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Just wondering if anyone has taken any weekend trips- day's drive or less- from RI in the past year that they would recommend? Where'd you go and what did you do? Since places change over time, please make your experience recent. I think it would be nice to have some ideas we could all draw from.
Stayed at The Wall Street Inn. Had dinner one night at Faunces Tavern. Second night at ...darn. can't remember the name......third... met up with friends at South Street Seaport and grazed and drank.
I was back in RI last month and had an opportunity to spend a weekend in Ogunquit, Maine. It's a lovely town and I would definitely recommend visiting it! You can make the drive from Providence in a little over two hours (presuming there's no major traffic delays). It is quintessentially classic New England, and walking on the Marginal Way along the ocean reminds me of the Cliff Walk in Newport. The downtown has several cute shops and restaurants. We ate at Angelina's Ristorante and thoroughly enjoyed it. Bread and Roses Bakery is fantastic as well.
Alternatively, if you'd just like to take a day's drive and not necessarily spend money to stay overnight at a hotel, you might consider the north or south shores in Massachusetts. Plymouth is only an hour away from Providence and has a cute downtown and harbor along with its famous tourist attractions (Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, etc. although these are slightly overrated in my opinion - it's more fun to walk along the water and visit the downtown shops). If you take Route 44 from Providence to Plymouth, you'll see very pretty countryside and a cranberry bog or two. On the other end of the state, Marblehead and Salem are fun to see as well. Any of these towns can be covered in a day.
One of the things I miss most about New England is how small all of the states outside of Maine are as it makes it easy to travel to different places!
Sounds lovely! I just thought of a couple I could contribute.
Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods NH is lovely and has gorgeous grounds and tennis courts.
Saratoga Springs NY is a great trip. Been there a few times, most recently last year. Lovely park in the center of town, beautiful buildings, and nice small town center. We stayed at the new Residence Inn which was fine- had a good swimming pool.
Just got back from Quebec today. We stayed in Quebec City for two nights and Montreal for two nights. So, it wasn't your standard two or three day weekend. We greatly preferred Quebec City but some of that had to do with the weather and that Montreal is a much larger city but we had less knowledge about what to do there. Quebec City is simply beautiful and Montreal struck us as seedier in comparison - but we're probably wrong, LOL. Also, it was pouring when we were there and our energy was waning so we didn't see as much.
I don't know how familiar you are with the city, but Quebec City is a walled city - or at least the oldest part is - and it's like you're transported a few centuries back in time to Europe, with all the stone buildings, cobblestones and cathedrals. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site. We stayed at the Clarendon Hotel in QC, the oldest hotel in QC with a great location about a block from the Chateau Frontenac, a gorgeous, huge hotel that is the most photographed hotel in the world - partly because it's perched high above the lower city and the St Lawrence River. I definitely recommend the Clarendon if you want to stay in the Upper Town, although I'm sure there are lots of other good choices as well. The Clarendon is probably the largest hotel behind the gates, besides the Frontenac (which is usually very expensive). They have a restaurant, jazz bar, elevator - no pool, but you'd have to go outside the gates to find a hotel that has one.
There are so many things to do. You can visit nearby Montmorency Falls (taller than Niagara Falls), St Anne De Beaupre cathedral (about a 25 minute drive away). Tour the Citadel, visit the Plains of Abraham, a large park now but it was the battlefield where the French lost to the English, visit Parliament, walk the walls of the city, take the Funiculaire down to the lower village and see where Samuel Champlain first established his trading post in Place Royal, visit Notre Dame des Victoires which dates back to the 1600s, take a carriage ride or a boat trip, walk the Grand Allee with its restuarants and bars just outside the old city gates. There's cabaret, theatre and burlesque, of course - but what I enjoyed doing most was just strolling around and taking in all the beautiful sights and deciding where to eat that night, LOL. There are so many parks to stop, rest your feet and take in a street entertainer. I really wish we had done a river boat tour - they have sightseeing tours as well as brunch tours and dinner/dancing tours.
