RHODE ISLAND BEACHES

from PrimeTime - July 2023

UV SAFETY

We don’t call Rhode Island the “Ocean State,” for nothing. With more than 400 miles of scenic coastline, Little Rhody has a big beach industry, featuring more than 100 public and private beaches. For more information about saltwater beaches, or for a listing of freshwater swimming locations, visit www.visitrhodeisland.com.

ATLANTIC BEACH

Memorial Blvd., Middletown

BLUE SHUTTERS TOWN BEACH

469 East Beach Rd., Charlestown

BRISTOL TOWN BEACH

Rte 114, Asylum Rd., Bristol

CHARLESTON BEACH Coast Guard Rd./ Champlin Rd., New Shoreham

CHARLESTOWN BREACHWAY

STATE BEACH/CAMP AREA

Route 1, Charlestown,

CHARLESTOWN TOWN BEACH

557 Charlestown Beach Rd.

Charlestown

CONIMICUT POINT BEACH

Point Ave., Warwick

DUNES PARK BEACH

665 Atlantic Ave., Westerly

EAST BEACH/ NINIGRET CONSERVATION AREA

East Beach Road, Charlestown

EAST MATUNUCK STATE BEACH

Succotash Road, South Kingstown

EASTON’S BEACH

175 Memorial Blvd., Newport

FOGLAND BEACH/TIVERTON

TOWN BEACH

Fogland Rd., Tiverton

FORT ADAMS STATE PARK

Harrison Ave., Newport

FRED BENSON TOWN BEACH

Corn Neck Rd., New Shoreham

GODDARD STATE PARK

Ives Rd., Warwick

GOOSEBERRY BEACH

130 Ocean Drive, Newport

GRINNELL’S BEACH

Main Rd.,. Tiverton, with broccoli, avocados and strawberries. That takes care of the motifs, but it leaves the actual bathing suit shapes.

Lord help me. I have trouble picking two off the Panera menu. Now I’ll have to pick two items of swimwear. (Their onepiece will never work for me.) For lunch, I usually wind up with my default chicken Caesar salad. I have no idea what the bathing suit equivalent of that would be, and that will just be the start of what I’ll need for a trip to a beach or pool. I’ll need pool-appropriate footwear and a beach cover up. And a very large towel and a tote to stuff everything into.

I can’t forget sun block; I’ll have to research what SPF number is required for my age group. And I’ll want a nice bodice ripper paperback to read, the kind you find in airport gift shops, ones with a bare chested hunk on the cover, but not Fabio. And not Fifty Shades of Gray I’ve read all of those; they were retirement gifts from a female friend. The book could be a project in and of itself.

Then there’s the matter of the shave. The big shave. Stopping at the knees will not do for a body in a bathing suit. Not to mention clearing the weeds out from under my armpits. Upper legs and pits are not areas I typically worry about at my age. Come to think of it, there really aren’t any body areas that I pay much attention to these days.

I’m beginning to realize why I haven’t made any trips to a beach or pool in decades. It will be a miracle if I make it there this summer. I might as well do the appropriate planning, just in case, starting with a new bathing suit. I’m thinking of mixing and matching the Panera shorts with their tank top. A T-shirt would cover my bat wings better, but I didn’t see one of those in the Panera collection. It looks like the shorts and tank are offered with broccoli and strawberries motifs. Those should do.

I’ll also need to pick up sun block. Whatever I have around the house is undoubtedly past its sell-by date and it might not even be strong enough. Most of the other items on my list can be found at the bottom of a closet somewhere. That still leaves picking out a trashy paperback to take with me. I wonder if Amazon has a category for those. I’m open to suggestions, by the way.

I had no idea that planning for the beach after years of not going would be so stressful. It looks like I’m going to need a nice glass of wine. Or two.

Elaine M. Decker’s books include Retirement Downsizing—A Humorous Guide, Retirement Sparks, Retirement Sparks Again, Retirement Sparks Redux and CANCER: A Coping Guide. Her essays appear in the anthologies: 80 Things To Do When You Turn 80 and 70 Things To Do When You Turn 70. All are available on Amazon.com. Contact her at: emdecker@ix.netcom.com