Rhode Island Summer Bucket List

Complete a ridiculous fitness goal.

• Lather up in sunscreen, stretch out, hydrate and test your athletic limits on a heart-pumping Rhody journey.
• Kayak the Roger Williams Trail. What cheer, Netop? Follow a portion of the water trail that led Williams to present-day Providence. For the first leg, start at the Freedom Green site in East Providence, and paddle to Omega Pond then back again for a two-mile trip. The second tour starts at Bold Point Park in East Providence and guides you through the Seekonk River. exploreri.com
• Bike from Bristol to Providence. Your legs might disagree with you for a couple of days, but the scenic East Bay Bike Path is worth the wobble. The trail is about fourteen miles of asphalt, with two points of on-road biking due to bridge construction. Start in the afternoon and you can make it back in time to catch golden hour.
• Run the beach from Watch Hill to Weekapaug. Take a lap of luxury on a beautiful five-mile route encompassing East Beach, Misquamicut State Beach, Fenway Beach and Weekapaug Point. Admire the historic homes, pack some sand (or pound pavement on the streetside route), and maybe even stop for a bit to dip your toes in the sea. Just be sure to stick to the high-water mark, or else you’ll have good reason to run.

Hunt for Rhody-specific buried treasure.

• Shuck into a quahog pearl. You’ll need to plow through more than a half-bushel to find one of these beauts. Good thing they’re tasty.
• Break out the metal detector, by beach or by berry farm. Wedding rings, necklaces, gold coins from pirate money laundering schemes: Who knows what you’ll find with a wave of the wand?
• Search for sea glass. Warwick’s Conimicut Point is a top spot for iridescent, wave-worn glass.
• Dig around for cumberlandite fragments. The official state rock — often mistaken for meteorite — is contained on just four acres on Elder Ballou Meeting House Road in Cumberland.

Take flight on Roger Williams Park Zoo’s zip line.
Soak up the sights as you zip 115 feet above the pond at Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Soaring Eagle Zip Ride. Peek at parts of Providence and toward Narragansett Bay alongside an adventurous buddy. rwpzoo.org

Score a spot at the free two-hour lot by Salty Brine.
You’ll circle the Galilee loop ad infinitum — that’s a given. Gull guano is too and, yes, it’ll probably drip just out of reach of your windshield wiper. Still worth it for gloriously free parking by the beach. Salty Brine State Beach, Galilee

Discover Newport.

Wharf-hop with your buds in the City by the Sea.
Get a taste of summer revelry, but strategically. Most restaurants still require reservations, so plan your time accordingly, order summery drinks and apps and soak up views of the stunning harbor.

• Start your journey at the Landing Restaurant to curb your appetite. Wash down an order of fried shrimp or stuffed quahogs with a Pirate Punch cocktail with coconut rum, cranberry and pineapple juice or a 38 Hurricane cocktail with blue curacao, coconut rum and pineapple.  thelandingrestaurantnewport.com
• Head to 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar and Grille and choose a light and vibrant prosecco, a sweet and fruity riesling, a rich and jammy malbec or another fine bottle to split with the group. Pair with a charcuterie and cheese platter. 22bowens.com
• Mid-hop, feast on some fresh guac at Diego’s. Choose between the Braker’s Guac, Guac Del Mar with crab meat, scallops and baby shrimp, and the Butternut and Beet Guac with roasted squash and beet with thyme and rosemary. During your wait, try out the selections of tequila or mezcal flights. diegosnewport.com
• At the Black Pearl, order one of the local beers on tap, from Whalers Brewing Company to Newport Craft Brewing and Distilling Co. Still have space in your stomach for starters? Order clams casino or fried brie. blackpearlnewport.com
• Ready for dessert? Stroll over to the Mooring Seafood Kitchen and Bar for the almond creme brulee paired with the Coppo Moncalvina Moscato d’Asti dessert wine. mooringrestaurant.com