Beavertail Lighthouse in the “Ocean State”

On a beautiful sunny summer afternoon, we decided to go to nearby smallest and wateriest state in the United States: Rhode Island. The main reason behind this trip is to relish our favorite Quahog. If you know anything about Rhode Island, you know the quahog is sacred and unique to Rhode Island. Quahogs are the large hard-shelled clams native to this area, the ones used in the chowders and clam cakes. Apart from relishing our taste buds, we decided to explore something new in Rhode Island, rather than going to our usual favorite places.

· Rhode Island is nicknamed the “Ocean State” because one can get to the ocean from anywhere in the state in less than an hour’s drive – the state is only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long.

Rhode Island is the smallest state of the US, situated around Narragansett Bay. Even though you can drive across it in less than 1 hour, it has an astounding 400 miles of Atlantic coastline and boasts the sailing capital of the world, Newport. Having a large Italian-American and Portuguese-American population lends to its unique flavors. Rhode Islanders are proud of their uniqueness, even having their accents and foods. You’ll find Gilded Age Mansions like The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House where Alva Vanderbilt once held women’s rights rallies, and several other grand estates. I will have a separate post just for the mansions in Rhode Island (they are mind-boggling).

The view of the rocky coastline surrounding the lighthouse is incredible. The beautiful sight of the ocean, the soothing sound of waves, and the overall feel of a place are pure bliss! Beavertail Lighthouse and the rocky coastline provide us with awe-inspiring photo opportunities. One can enjoy sightseeing, picnicking, photographing, sunbathing, kite flying, meditating, hiking, jogging, and surf watching. If you go to any corner of the park, you are going to get a spectacular view for sure!
Located on the spacious grounds of the Beavertail State Park, the light tower with the light keeper’s house, adjoining assistant keeper’s house, an oil storage building, and a children’s makeshift aquarium form the small federally owned compound. There is no admission charge and a lot of parking available. There are even clean and roomy portable bathrooms for your convenience.

**The Beavertail Lighthouse was built in 1856 and is the premier lighthouse in Rhode Island, marking the entrance to Narragansett Bay.**

The first Beavertail Lighthouse, built in 1749, was the premier lighthouse in Rhode Island, third in the country following the 1716 Boston Harbor light and the 1746 Brant (Great) Point light on Nantucket. Although the wooden tower lighthouse burned to the ground after just four years, a tower that replaced it lasted until the present granite lighthouse was built in 1856, according to state records.
The actual building containing the museum was built in 1898 to house a lighthouse assistant. We couldn’t visit the museum, as it closes by 4:30 pm EST. In addition to the museum, guests can climb the tower via 49 steps up a spiral staircase and a 7-foot ladder that opens onto the observation catwalk. The reward is an epic view of the bay and skyline.

**You can enjoy this pristine landscape from one of four overlooks or walk the rocky coastline, which features excellent saltwater fishing.**

**Enjoying the gorgeous coastal vista and sea breeze**

The history was written on displays outside the museum, which gives great overall historical information, the origin of Beavertail Lighthouse, storms the keepers had to endure, the disastrous 1938 hurricane damage to that lighthouse, and the tragedy of the Whale Rock Lighthouse less than a mile off the land from Beavertail being destroyed, killing the keeper whose body was never found. The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum offers historical information about the property, Narragansett Bay, and the shipping industry that helped shape Rhode Island. It also features a collection of artifacts from the third-oldest lighthouse in North America.

**It is an iconic lighthouse — one of the 21 still found in Rhode Island. The charming old structure has a claim to fame as the third oldest in the United States.**

After enjoying the gorgeous coastal vista and sea breeze, we headed to our favorite place to dine in Rhode Island; Anthony’s Seafood in Middletown. This place is a must-try for seafood lovers, especially for Quahog.

First of all, What is a Quahog?
If you aren’t from New England, you may only know this word from the TV show The Family Guy (it is a fictional town), but quahogs are a real thing. Also known as hard-shelled clams, they are found on the east coast of the US. In Rhode Island, they are called quahogs, Others call them chowder clams. This term was chosen because Native Americans used quahog shells to make the beads that were used as money (called wampum). For this dish, the clam meat gets chopped up and mixed with breadcrumbs, herbs, finely diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. The whole savory mess is then baked in a clamshell—and devoured across the region.

**You can’t miss stuffies while in Rhode Island!**

Rhode Island tends to get pigeonholed by its defining geography: it’s a teeny, tiny state with a giant bay. But there’s much more to America’s 13th state. Here are few fun facts about “Little Rhody” (as locals like calling it):

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation while Alaska is the largest. It could be fitted into Alaska 425 times.
Until 2020 it had the longest state name (State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ). That award now goes to Massachusetts.
Rhode Island is nicknamed the “Ocean State” because one can get to the ocean from anywhere in the state in less than an hour’s drive – the state is only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long.
Newport, Rhode Island is known as the sailing capital of the world.

You can enjoy this pristine landscape from one of four overlooks or walk the rocky coastline, which features excellent saltwater fishing.

The first National Lawn Tennis Championship (the precursor to the U.S. Open) was held in Rhode Island in 1899. The state is also home to the Tennis Hall of Fame. Although that tournament has moved to New York, Newport still holds a tournament in July where you can see tennis greats play of grass from very close for a much smaller cost than the Open.
The first NFL game at night was hosted in Rhode Island.
With more than 1,000 manufacturers, Rhode Island is a leading jewelry producer. Rhode Island was once known as the Jewelry Capital of the World.
The oldest synagogue in the United States, Tuoro Synagogue, is in Newport. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams when he was expelled from Massachusetts because of his religious beliefs. He started the state to provide religious freedom for all.

Rhode Island has a least one haunted house. The house that inspired the movie “The Conjuring” is in Harrisville, Rhode Island.
The state shell is a Quahog, a hard-shelled clam native to the east coast. When you drive by Rhode Island’s shallow coastal waters, you will likely see people clamming for them. One of the foods that you should try when you are in Rhode Island is the stuffed Quahog, called a stuffie. It is often stuffed with Portuguese sausage, chorizo.

The official state drink of Rhode Island is “coffee milk”. Autocrat has made the syrup since the 1930s, which is added to milk to make the coffee milk. Its origins are unclear but maybe a nod to home from the large Italian immigrant population.

18.9 percent of Rhode Islanders have Italian heritage, making it the most Italian state. Most are concentrated in the north of the state in Johnston, Cranston, and Providence.