An Island Escape
At Great Bike Tours, we specialize in getting off the beaten path while still providing a rich, entertaining experience for our guests, with all the amenities and attractions available. That’s why Rhode Island is on our list of favorite destinations. Come down to the Ocean State with us and let the islands and beaches of Narragansett Bay work their magic on you. You might never be the same.
Our Schedule
Our 2021 tour dates are May 23-28 and May 30th through June 4th. Spring is the perfect time to visit Rhode Island. The days are long, warm, and sunny, with cool nights ending in fine mists rising from the wetlands and vanishing under the morning sun’s rays.
Rhode Island might be the smallest state, but there’s plenty to keep us busy between cycling on the many small islands in Narragansett Bay, traversing the waterways between them, and enjoying the attractions in historic towns on the coast. Read on to find out more about where we’re headed.
A Rhode Island Journey
For our Rhode Island tour, we’ll be splitting our time between land and water. Starting in Providence, we’ll bike down a paved path toward the islands in the bay. We’ll spend time cycling down paths that loop around shorelines, curve inland, and then back out to the sight of breakers and the cries of gulls. We’ll lodge at top-rated destinations like the Bristol Harbor Inn, Gurney’s Newport Resort, and Hotel Manisses. Find our full itinerary HERE.
Narragansett Bay
Historic lighthouses sweep their beams over miles of water, carefully monitored by the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) to preserve the health of the bay, surrounding wetlands, and connected rivers. After nights filled with the surf’s soft chords, the champagne sunrise turns the horizon into a field of diamonds. Come and collect them all with us out in the salt air blowing in from Rhode Island Sound.
Bristol
Linked to Providence by a 15-mile bike path, Bristol is made to be more easily traversed by bike and foot than by car. We’ll take paths that formerly served as rail corridors but now serve a quieter purpose better attuned to the flora and fauna around them. One glimpse of Colt State Park and you’ll be marking your calendar for a return trip.
Newport
The sailing capital of the US, an 80’ schooner will show us some of the smaller islands, ringed by cliffs that are home to clouds of sea birds, from the deck. We’ll hear about their past and present from local experts, and if we get very lucky, we might see some beluga whales or dolphins. The island waters are prime real estate for marine mammals to shelter, feed, and breed.
Block Island
Only spanning 3 by 7 miles, it’s a short walk to the beach from anywhere on Block Island. Almost half of the island is designated as public open space to help conserve the quality of life for the plants, animals, and people who call Block Island home. Only a thousand or so people can be found living on the island in the off season, some descended from the first non-indigenous settlers.
So Much to Do!
There’s plenty to do once we dismount from our bikes. We’ll see how a lobster boat and its crew operate, and after we clean the sand off our shoes, we’ll tour some of the grandest mansions in the United States, including Breakers Mansion, owned by the Vanderbilts.
It wouldn’t be a Great Bike Tours trip if we didn’t also plan on making the local food a part of the experience. Luxuriate in the delicate flavors of cod, lobster, and clams pulled from the bay only hours before they hit your plate. Vegetarian or vegan? No problem. The restaurants and resorts we visit are fully equipped to serve different dietary needs. If you care for a nightcap, the Rhode Island coast has more varieties of crisp, ice-cold beers than you can shake a lemon wedge at, and wines from garnet to palest gold that pour into your glass like silk ribbons.
We could say so much more about all that we enjoy every time we go to Rhode Island, but words can only say so much. To book your spot on the 2021 trip, click HERE.
