{"id":621,"date":"2017-05-26T05:00:45","date_gmt":"2017-05-26T05:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myvacationpants.com\/?p=621"},"modified":"2017-05-26T05:00:45","modified_gmt":"2017-05-26T05:00:45","slug":"put-on-your-rhode-island-getaway-vacation-pants-new-england-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/myvacationpants.com\/index.php\/2017\/05\/26\/put-on-your-rhode-island-getaway-vacation-pants-new-england-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Put On Your Rhode Island Getaway Vacation Pants – New England Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

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My fam bam recently did a trip around the New England area and we spent a couple days in picturesque Rhode Island. \u00a0My husband and I are all about finding cheap airfare and then planning a vacation around that location. \u00a0We usually fly to the cheapest place we can find, and then do a little road trip loop around the area. \u00a0That’s exactly what we did for our most recent Spring Break Trip. \u00a0We flew into New York City (JFK) because the husband found airfare on Jet Blue from Palm Springs, California to JFK, for a ridiculously low $132 a ticket. \u00a0Of course we had to snatch up that deal. \u00a0We plotted a route\u00a0that would start in NYC and take us to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, (with a short drive through New Jersey), and back to New York City. \u00a0We spent two nights on a little island in Rhode Island. \u00a0How cool is that? \u00a0We stayed on an island in Rhode Island! Get ready to get all the hot tips you ever wanted on\u00a0taking a very short trip in this very tiny state. \u00a0Make sure you check out my first post from this series below.<\/p>\n

Put on Your NYC (In Two Days!) Vacation Pants – New England Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n

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The lovely and affordable Wyndham Bay Voyage Inn in Jamestown, Rhode Island.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Where We Stayed<\/h2>\n

We spent the first two days of our trip in New York City, and then we took a Lyft back to the airport and rented a car from Advantage Rental Car for the rest of our trip. \u00a0(There is really no point in having a car in the city because the public transportation is very affordable, and there is absolutely nowhere to park)\u00a0\u00a0So, we waited, and got a midsize sedan to continue our New England Adventures in. \u00a0We really enjoy having a car for the our trips because it gives us freedom and flexibility.
\nWe drove out of the city by way of New Jersey, and then headed back into New York and drove through West Nyack. \u00a0(More about something really fun we did while we were there later on in this post.) \u00a0We then made our way through Connecticut, and finally entered Rhode Island.
\nWe stayed on the little strip island of Jamestown. \u00a0There is a beautiful and affordable little hotel there called Wyndham Bay Voyage Inn<\/a>. \u00a0We booked it through Hotwire<\/a>. \u00a0Now, on Hotwire you don’t know what you are booking until you book it, but sometimes in small towns like Jamestown you can narrow it down and figure it out. \u00a0(I give tips in how to navigate Hotwire<\/a> here.) \u00a0So this beautiful place right on the water was only $79 a night and they upgraded us to a suite for free. \u00a0The husband and I had a bedroom with a separate television, while the kiddos slept in the living room on a couch bed with their own television. \u00a0There wasn’t a full kitchen, but there was a mini-fridge and microwave and a larger counter top space to store food. \u00a0We also had a lovely view and a balcony. \u00a0We looked at staying across the bridge in Newport, but hotels were three times the amount as what we paid in Jamestown.<\/p>\n

MVP (My Vacation Pants) Tip: When you can’t find an affordable hotel in the city you are sightseeing in, look at hotels in surrounding cities. \u00a0Sometimes a short drive in to the action can be worth the price break you will get in the end. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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We really found a SUITE deal at this place. \u00a0Comfortable, clean, and had some great New England charm.<\/p>\n

