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Ten Great Things to Do in East Bay

East Bay offers quiet beauty and excellent bicycling along Narragansett Bay

The East Bay, consisting of the towns of Barrington, Bristol, and Warren, is a quiet, pretty area perfect for drives or bicycle rides in and out of tiny coves and past stone wall-lined farms that probably look much like they did two centuries ago. The 14-mile East Bay Bike Path runs through the whole region and offers a clear view of the upper Narragansett Bay to bicyclists, walkers, and joggers. Also, Colt State Park, on the edge of Narragansett Bay, is a peaceful, delightful place for outdoor sports and picnics. The summertime highlight of the region is the Fourth of July parade in Bristol, which claims to be the oldest Independence Day parade in America (started in 1785) and probably has a shot at being the biggest and most lavish, with many related public entertainments in the preceding week. Also, The Audubon Society operates a first-class environmental education center in Bristol, where youngsters and anyone interested in nature can enjoy a grand time of discovery.

Among the interesting attractions of the region are the Blithewold Mansion and Gardens , a waterfront estate with a 45-room manor house and spectacular gardens; Linden Place , a mansion of the Federal period; Herreshoff Marine Museum, where several competitors in the America’s Cup yacht race were built; the antiquated and unspoiled Crescent Park carousel in Riverside, a favorite of carousel buffs; and the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology. This part of Rhode Island, a little out of sight across the bay from most of the state, is a lovely unspoiled corner that invites visitors with vigorous bodies and a taste for out-of-the-way beauty.

Ten Great Things to Do in East Bay