Rhode Island may be the smallest of the 50 U.S. states, but it is in a great location on the ocean and has a large bay that provides lots of shoreline for seasonal fun on the water. In addition, it is not so far from big cities on the East Coast, most importantly New York.

Those factors help explain why millionaires and high-society families from New York in the 19th century built fabulous mansions (their “cottages”) in Newport, establishments that survive as strong tourist attractions today. On the whole, though, the tiny state is a relative unknown to most potential visitors. For those driving through, the Interstate crosses Rhode Island in the blink of an eye.

Most of Rhode Island’s leisure activity centers around water. Rhode Islanders (and visitors) are boaters and fisherman, and Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound are very fine places to pursue these pastimes. Providence and Newport, Rhode Island's main cities, provide urban pleasures. And Block Island, 13 miles off the coast, has maintained its privacy, beauty and ecosystems despite its continuing popularity.

Who goes there? The state draws reasonably well from all personality types, largely because it attracts visitors who drive in from nearby states and are familiar with the Ocean State. Like most places, Rhode Island offers a variety of activities and attractions for active, curious people, as well as for those who just want to relax or shop. When do they go? Summer is the most popular time for water-centered vacationers, but many communities plan winter festivities to lure travelers at other times.

Canoe or kayak under a full moon on the Narrow River. Or, go kayaking along Narragansett Bay’s coastline.

Go to Yawgoo Valley in Exeter, which offers 12 trails for skiers and snowboarders. Yawgoo Valley makes snow if necessary.

Go scuba diving or snorkeling in Narragansett Bay. Or, make that parasailing, or jet skiing, or sailing.

Charter a boat for sportfishing. Fly-fishing is an alternative, too.

Attend the Charlestown Seafood Festival and sample quahogs (shellfish), along with chowder, lobsters, fish of various types and steamers. Also, sample the fresh seafood served in Rhode Island restaurants.

Overnight aboard an at-sea B&B. One choice is the Samuel Slater Canal Boat in Central Falls. Another is a 50-foot sailing yacht (called B and B on the Water) in Newport.

Get a taste of the America’s Cup heritage by crewing on a 12-meter yacht. Arrange that with America’s Cup Charters in Newport, which offers the use of five yachts that competed in the America’s Cup, three of which were winners, one of them twice.

Make a dive to see sharks. You’ll be in a shark cage. Check this out with Narragansett Pier Dive Shop or with Snappa Fishing and Diving Charters.

It’s a boater’s world. Attend the Providence Boat Show in January. See boats up to 47 feet long, but also kayaks and inflatables. See demonstrations and attend fishing seminars.

Attend cutting-edge theater at the NewGate, an intimate loft theater in Providence.

Take a gondola ride at Waterplace Park in Providence for spectacular views of the city's architecture along the waterfront.

Come to Newport for the country’s best-known jazz festival. The city puts on a pretty good show with lots of festivities at Christmas, too.

When not eating fresh seafood, try other Rhode Island specialties: coffee milk, Del’s Lemonade and johnnycakes.

Go bird-watching at the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, noted for its large concentration (more than 70 species) of migratory songbirds. The Rhode Island Tourism Division has created the Bird-Watchers Nature Trail, which highlights the best options for bird-watching in the state.

Out of Narragansett Bay, go whale and seal watching. Also, take a schooner cruise or join a narrated boat tour to see something of Rhode Island’s attractions from a new perspective.

See a show at an Astor home, the Beechwood Mansion in Newport, where an in-house theater company performs throughout your 45-minute guided tour. It is 1891 and you are visiting with the Astors and their contemporaries. In one scenerio, you could be applying for a job on Mrs. Astor’s staff. On other visits, the staff is in a tizzy anticipating Mrs. Astor’s impending arrival. Other story lines include a murder mystery (which you help solve) and the later Jazz Age reenactment set in 1925.

For an 1800s Christmas reenactment, go to the Whitehome House in Newport. The actors, local theater majors, prepare a holiday meal. You sample and take home recipes for colonial holiday dishes.

Take Newport’s Cliff Walk, and regard it as a photo op. This 3.5-mile walk in historic Newport, designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, combines the appeal of Narragansett Bay and the glamour of the city’s oceanside mansions. About a third of this walk is over rugged terrain.

Play tennis on grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the world’s largest tennis museum, in Newport. This was the site of the first US Open tennis tournament.

Visit Fort Adams, the largest coastal fortification in the United States, but today available for tourism and special events such as military reenactments and festivals. You can rent the fort for your own special event, too.

For a good overview of the Gilded Age in Newport, take a sightseeing tour that shows off a series of those 19th century mansions built by the Astors, the Vanderbilts and their ilk.

Visit the Slater Mill Historic Garden in Pawtucket, which features flax for linen, vegetables for cooking and flowers, all grown using historically correct seeds. The Slater Mill itself is a living-history museum. Constructed in 1793, it is considered the birthplace of American industry, and visitors today learn about that phase of the early industrial revolution in America.

Plan a wine-tasting expedition. This is a scenic trip, too, and Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Go hiking in the 235-acre woodland that is the Richard Knight Fort Nature Refuge. A refuge of the Audubon Society, it offers structured wildlife walks and other activities. See www.asri.org.

Travel the Providence Heritage Trail. The city was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, so today it boasts a diverse collection of preserved architecture and landmarks. Sites include America’s oldest Baptist church, Rhode Island’s Old State House and the home of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of the state for 10 terms. (George Washington really did visit Hopkins’ home — twice.)

Have dinner in Federal Hill, Providence’s Little Italy, noted for great restaurants, bakeries and delis.

For more information, consult the Rhode Island Tourism Division at www.VisitRhodeIsland.com

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