Two Feet, Two Bucks: Pawtuxet Village

Next time a visitor to Providence with less than a day to spare wants to see as much as they can of Rhode Island in one little outof-town trip, send them on this Two Feet Two Bucks excursion to historic Pawtuxet Village.

The sightseeing is full-spectrum. First, the bus windows reveal the least conventionally scenic mile in RI as you pass the industrial waterfront. Next are some typical neighborhoods. Then, a minute after disembarking, you are in deep woods on a riverside footpath to a historic New England village settled around a harbor and waterfall. Shop your way down Main Street for ice cream, pizza, restaurants, art, antiques, and more. Find quiet spots to sit and rest by a flowing river, recreational harbor, or Narragansett Bay.

Wander quiet streets lined with well-kept antique houses and gardens. The adventurous may explore the half-mile breakwater to extend their hike to uninhabited islands. The area lies along RIPTA lines #1, #3, and #4: No transfers are needed from Providence East Side, Downtown, South Side, or eastern Warwick. There is little or no out-and-back walking: Bus stops on multiple lines allow you to tailor a hike from 1 to 5 miles without covering the same ground twice. If you are the kind of Rhode Islander with too many beach rocks, prepare by putting one in your day pack, painted if you have it. Take a #1 or #3 bus to the Stop and Shop on Warwick Avenue. We start at this end because all the beautiful places you may wait for a homeward bus are at the other end. Walk downhill onto the bridge, view the river, and carefully cross to the downstream side. Walk left a few steps to a path that begins at the end of the guardrail to enter the woods. You can’t get lost if, at every junction, you turn right and follow the river. The scene feels wild but only a few miles from the city. The Pawtuxet is the second-largest tributary to Narragansett Bay. You can see evidence of its last flood from fallen logs and sand deposits, and you don’t have to be a birder to notice bird songs that you’d seldom hear in your neighborhood or local park. If half a mile of this won’t be enough, explore a path or two on your left. Follow your ear if you hear a ball game in progress. Amateur league play here can be fun to watch. Otherwise, the riverside trail soon emerges at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet ballroom.

Walk around the building, past the front door, past the dumpsters onto Woodbury Road, and take any left up to Broad Street. Welcome to Pawtuxet Village. If you come hungry without a plan, something within a few blocks to your right will strike your fancy. For opportunities to sit by the water in the northern Cranston end of the village, head down Sheldon Street past the cove to Fort Avenue. A right turn deadends about a third of a mile down Pawtuxet Neck. Lined with showpiece houses and landscaping but only a few glimpses of water, this way is perhaps not worth the walk unless you desire an out-of-way spot to rest or unpack lunch. At the turnaround, you will find some shade, rarely occupied benches, a picnic table, and steps down to the Cove.

One block left on Fort from Sheldon is Stillhouse Cove. To your right, Ocean Avenue ends at a patch of cobble beach. Left is a promenade with lawn, trees, benches, an uncrowded place to rest and view the yacht club, Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, and wind turbines at the port. Founded in 1638, Pawtuxet is the oldest village in New England. Every June, the community commemorates the burning of HMS Gaspee, the first armed hostilities of the American Revolution. History is best preserved in the southern Warwick end of the village. After viewing the falls from the central bridge, bear right on the original New York-Boston Post Road to see an 1815 Bank that became a speakeasy and an impressive row of 18th-century dwellings. There are quaint side streets off to the left. For an excellent introduction to local history and facts about dozens of historic structures, visit warwickhistory.com/pdfs/pawtuxetwalkingtour.pdf. Bearing left, south of the bridge, brings you to shady Pawtuxet Park, right on the cove.

Complete with a pavilion, a playground, and benches, find the folksy rock garden and add your rock. Walk in front of Asprey boathouse, headquarters of the Gaspee Days Committee, to watch boats. A seasonal port-a-potty here is a considerate touch. This would be a destination even if you weren’t waiting for a bus. Unless you retrace your steps through the woods to Warwick Avenue, RIPTA #4 is your ride back to Providence. It runs around every 40 minutes except on Sundays when there are only 8 runs. Start planning your departure well before it’s time to move on. If you wind up in the Warwick end, a northbound stop on Narragansett Parkway at East View Street abuts Pawtuxet Park. On the Cranston side, stops on Broad Street are near both Ocean and Sheldon Street, uphill from Stillhouse Cove. Then there’s Salter Grove, a transit-accessible destination by itself. It’s also an excellent way to prolong a Pawtuxet excursion. Just turn left from Pawtuxet Park and follow the sidewalk less than a mile down Narragansett Parkway. Despite its modest size, Salter Grove is a bird magnet and home to much native flora (including poison ivy, so be alert). Its cultural and natural history is lovingly compiled here: saltergrove. org. Behind the playground and picnic table are trails to the shoreline, secluded viewpoints, and a vernal pond. The main attraction is a long breakwater. Venture out left to directly overlook the entrance to the cove. Venture right, and the structure ends at a string of low islands. Pay attention to the tide before you proceed, or you may face a challenging return. Conclude your explorations by sitting on a bench overlooking the bay. You’ll find it on the southern end of the park. It’s a block from the bus stop at the corner of Country Club Drive and Narragansett Parkway. •