RHODE ISLAND - East Bay

Coggeshall Farm Museum , on Poppasquash Road off of Route 114 in Bristol, portrays the work and life of a 1790s coastal farm. See rare breeds of livestock and heirloom varieties of vegetables and herbs. Buildings include barn, spring house, cooling house, blacksmith shop and privy. Special weekend events such as maple sugaring, sheep shearing, and demonstrations of 18th- and 19th-century skills, crafts, and farm work using materials and methods of the period are demonstrated throughout the year. Other fun activities include live music weekly and Colonial cooking workshops. Open year-round, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Phone: 401-253-9062.

Located within a one hour drive of Boston, Providence, Newport, and the towns of southeastern Massachusetts, Tiverton Four Corners, has become an important center for antiques, fine art, decorative crafts, and cozy shops nestled into a quaint New England Village of 18th-century buildings. Enjoy the fresh air as you walk the few steps between shops to peek in windows, sample gourmet treats and purchase goods of all kinds in an unhurried, friendly and charming atmosphere. Lots of fun, seasonal events open to the public.

On a visit to Rhode Island, treat yourself to a dreamy drive through the farm fields and small towns of the East Bar region. If you love to shop for unusual gifts, stop at Imagine Gift Store at 5 Miller Street in Warren. This cool shop is located in the restored former Lyric Theatre and contains three floors of unique and hard to find items, toys, clothing, jewelry and much more. Products for sale include toys, kitchenware, jewelry, gourmet foods, tableware, and more. Imagine Gift Store also owns cows that are alumni of Cow Parade, a worldwide public art event. Open year-round, daily. Phone: 401-245-4200.

Gallery 4 at 3848 Main Road in Tiverton Four Corners is home to Silk Road Traders, Susan Freda Studio, and Wanderer Imports. Sensuous crocheted wire gowns by artist Susan Freda, carpets from the Middle East, antique furniture, architectural pieces and decorative objects from China and Vietnam, kilim shoes, cashmere shawls, designer jewelry and stone garden sculpture are just a sampling of this unique collection from the four corners of New England and the world. Fun to browse and full of refreshing alternatives for your gift-giving quandary. Winter hours from January 1-May 25 are Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Open daily June through December. Phone: 401-816-0999.

Linden Place, an 1810 Federal-style mansion in downtown Bristol that was featured in the film "The Great Gatsby" with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, is well worth a visit. The mansion and outbuildings (a 1902 ballroom building and a 19th-century carriage barn) are surrounded by rose gardens and sculpture. Tours are offered Thursdays through Sundays. Highlights include tales of DeWolf family exploits, from their privateering and slave trading to their financial ruin and return to prosperity during Victorian times. Special events include seasonal parties, art and printmaking exhibitions; and historic films. Phone: 401-253-0390

Which is more beautiful, the house or the gardens? Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum at 101 Ferry Road in Bristol is a turn-of-the-century mansion on 33 acres of landscaped grounds overlooking Narragansett Bay. The house is grand but very comfortable and very much a reflection of the generations of accomplished men and women who lived there. A tour is an eye-opener into earlier generations of elite Rhode Island families. In warmer seasons, the gardens offer 50,000 flowering bulbs, a Japanese water garden, and an exotic bamboo stand. Lots of special and seasonal gardening events and displays, including a monumental Christmas tree, take place throughout the year. Phone: 401-253-2707.