Westerly as vacation destination (Providence, Newport: hotel, house, theatre)

[meshiloo]

Hi, my husband and I have the opportunity to stay at a hotel in Westerly for 2 nights for free. We don't know anything about the town. Can anyone offer some advice on whether this is a good vacation destination, and what kinds of things there are to do there? (we would probably go in the summer) We are not sure which hotel we would get, and even though it's free I would hate to travel all the way there for nothing. What other good destinations is Westerly close to? Thanks!

[ProvGuy]

Westerly has nice beaches, a small water park and some decent Chowder-type restaurants. You can always take a day trip to Providence or Newport as well, both are within a 45 minute drive and have a lot to do in the summer.

[Hollytree]

Definitely go! Free is good.
How about Mystic seaport and aquarium? Or time it for a Waterfire in Providence. Also as Provguy said there's Newport and also a number of beaches in the area.

[lillies123]

Def go! I live in Westerly and it is the prettiest towns in the summer...make sure to check out Watch Hill...absolutely gorgeous and the house watching is also fun! Mystic is only about 15 minutes away and is lovely to walk around in and catch some seafood meals...Andrea and Sandy shore are some of the motels on the beach you can stay in just to name a few...you should also check out downtown westerly and hit up some restaurants like up river cafe(its on the water) and perks and corks for the awesome martinis..hope i helped and ask any more specific questions!

[lillies123]

ps. you can also check out Narragansett which is another beach town 15 mins away from westerly but it is slightly bigger

[veuvegirl]

Newport is a must if you are going to Westerly. For something closer and a little more mellow check out Narragansett the Coast Guard House is one of my favorite restaurants.

You can also do a day trip to Block Island, tour the old harbor and have a cocktail watching the boats go by....

[ThreePitas]

Sorry veuvegirl - I have to disagree with Newport being a must. After March, the traffic there is insane! The beaches are expensive, the restaurants are crowded AND expensive. I loved it when I was in my 20s, but I would not drive there in summer from Westerly. If you want to visit Newport, make it the single destination of a separate trip.

Westerly is a great destination in and of itself. I would not try to go anywhere else (except BI). Enjoy the laid back environment there. Watch Hill is nice too. I'd bring my bike and enjoy the scenery. BI is a nice day trip - Bring your bikes (it's cheaper on the ferry) but beware. Nothing compares to BI, so check out Westerly first.

Things to do in Westerly:
Walk down to the lighthouse from town (can't go up, but there is a museum)
They may have summer pops this year (outdoor concerts)
Theatre by the sea (actually Matunuck)
Misquamicut has Cruise nights on Thurs.
There is a neat shopping area (actually on the border of CT and RI) I'm not sure if it's actually in Pawcatuck or Westerly. But why bother? Just go to the BEACH!

visit westerly . com is a good site.

Have fun!