7/20/2017 Rhode Island Adventures

So, close to the end of our last stay we picked up a pesky little mouse who wanted to use the paper towels in my wet bay to set up it’s nest somewhere in the rig. Of all the remedies/cures you will hear from RV folks, I still find good old fashioned mouse traps with a dab of peanut butter to be the best way to cure a rodent problem. After setting such traps in my wet bay I got to go 2 for 2 during 2 successive nights. No more meeses problems! But, just to pile on, as we  hooked up the toad to pull out I find I have no brake/turn lights on the Jeep. My 4-wire flat trailer end wiring unit looked like a couple of the wires were frayed. So now I get to test my total automotive mechanical ineptitudeness. Upon arrival at our next stop, I made a run into Napa Auto Parts and grabbed another 4-wire flat trailer end to swap it out.  

Speaking of our next stop, that would be Melville Ponds Campground in Portsmouth, RI. It was a very nice campground, level, gravel sites, FHU’s, spacious between sites, clean showers/restrooms, and good location for seeing the sights. My only complaint is the heavy tree canopy did not allow for satellite reception and the $65 nightly rate is a bit outrageous.

As soon as we got set up and ate lunch we headed out to nearby Easton Beach and the Cliff Walk. Easton Beach is one of the main beaches on the island, not real large but very busy nonetheless. The water was warm enough for swimmers (without wetsuits) but there was a heavy concentration of a red algae along the surf line. The Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile (one way) developed path along the cliffs (duh!) behind many of the historical mansions. We circled back through the mansion district, including the Belleview Av. section and returned to the beach. Close to 7 miles total walk, finally in the heat with no rain. We finished out the day at the Easton Point Pub with snacks of nachos and clams casino and a Fiery Mule to wash them down with.

The next day we drove back to the Belleview Plaza area and drove around staring at more of the mansions in the area. Then it became a lighthouse quest and we found 2 to drive to (there are a whole bunch of lighthouses around here, some the typical types where keepers used to live on premises, others just a bare bones beacon). The Castle Hill Lighthouse is just a bare bones beacon type; Beavertail Lighthouse was a full service type lighthouse. We had to hop a couple of islands to get to Beavertail, crossing another toll bridge. As we got across the bridge, we saw the EZ-Pass office conveniently sitting there, calling our names. We decided we are fed up with having to stop at all the toll booths and worrying about keeping enough cash handy to make their bail, I mean toll. After our visit to Beavertail, we returned and in a matter of a few minutes it was  bing bang boom we got us EZ-Pass. 

Our last day here in Rhode Island we went into Wickford Village and walked around some more historical homes and buildings. So far it has been very cool seeing these 300-400 year old structures and particularly some of the churches. The churches back in these parts frequently also contain cemeteries in their yards, some of the headstones so old and worn you cannot read them any longer. We finished out the day with an uneventful drive down to the Narragansett area, then it was back to the bus to prepare for our departure tomorrow.

Massachusetts, here we come…