I'd never even heard of Watch Hill before I stumbled upon this restored inn's website a few months ago, but as soon as I saw the "Ocean House" I mentally added it to my list of ideal weekend travel destinations. The more I read about it, the nicer it sounded! But those Forbes Five Stars and AAA Diamond Awards don't come cheap, so you can imagine my excitement when I realized we could use a bunch of Relais & Chateaux gift certificates I'd been awarded at a corporate offsite a few months ago to pay for our room at the Ocean House! It's like Nicole + Shep + Ocean House were meant to be. ;)
The grounds, food, service and beach at the resort were just beautiful! The town itself is clean and safe and {despite being peppered with multi-million-dollar mansions} feels quite quaint! Watch Hill is very small, so there weren't many attractions or establishments to check out, but the waterfront area had that quintessential New England feel that made us just want to stroll around peering out at the boats, blue skies and calm water all day long. The weather could not have been nicer -- it was sunny and warm {without being humid} each and every day, which is quite surprising given my typical travel weather luck...
Our weekend itinerary consisted of : a clam bake on the beach, a comedy show, an ice cream making demonstration, a sunset cruise complete with champagne and cheese, a couples massage, a champagne brunch, lounging on the beach, strolls along the waterfront, more homemade ice cream, walking to the lighthouse, staring at the vast mansions that surrounded us, tackling a Stave puzzle together into the wee hours of the night, and lunch at a restaurant whose motto is "famous, not fancy, since 1916". Needless to say, we got some serious R&R, which was much-needed after the hectic and stressful summer we've had.
Shockingly, we hit hardly any traffic driving to or from Rhode Island, despite leaving at the exact wrong time both ways. On the way back, we entered Manhattan's north end at around 4:50 pm on a Monday {hello, rush hour!}, yet still made it down the West Side Highway and home by 5:01 pm! Those of you familiar with NYC traffic understand that this was quite a feat!
In case I haven't yet convinced you to check out Watch Hill when you get the chance, here are some photos from our trip that should seal the deal:
Have any readers out there ever been to Watch Hill or Rhode Island in general? I'd love to hear what you thought if so!
I love your Blogs, Nicole & Shep! Uncle Guy and I went to Newport, RI last weekend via motorcycle/Orient Ferry. Rhode Island - the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block may have named it "Rood Eylandt" meaning Red Island because of the red clay - Such a beautiful place and a beautiful state! Our excursions and accommodations were not as fancy as yours, but we had an enjoyable getaway. We took a leisurely drive along Route 1 when we got off the ferry and when we arrived in Newport we had lunch at the Red Parrot Pub. We then took a tour of the Vanderbilt's Breakers Mansion, and rode around the area before deciding we wanted to stay the night. We were able to book a room at the Comfort Inn in Middletown, and the desk clerk suggested we do the Ocean View Drive, which had stunning views of the ocean and mansions. We then got up early and walked the Cliff Walk before heading back to the New London Ferry. The drive through the North Fork is always great, too! XO Aunt Monica
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