Rhode Island: An Easy Day Trip from the South Shore
One of the perks of living on the South Shore is how quickly you can feel like you’ve “gotten away.” Here are a few Rhode Island experiences that are absolutely worth building a day around.
Green Animals Topiary Garden (Portsmouth, RI)
If you’ve never been to Green Animals, it’s one of those places you didn’t know you needed to see.
Located on the grounds of a historic estate overlooking Narragansett Bay. There are more than 80 sculpted trees, shrubs, animals, geometric shapes, and whimsical designs, all maintained by hand.
It’s not a full-day experience. Plan about 60–90 minutes. Green Animals Topiary Garden and Rail Explorers are about 15–20 minutes away, making it easy to turn this into a full-day. I share more details about the Rail Explorers experience in my biking post here.
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum (Bristol, RI)
This early 1900s mansion sits on 33 acres along Narragansett Bay, with sweeping lawns, formal gardens, and beautiful bamboo groves.
The interior of the mansion is beautiful.
I am obsessed with this wallpaper
And love this wallpaper
As for the grounds, it’s especially beautiful:
• In spring, when the daffodils bloom
• In summer, when the gardens are full
• In the fall, when the foliage changes
Blithewold is conveniently located near the East Bay Bike Path, making it easy to pair a garden visit with a scenic coastal ride. I’ve outlined this trail, along with several other Rhode Island biking routes, in my dedicated biking post here.
The Cliff Walk offers dramatic ocean views, and even just walking through town for lunch, shopping, or ice cream makes for a perfect afternoon.
Photo by Larry Pozza on Unsplash
Newport Mansions
Newport Mansions
If you’re heading to Newport, touring at least one mansion is worth it. Here’s how they ranked with my kids:
1. The Breakers – Family Tour
The Breakers offers a family-focused audio tour that guides you through the estate from the perspective of the children who grew up there. It’s engaging without feeling like a history lecture, and it gives context for how the Vanderbilt family actually lived in such a grand home.
For families, this is an easy win.
2. The Elms – Servant Life Tour
The Servant Life Tour at The Elms was fascinating.
This specialty tour takes you behind the scenes to explore where staff worked and lived, kitchens, laundry rooms, coal corridors, attic quarters, and service staircases, offering an entirely different perspective on Gilded Age life. It requires a separate ticket, and advance reservations are recommended since group sizes are limited.
But the outside is just as impressive as the inside.
The grounds were inspired by 18th-century French gardens, with formal symmetry, marble pavilions, long tree-lined paths, and sweeping lawns overlooking the water.
And then there are the trees.
The massive weeping beech trees on the property are incredible. Their branches cascade toward the ground, almost forming natural rooms beneath them. They’re sculptural, dramatic, and the kind of trees you instinctively want to stand under or climb.
3. Marble House
Marble House offers a fascinating audio tour focused on Alva Vanderbilt and the social dynamics of the Gilded Age. While it’s not specifically geared toward children, the storytelling and history kept them interested.
Roger Williams Park Zoo (Providence, RI)
The zoo is fun year-round, but the seasonal events are especially worth noting:
The Lantern Spectacular (Fall), Holiday Lights (Winter) & Asian Lantern Spectacular (Spring/Summer)
Photo by Tadeusz Zachwieja on Unsplash
Age doesn’t matter; whether you're younger or older, you will have a nice evening. In the fall, grab an Oktoberfest at the entrance and enjoy your walk.
Pro tip: Arrive just after sunset.
You’ll see lights glowing as the sky darkens, but there’s still enough light to catch glimpses of some of the animals before it gets fully dark.
It’s beautifully done and more impressive than you might expect.
If You Love to Bike…
Rhode Island also has some fantastic biking trails.
From coastal paths to longer scenic routes, I’ve shared many of my favorites in my biking post. You can find them here.
Sometimes the best part of living here isn’t just where you are, it’s how easy it is to explore what’s nearby.