You know the extremely nostalgic and fulfilling experience of returning to a place you really loved as a child? Westerly, Rhode Island is that place for me.

For years, our nanny would take us to Misquamicut State Beach for the day, about an hour drive up I-95. I remember the excitement that filled my heart when the sun would rise and we’d pack the car with towels, boogie boards and a cooler filled with snacks.

I’d put on my pink floral one-piece suit and buckle up in the back seat alongside my best friend, Abby. I observed everything during that one-hour trip – which exit we got off the highway, the “Welcome to Rhode Island” sign and all the beach homes along the final road to the shore.

13 years later, Abby and I were taking that very same route together. This time, she drove my car as I sat in the passenger seat sipping bud light limes Classy, right?

Riding in the back was Abby’s fiance and his longtime best bro. I can’t even begin to grasp how much has changed since we were kids. Even though I hadn’t taken this trip since age 10, I somehow knew the exact route that led us to our destination…by heart.

The Stay

When we got to the motel, the building was instantly familiar to me. As a kid, I remember admiring it, wondering what it looked like inside and wishing we could stay the night just once. Thirteen years later, here I am: arriving at the Sandy Shore Motel. All grown up. Ready for a cocktail.

We were lucky enough to get the corner room closest to the ocean on the top floor of the building. The view? It pretty much speaks for itself.

Dinner

Downtown Westerly is a pretty great place to be at night. We ate dinner at a unique restaurant on the river called Bridge, one of my all-time favorite places when I lived in Newport. With string lights hanging above the outside deck and the river just a few feet away, this awesome spot is incredibly tough to beat. 213 Yelp users rate it a 4/5, so it’s safe to say you’ll probably love this place, too.

Nightlife

We went back to the motel to hang out at the outside bar for a bit. To be honest, I don’t know much about the nightlife in Westerly, but if you’re not staying at The Sandy Shore, I recommend you head to Perks and Corks. It’s an eclectic spot in downtown Westerly that serves specialty coffee drinks and a whole lot of cocktails (hence the name). It has a lively atmosphere with comfortable couches and decor, plus, the drinks are seriously good. Check out TripAdvisor’s list of best nightlife spots in Westerly for even more ideas.

Anyway, here’s how our night went down:

We drove up on a Sunday, so there weren’t too many people at the outside bar. Even still, we met a few nice dudes. We’ll probably never see them again, but we all had drinks and talked a while. It was casual, refreshing, and easy. I literally wore my bathing suit. Can you tell I’m enjoying myself?

Random fact: after a few drinks, Brad and I dance. Pretty much all the time. Even if there’s no music.

Brunch

In the morning, we were all hit with the aftermath of the night before. As we tried to ignore the reminder of everything we had to drink, we took a short, five-minute car ride for the sake of brunch. We chose a local spot called The Cooked Goose and let me tell you something…this. place. was. awesome. I spent twenty minutes scanning the menu before deciding on what to order. As a picky eater, this particular scenario is pretty rare for me. Here, I actually had OPTIONS!

What did I have for breakfast? I know you’re dying to find out. This beautiful picture features eggs, sunny-side up, cooked into the center of Italian bread, served with truffle oil, melted gruyere, home fries and asparagus. Yes. Yes, it was incredible.

The Beach

Misquamicut State Beach is a popular place, a lot more popular than I’ve thought all these years. Even on a Monday afternoon, the beach was packed. If you want the opportunity to pick your own roomy spot in the sand, I recommend waking up early, eating a quick breakfast and making your way down there as soon as you can.

The ocean was VERY cold. If you’re looking to spend a good amount of time in the water, take the trip to Westerly in late July or August. By that time, the water’s seen plenty of sunny, hot days. It’ll be much warmer then.

But instead of spending the day splashing around and boogie boarding like I wanted, Brad buried me in the sand and we walked up and down the shore. Plus, I left with some pretty nice tan lines. All in all, our mini vacation was a win. We were so glad we took the time to make the short, 24-hour trip To Westerly.

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