New England’s Best Day Trip

Take a ride along the coast of southern New England with Yankee magazine as we explore a quiet escape, where you can feast on local produce and a plate of sea-to-table takeout with a view of the beautiful, sparkling ocean below.

You can drive the entire Farm Coast in about 90 minutes, but that would be missing the point. From Tiverton to Little Compton in Rhode Island, and east to Westport and Dartmouth Massachusetts, the picturesque Farm Coast is home to farms and fields, ocean waves and rolling vineyards. Visitors can step into the past at a 100-year-old General Store, then get a fill of fresh produce at a roadside farm stand or enjoy a tuna salad sandwich with yellowfin tuna just off the boat. With so much to offer, the most surprising thing about the Farm Coast is that there’s no fanfare. The farmers are tilling the fields. Fishing fleets are gathering the fruits of the sea. Artists are honing their craft. It’s a quiet space. Take a deep breath and slow down. That’s when the magic happens. Whether it’s a day trip or a weekend outing, the Farm Coast is a peaceful, hidden gem along the southern coast of New England. Water views are around every turn. Tightly-rolled hay bales bask in the sun. Barns and meadows mingle with the masts of fishing vessels. Visitors can take a moment for reflection amid the stones of an historical cemetery, sip local wine at an outdoor tasting bar, or savor regional favorites like johnnycakes, made with stone-ground white flint corn from a nearby grist mill that’s been in operation since the late 1600s.

This scenic oceanfront landscape didn’t happen by accident, though. In the late 1990s, for instance, a developer had plans to build 120 homes on a swath of land along the coast in Tiverton, Rhode Island. Instead, local residents raised money to buy the land and now visitors can walk the fields of a 230-acre preserve and land trust. Likewise, it’s rumored that Little Compton, Rhode Island turned down a big Hollywood studio that wanted to film on location. That desire to preserve the natural beauty and small-town lifestyle is especially evident when you step into a cafe housed in an 18th-century cape. The fairy lights and colorful encaustic paintings are eye-catching, but if you look more closely you may see the wild rabbit sitting under the apple tree or a chicken wandering through the yard. The rustic allure of the landscape and the small gems dotted along the coast is a draw for locals and tourists alike, but there’s plenty of room to spread out on the beach when you’re ready to cool off. Early birds can grab some of the limited parking (read: limited crowds) at one beach or head to an 800-acre park on the Atlantic that boasts a 1½-mile paved walking path and plenty of sandy space. There’s so much nature to enjoy along the Farm Coast that you’re bound to get hungry. Don’t worry; A Hidden Beauty: Exploring the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Farm Coast is loaded with recommendations. Looking for some old-school classics? Would you rather have small plates and charcuterie boards? Does a lobster roll sound perfect? Find out just where to go – and where to get a dreamy ice cream cone for dessert – in A Hidden Beauty: Exploring the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Farm Coast. Your Yankee All-Access Charter Membership is your key to the treasures of the Farm Coast, as well as some of the best New England road trips you could ask for, all in Yankee Dynamic Collection: Road Trips. Discover New England’s favorite day trips, hiking excursions, ocean views, and more all across New England.

A trip along the Farm Coast is just one of our favorite summer drives. Discover more journeys in our Yankee Dynamic Collection: Road Trips!

From the farms to the forest and the sea to scenic valleys, our Yankee Dynamic Collection: Road Trips takes you across New England to explore the wonderful world that we call home. With your Yankee All-Access Charter Membership, you’ll have full access to everything in the Yankee Dynamic Collection: Road Trips, including:

• Eight great scenic drives that are more about the journey than the destination, in Best Summer Drives
• The Road Less Traveled, where you can find out what happens when a travel writer gets completely, almost hopelessly lost in the deep woods of New Hampshire
• 12 guided tours of some of New England’s most noteworthy locations and experiences, in Travel Like An Expert: Best Guided Day Trips
  

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