What We Did<\/h2>\n

5 Wits<\/a><\/h3>\n

If you are traveling from NYC to Rhode Island and you enjoy room escapes or puzzle rooms, I highly recommend stopping in at 5 Wits in West Nyack. \u00a0The interactive immersive adventure is located inside a mall in the city. \u00a0Being a California kid, it was kinda fun seeing a mall with so many family adventures. \u00a0In California, our malls are kind of dying out and shutting down. \u00a0I think because the outdoor weather is pretty uncomfortable\u00a0much\u00a0of the year in New England, they have to have some fun indoor activities, and this was definitely one of them. \u00a0We decided to do a three room adventure and break up the road trip for the kids. \u00a0I would describe this place as a Disneyland level attraction experience. \u00a0You start with a quick introduction to the story and you are thrown in to the action. \u00a0It is definitely for children. \u00a0You aren’t going to be super challenged by the puzzles if you go with only adults, but we really had fun doing it together.<\/p>\n

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After we went on our adventures we drove a couple more hours to our hotel in Jamestown. \u00a0A few weeks before our trip I reached out to a nonprofit organization called discovernewport.org<\/a> and they put together an itinerary for us for FREE! \u00a0It was pretty cool to get an idea of what to do before we even arrived. \u00a0Although we didn’t do everything they suggested on the itinerary, we did see some amazing things because of their suggestions. \u00a0If you are planning a trip to Newport, you have to reach out to them first!<\/p>\n

For more information on lodging, dining, attractions, transportation and more, visit www.DiscoverNewport.org<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Downtown Newport<\/h3>\n

We started our Newport, Rhode Island adventure by driving over the toll bridge in to the city. \u00a0We could see right away that this was a significantly historical town. \u00a0We walked around town, took in all its charm, and thought about what life might have been like long ago. \u00a0A little ways away, we found a super cool playground (see the pictures at the bottom). \u00a0We played there with the kids for a while before continuing our adventure. \u00a0We like to stop at local playgrounds for our kids while we are on trips. \u00a0It’s fun for them, they\u00a0see new and different play structures, and it helps to break up potentially boring drives or sightseeing.
\nAnyway, with historical buildings, very old pubs, and a waterfront\u00a0with a shopping area, there is a lot to walk around and see in Newport. \u00a0We also did a little progressive lunch and snack tour through the area, which I will highlight below in the “What We Ate Section.”<\/p>\n

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Driving Tour of the Newport Mansions<\/h3>\n

After walking around the downtown area we hopped back in the car drove through the adjacent neighborhood and took a driving tour of some of the mansions. \u00a0It’s amazing to think that most of these houses were just summer houses for families at one time. \u00a0After we drove around the neighborhood for awhile we headed over to Newport’s famous Cliff Walk where you can walk down a trail of many mansions. \u00a0We parked at Easton Beach and made our way over to the walk.<\/p>\n

Easton Beach<\/h3>\n

If you want to park right by the start of the Cliff Walk you will have a rough time finding the spot, so we parked at Easton Beach and had fun walking around the beach and boardwalk area. \u00a0I can imagine this place is hopping when it is not 20 degrees out, but we enjoyed less crowds while we there.<\/p>\n

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Cliff Walk<\/h3>\n

The Cliff Walk is one of the more popular attractions in the area. \u00a0You can see many famous mansions such as the Vanderbilt Mansion called The Breakers. \u00a0They do give tours of the mansion, but it was closed by time we got there. \u00a0The downside of visiting off season is that many places have shorter hours or aren’t open at all. \u00a0We didn’t let the cold weather or the closed mansions keep us from having an adventure. \u00a0There are different entrances to the 3.5 mile trail along the cliffs, so you don’t have to start at Easton Beach. \u00a0We enjoyed doing it from the beginning, but if you are staying a couple of days you can break up the walk.<\/p>\n

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Not too far into the walk they have a place called 40 Steps. \u00a0Apparently, the servants from the mansions made the steps out of rocks, so they could go down and play music, and socialize with each other during their time off. \u00a0In recent years, donors have made the steps more accessible to visitors and you can actually walk down to the rocks below. \u00a0If you walk around the base of the stairs there is a beautiful waterfall in a cave. \u00a0I feel like it is pretty hidden, so make sure you go around the side of the stairs and see them. \u00a0BTW, there are\u00a0more than 40 Steps, but I think they had to add the additional steps for safety.
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