Contact:
Myrna George
President
South County Tourism Council
4808 Tower Hill Road, Suite 101
Wakefield, RI 02879
mgeorge@southcountyri.com
You'll never be bored in South County!
The summer season starts in South County, Rhode Island during Memorial Day weekend. Our beaches are beautiful and relaxing, and there is always something to do and see. The South County Tourism Council is sure that no matter your interests, South County has a venue, facility or event to visit!
Go to the beach, get sand in between your toes, inhale the heady scents of salt air and sunscreen, build a sandcastle, dip your toes in the water, body surf, or relax with a good book or favorite magazine. Our corner of the state is home to over 100 miles of shoreline.
Work on that golfer’s tan. South County is home to 10 eighteen-hole golf courses and seven nine-hole courses.
International Surfing Day. The RI Chapter of Surfriders Foundation hosts a beach cleanup Sun. June 19, 2011.
Who needs the pumped-up wrestling professionals? Battle on the Beach – wrestling on Narragansett Town Beach Fri. June 24.
Even the 12-meter skippers had to start somewhere. Take sailing lessons at the URI Sailing Center on Salt Pond Road in Wakefield.
RI Blueways Alliance hosts a series of canoe/kayak trips. www.ExploreRI.org. Kayak or canoe on the many rivers throughout the area.
Get an up close view of the night sky at Frosty Drew Observatory at Ninigret Park in Charlestown. It is open Friday nights as weather permits.
Visit the John H. Chafee Nature Preserve off Route 1A in North Kingstown. In summer, snorkel and hunt for crab.
Take a bike ride. Don’t have one, rent it! Pedal the 8-mile length of the South County Bike Path or the shorter Wickford Bike Path. Farther north is the Coventry Greenways which will eventually span the width of the state.
Take in a show. We have several venues: Theatre by the Sea, Courthouse Center for the Arts, URI Fine Arts Dept., and The Contemporary Theater.
Live like the other half does – splurge on a drink at the deck at Ocean House, or visit the OH! Spa.
Charter a boat, fish for bluefish, or stripers. It is an absolute thrill to reel in a fish, and amazing to watch an experienced deck hand filet your catch.
Tour Narragansett Bay on a ferry. Learn about the lighthouses, islands, and local seafaring lore on a guided tour.
Stroll through Wilcox Park in downtown Westerly. It’s calm and surprisingly cool from the many trees with their sheltering branches. If you have little ones, make sure they visit the Runaway Bunny from Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s book.
Drink a Del’s, nothing matches the cool sweetness on a hot day, whether you’re at a fair, festival, or the beach. Make sure to chew on the tangy bits of lemon rind to complete the Rhode Island ritual.
Are you a bookworm? Visit a local library and wander the stacks of books. Westerly Library is historic and large, yet its many rooms are warm and inviting. Ashaway, Cross Mills, Clark Memorial and Langworthy libraries are quaint, and creativity rules in keeping as many books on hand for local bibliophiles.
Westerly and Exeter are home to South County’s two water slides. Trade in your skis for a swimsuit at Yawgoo Ski Area in Exeter and ride some unfrozen water down the “slopes.” At Water Wizz in Westerly splash down a water slide or rocket down the 50-foot-tall speed slides. Splash family members in the bumper boats at Adventureland.
Have a teenage boy in your midst? Take him to Warzone paintball field – smack in the middle of the woods of North Kingstown on Shermantown Road. Bring your gear, or rent the entire ensemble there.
Playgrounds! Most are small enough for parents to relax on a bench, while the kids stay in their sight.
Quonset Air Museum – sit in a helicopter, squeeze into a Mig cockpit and marvel at the panel full of dials, buttons and switches. See the many aircraft, some under extensive renovations, others restored to their full in-air glory. Open daily 10 to 3 June through September.
No matter how you serve them up, with syrup, gravy or plain, Johnny Cakes exemplify native Swamp Yankee fare. Visit Kenyon’s Grist Mill at 21 Glen Rock Rd., Usquepaugh. Sample their Johnny cakes, clam cakes, chowder, tour the mill, watch the grinding process, and meet local artisans and farmers.
