For the past few years, my friends and I have been renting beach cottages in Matunuck. As someone who has a hard time sitting still and whose skin doesn’t take well to hours at the beach, I usually spend my mornings exploring nearby activities. 

In the years where our cottage abuts Potter Pond, I bring my kayak.  Potter Pond is a saltwater pond that is home to the oyster farm for Matunuck Oyster Bar. The calm waters, shallow sandflats, and temptation of the oysters brings many birds to the area.  While there are some waterfront houses, much of the pond is surrounded by nature.  I enjoy listening to the birds, checking out the oyster farm, and breathing in the salt air. 

I can’t go to the coast without finding at least one lighthouse to see.  Point Judith Lighthouse sits at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. Since the lighthouse is on the grounds of an active coast guard base, it is not open to the public; however, there is a nice view of it from the Fisherman Memorial platform. The two tone brick facade of the octagonal lighthouse gives it visual interest against the blue of the water and sky. Additionally, next to the lighthouse, Camp Cronin fishing area offers a long walk out on the jetty and a small beach. 

Just north of Point Judith is the Black Point coastal trail. The trail is accessible from either Scarborough State Beach or the Black Point Fishing Area lot off of Route 1A.  Much of Rhode Island’s coast has been developed and made private, and in the 1980s, developers wanted to do the same with this stretch of land.  However, the public fought back and the state finally bought the property and made it a public preserve.  The flat trail follows the coastline through grape and blackberry bushes with a few narrow paths to get to the rocky coastline.  Most of the people on the rocks were fishermen, and I was lucky enough to see one haul in a fish; however, it wasn’t a keeper. At the Scarborough Beach end of the trail are the ruins of a carriage house from the Windswept estate (built in 1895). The estate was razed in 1974, after a series of fires. I am a sucker for a coastal walk, and this one definitely fits the bill. 

Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, the only undeveloped salt pond in the state, offers short easy walks to observation platforms with benches to sit awhile and take in the views. Since traffic is restricted to walking, the natural beauty of the pond and wildlife becomes the focus.

Ninigret Park has always had walking trails (Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge), and they provide some nice views of the water, but the addition of the Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s trolls this year (2024) have given this park something unique.  I’ve been wanting to see his work up in Maine, but haven’t had a chance to go yet, so when I heard about these new sculptures, I knew that they were definitely going to be on my beach itinerary for this year.  Ninigret Park is home to two of his upcycled trolls: Erik Rock and Greta Granite.  Keeping in line with his mission, both trolls are made from recycled material from the area.  Thus, Erik Rock is made out of burned maple branches, and Greta Granite is adorned with necklaces made out of shells, bones. The size of the sculptures give them an immediate visual impact, but what I was really impressed with is the attention to detail.  For instance, Greta Granite is sitting on her knees; thus, her feet are behind her. It would be easy to make these feet an afterthought, but Dambo instead gave her arches.  Supposedly there will be 18 of these Troll sculptures around Rhode Island by the end of Dambo’s exhibition, and I can’t wait to check out the rest of them. 

A much smaller and shorter art walk is the SKLT Sculpture Trail. Part of the South Kingstown Land Trust, this three acre wooded area sits at the corner of a residential street.  While the trail is hard to see from the road – especially if you didn’t know it was there – the giant rusted red cow that stands at the entry to the trail will let you know you’re in the right place. Twenty-three sculptures made out of metal, wood, and yarn are spread around the woods.  If you go, be sure to bring bug spray.

The Fantastic Umbrella Factory is one of those places that is a world unto itself.  Opened in 1968, the first few stores in this collection of shops leaned into the hippie vibe (and still does). Over the years other stores have been added into the mix. It now is home to a garden center with eclectic yard decor, shops selling international instruments and decor, a candy store with a wall of soda options, a Native American art store, and more.  Besides browsing the wares at each of the stores, the gardens and farmyard parts of the place are worth a visit in themselves. While not exactly a maze, the Bamboo forest is full of surprises; while not exactly a petting zoo, the chickens and guinea fowls are available for feeding; and while the goats are fun to watch, be careful of the emu.  The Fantastic Umbrella Factory is one of those places that is hard to categorize, but fun to explore. 

Lavender Waves Farm has only been around for a few years, but it is already a destination for lovely sights, smells, and tastes. The farm is centered around a gazebo with seating to sit and relax. From there the rows of lavender radiating out to the edges of the farm. The farm offers several types of lavender, so the varying shades of white and purple give dimension to the space. Alpacas, guinea fowl, and a friendly great dane freely roam the farm, while the camels are happy to spend some time saying hello from their pen.  The friendly animals, peaceful environment, and faint smell of lavender give this place a serene vibe. The farm offers u-pick lavender, lavender lemonade and ice cream, and several lavender products to take home.