What is best for Mom and son?

Coming from Phx. w/7 year old son on an excellent airfare...want to enjoy the beach, historic sites and a great B%26amp;B or Inn. We prefer not to rent a car but could. Where should we stay? It would be nice to stay somewhere that has all of this within walking distance. Is this possible? Considering Edgewood Manor in Cranston but not close to the beach and would probably need taxi to and from B%26amp;B. Is there somplace I am missing without spending an arm and a leg??? Thanks for your input. Need to book flight ASAP!

What is best for Mom and son?

You don%26#39;t say when you are coming! Providence, east side downtown, or Federal Hill, are best for walking. Much of interest for you both and many choices for places to stay. During the summer there is a beach bus from Providence, and a ferry from Providence to Newport.

What is best for Mom and son?

Interesting...we are coming early June. I think we will be there like June 6-9. Since we are flying, again, we want to avoid renting a car if possible.

I would not recommend Cranston as a destination for a long stay. The beach in cranston is not swimmable per se. I would go further south to Narragansett or Newport. Newport has nice B%26amp;Bs and June should be off seanson (6/6-6/9). If you stay in Newport, you can go sailboat charter or walk the cliff walk with a 7 year old for a time you will never forget. Providence is an alternative but for a 7 year old it would be boring, unless you went to the children%26#39;s museum.

You can check www.gonewport.com for some ideas and last minute deals. You can email for more info.

Newport_Renter...Thanks for the info. I was thinking the same thing. I knew that there must be many more things to do in Newport. Do you know if there are any favorite Inns in the Newport area? Would any of them provide transportation to and from the airport? Are any of them w/in walking distance of the cliff walk/beach areas fun for kids? I would prefer not to rent a car, but if it made more sense to do so......I would gladly take any recommendations from anyone. Also, I am new to posting at trip advisor. I do not know how to direct email someone. Can you tell me how?

Thanks All!

Hi Zina Rhode Island is approximately 23 miles wide by 47 miles long. Not exactly a large state, so where ever you choose to stay you will be able to visit and see most everything. The childrems museum is great The Roger Williams Park and Zoo is another fabulous venue for children and adults as well. I have heard its one of the best if not the best in New England as far as Parks and Zoo%26#39;s consisiting of over 475 acres of ponds, lakes, and beautiful grounds with amazing sites from the beautiful(white marble) Greek Temple of Music to the glorious Zoo and all its exhibits. The East side of Providence is pretty spectacular as well if you love architecture and history. Newport is 25 minutes from Providence and only a pretty ferry ride away. It can get you there in no time with amazing views of Rhode Island%26#39;s coast.

sorry about the spelling not the best typist know should be now and 3/4 of a mile should be inserted in there hope that helps.

Here%26#39;s the link to RI%26#39;s statewide bus system:

http://www.ripta.com

As you%26#39;ll notice, the smallest state in the Union is well served by public transit. You can probably find something along the lines of a 5-day tourist pass which would cover all your trips for one price.

A 7-year-old would probably have his fill of both Newport and Providence after a day trip to each. If you%26#39;ll be out this way while Waterfire shows are going on, spend the afternoon at the zoo after or before a cheap-but-good meal at one of the many funky little restaurants along Thayer St on the East Side. Then see Waterfire; there should be extra, late buses running to help move the crowds afterwards. In Newport, take time to stroll the waterfront area but be sure to buy tickets for one of the many ';cottage'; tours that are offered. The mansions are absolutely incredible; even young kids are suitably awed by their scale and opulence.

If I were in your sandals I%26#39;d choose Narragansett as my home base. Check out the TA reviews; there%26#39;s a good selection of places to stay with a healthy range of prices. You just may land in RI in the middle of perfect beach weather, and the shores in that town are the nearest good ones to Providence. (The best beaches of all are arguably in ';South County'; and Westerly/Watch Hill on the mainland, and on Block Island. But having one of these locales as your destination would put you farther from everything else, never a good idea if it ends up raining every day!)

Words of caution from this visitor - and occasional poster - on this forum of over a year: there%26#39;s been a tremendous amount of flame-warring and juvenile exchanges of accusations about ';Edgewood Manor.'; I can honestly say that there is not one message or review about the place which could be confirmed as from someone NOT from the local area or connected with the owners. Even the three posts in a row on this thread (to keep it ';bumped,'; naturally) were from someone writing as ';edgemanor.'; Yes, it pops up as a subject many times, but that should so not be misconstrued as a signal that it%26#39;s a great place to stay. What it signals to me is that somebody got in over their heads trying to operate a B %26amp; B in boring out-of-the-way Cranston and now is desperately hyping it through ';planted'; messages and reviews from neighbors and cronies. Any decent lodging place, no matter where it%26#39;s situated, doesn%26#39;t need that kind of promoting. Caveat emptor!

Gotcha loud and clear. Thanks!!