This quirky combo is a Rhode Island summer staple that gives sweet and tangy frozen lemonade the perfect hit of salty crunch . We can ’ t prove our theory that a Del ’ s with the pretzel tastes better after a day at the beach , but we can promise that it makes a musthave treat all season long . Just say no to the straw , or we ’ ll make fun of you . dels . com
PHOTOGRAPHY THIS PAGE : MEAGHAN SUSI AND GETTY IMAGES ; OPPOSITE PAGE : COURTESY OF WATCH HILL INN ; GETTY IMAGES .
Chase waterfalls .
The great Salty Brine gets all the love , but these rushing waters offer pretty vistas sans sand .
Butterfly Dam , Lincoln . Pack a picnic and plan for an eighteenthcentury-style afternoon at this roadside gem on scenic Great Road . Carve out some time for the farmstand at Butterfly Farm and a stroll at nearby Chase Farm , too .
Stepstone Falls , West Greenwich . Head to this secret spot in Arcadia Management Area right after a summer rain to make the most of the series of cascades .
Slater Mill , Pawtucket . The water here powered the birth of the Industrial Revolution . Pop over to the historic mill site and check out the heritage garden .
Horseshoe Falls , Charlestown . You ’ ll wonder how fish navigate this massive U-shaped dam but , have no fear : they make their way via an intricate fish ladder constructed in 2011 .
Stepstone Falls .
Catch the fests from the water .
Snag a kayak or a seaworthy float ( or , better yet , a real boat !) and catch the world ’ s best folk and jazz performers from Newport Harbor . It costs nothing and , when the music is delivered to your vessel on the back of a breeze , you ’ ll wonder why , in the name of James Taylor , you ever did things differently . Fort Adams , Newport , newportfolk . com ; newportjazz . com
See an original Rhode Island dance form .
Every August , Narragansett leaders and tribal members gather on their reservation in Charlestown for the Annual Meeting , a two-day powwow with storytelling , arts and crafts for sale and traditional cuisine . But the main event is the round dance , an intertribal drumming-dancing-singing circle featuring Eastern war dance , fancy shawl dance and other art forms practiced by champion powwow dancers in traditional regalia . narragansett indiannation . com
Get up before dawn and catch the eastern seaboard ’ s best sunrise .
Any eastward-facing beach will do , but we ’ re partial to Napatree Point in Westerly . Those comfortable on the wrong side of the law might pack Champagne and strawberries to toast the new day .
Peek around a secret garden in Little Compton .
It ’ s usually only open two days a year but , new in 2021 , the grounds of Sakonnet Gardens are available to explore all summer long . Native species and a one-acre pollinator garden are sure to impress . sakonnetgarden . net
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