(For instance, since there was cruddy weather last weekend, I don't think we're going to get to use the stand-up paddleboarding Groupon before it expires. At least we can use the face value for a credit.)
On Saturday, we kayaked all day. We bought Groupons from Narrow River Kayaks, thinking we would go twice for 4 hours. Instead, we used both of them and kayaked all day. Well, we didn't kayak ALL day, but for a long stretch. Let's just say, today I am still feeling my lats.
My boss recommended this spot to us a few years ago and ever since we've tried to go back at least once a summer. When you put in, you can either kayak up the river, past the lovely rich peoples' homes and boats, or head down the river to where it flows into the ocean, beach your kayak and play at the beach for awhile. Since we had tons of time, we headed up the river first.
The thing you should know is that the tide was going out the whole time we paddled upriver. If we paused for too long, we started going backwards. We paddled further than we had in the past, and Jason figured we paddled upriver, against the tide and a strongish breeze, for about 2 1/2 miles. In case you were wondering, that means Jason and I are awesome.
Then we turned around and went to the beach for a couple of hours. All told, Jason thinks we paddled for 6 1/2 miles.
After we returned the kayaks, we drove to the beach at Quonochontaug. We checked out Quonochontaug last Fall, when Jason's brother was visiting, mainly because in the X-Files, it's the place where Mulder's family has a summer home. And, yes, we are big nerds.
(Dear X-Files writers, After living in New England for awhile now, I have to question your sense of geography. Supposedly Mulder grew up on Martha's Vineyard (an ISLAND) and his family summered on the mainland in Rhode Island. This makes no sense. What also makes no sense is how Mulder was able to get from DC to Martha's Vineyard (an ISLAND) is just a few hours, no problem, with no thought of things like ferry schedules and such.)
We went for the nerd cachet, but discovered that Quonochontaug is this absolutely beautiful private community. We also discovered on Saturday that in September, we could just wander around the restricted community beach.
This is a little-known fact about Rhode Island: the beaches are amazingly beautiful, the water is still warm in September, and after Labor Day, no one is around to make you pay for parking, or to keep you off of restricted beaches.
We rounded out the evening with dinner at Aunt Carrie's (which I keep wanting to call Sister Carrie's) It is apparently a Rhode Island institution, and Jason took his parents there the last time they visited while I was working like a chump. So good. SO good! Scallops of perfection!
Such a perfect Rhode Island day. Sometimes this state drives me insane, with its corrupt politics and cronyism and bankruptcy, but it really is a lovely place.
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