I'm sure someone else can offer better information to you about Montreal. We stayed at the Universel Hotel on Rue Sherbrook and it was right next to the 1976 Olympic Village. We went to the Biodome and the Planetarium there, but we could have also went to the Botannical Garden or the Insectarium. There are several stadiums or arenas dating back to the Olympics, and they still hold soccer, football and hockey games today, but I don't think they were available for tours. Other parts of the site are used for public sporting facilities or for events or concerts. There is a tower over the stadium, which you would recognize instantly if you are old enough to remember those Olympics. It leans at a 45 degree angle, and there is an outside elevator that take you up to an observatory where you get a great view of the Olympic village and a pretty good view of the rest of Montreal. Montreal also has an old city, like Quebec - but it seemed less charming to me, and not as large. We also went to the casino there, but Foxwoods is much larger so we weren't that impressed.
2nd idea: last year we took the ferry from New London to Long Island and stayed on North Fork just outside Greenport. The North Fork is the rural part of Long Island, almost completely given over to vineyards these days. There's also a brewery in Greenport, but mostly we visited the vineyards for tastings, went to the beach, visited the Hamptons and drove down to the Belmont Stakes. Oh, and we did visit an aquarium in Riverhead. I can't remember but I think this must have been a 3 or 4 day break. I definitely want to go back and do it again! This time though, I would check out Shelter Island and maybe stay in Montauk. But we were lucky enough to get a good deal on a hotel from Living Social or Groupon because it was non-peak season. Otherwise, depending on where you stay, it can be a pricey proposition.
New York City - I don't really need to make a case for NYC, do I? If you're put off by the price, we got a good price on The Wellington, on 7th and 56th, a block from Carnegie Hall. The rooms are small, but I expect that in an older big city hotel, and for the price, who really cares? If you're spending any non-sleeping time in your hotel room in NYC, you're doing it wrong! It's one of those places where the lobby looks really nice and you think "This place must have really been something....once...." because it's a bit worn around the edges but it's safe and clean and covers all the basics. I'd book it again. From there we could walk to Times Square or Central Park, and the subway stop was right on the corner.
Last edited by sandsonik; 05-28-2014 at 05:50 PM..
Reason: hit post too early
Saratoga Springs NY is a great trip. Been there a few times, most recently last year. Lovely park in the center of town, beautiful buildings, and nice small town center. We stayed at the new Residence Inn which was fine- had a good swimming pool.
We went to Saratoga Springs a few years ago, to go to the racetrack for the first time. It was a combination trip with Lake George.
I'll have to go back for Saratoga Springs itself some time - thanks for the recommendation.
We used to go to Montreal for long weekends quite often (as a matter of fact, me and Mrs. Raiderman got engaged there). Nice drive up, takes about 6 1/2 hours give or take. I started going when the exchange rate was about $1.45 to the dollar, but that has since plummeted to within $1.10, and things are more expensive.
There are SO many things to see and do, and it's a great walking city, particularly Old Montreal. Notre Dame, although I am not religious, has FANTASTIC architecture. Great little bistros and bars. It does have more of a European feel to it than I found in Quebec City. Brush up on your French because you're going to need it!
I usually stayed up in the "party" area - Rue Crescent, St. Catherine Ouest, that area. But if you're not a pub-crawler, I HIGHLY recommend the Hotel XIXE Siecle. It's right in Old Montreal and has a great vibe. Nice library, large rooms with tall ceilings and huge windows. I will definitely return some day.
The Long Island trip sounds good - got to try that ferry- thanks for the suggestions! Love both Quebec City & Montreal though Q City is my personal favorite. They are very nice to Americans in spite of the Francophone thing. Everyone assumed we spoke French which was a little embarrassing so I practiced a lot of merci and au revoir. But most everyone else is bilingual so it is easy to get along. The boat trip on the St Lawrence is a must.
Bennington, especially on super-hot weekends in RI when it's usually ten degrees cooler there. The ride up through the Berkshires is gorgeous, you can stay in a no-frills motel for under $70 a night, and there are lots of great outdoorsy things you can do up there. If it's really hot, White Rocks National Recreation Area is nearby - ice beds remain in the rocks throughout the summer, dropping temperatures to about 40°F!
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