gourmet pretzel menu and more.
A train, a mansion and a waterfront
With all this eating, Rich Auntie had to burn some calories somewhere. A trek with Rail Explorers lets you see Newport’s countryside as you pedal yourself down an old railroad track (you’ll have earned that cocktail when you finish roundtrip!).
Put in a few miles touring the romantic Rosecliff, a Gilded Age mansion of Newport, which will be decked out in festive holiday finery for the season, and walk along Cliff Walk.
Visit the Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, starting November 29.
History Lesson
The Michael S. Van Leesten Bridge stretches across the Providence River and is dedicated to the civil rights activist and hometown hero. Van Leesten traveled south in the sixties to advocate for voting rights along with Martin Luther King, Jr. He established the Rhode Island Students for Equality (RISE) across Providence’s foremost universities. He also conceived the Occupational Industrialization Center (OIC) of Providence, one of the city’s most influential minority-focused career and education centers. He fought tirelessly against discrimination while advocating for equality. The bridge was renamed in his honor in 2020.
