WATCH HILL Napatree Point is both a wildlife preserve and popular public beach
Taylor Swift’s squad famously descends on this part of Westerly for the Fourth of July, but any day is perfect for a visit.
Photo by Grace Lentini
SHOP Shops along Bay Street and Fort Road offer beautifully curated summer shopping, from the colorful – and covetable – summer prints at Lilly Pulitzer (31 Bay St.) to nautical-inspired bags made from recycled sails at Sea Bags (101 Bay St.). Reinvent your summer style with curated resort wear from Coppola’s Boutique (97 Bay St.), swim and beachwear from Golden Collective (124 Bay St.), men’s and women’s apparel in unlimited prints and colors from
SORhodeIsland.com
Three Islands (99 Bay St.), and both the latest trends and classic fashion at Rochelle’s Boutique (117 Bay St.). JC’s of Watch Hill (62 Bay St.) offers an unmatched selection of women’s swimsuits. Be awed by the large-scale, colorful paintings on display at Jeanette Vertentes Studio (147 Bay St.).
DINE St. Clair Annex (141 Bay St.) is Watch Hill’s iconic ice cream parlor and clam shack. Olympia Tea Room (74 Bay St.), even at over 100 years old, continues to put a fresh spin on classic New England fare. For sweets, head to The Candy Box (14 Fort Rd.), a quintessential coastal candy shop. Feeling luxurious? While staying at Ocean House (1 Bluff Ave.) can be pricey, the hotel is visitor friendly,
especially the expansive Verandah Raw Bar that’s perfect for people-watching over cocktails. Restaurants range from a more casual gastropub and patio snacks to a fine dining experience and champagne garden.
EXPLORE East Beach is the little strip of white sand between Ocean House (1 Bluff Ave.) and Taylor Swift’s mansion. Parking can be a challenge, but it’s worth it. Watch Hill’s Napatree Point (Ford Rd.) is a popular spot for beachgoers, and it’s also a nature preserve where endangered piping plovers nest, so it’s a popular bird-watching spot as well. Sandy Point was once attached to Napatree, but hurricane erosion separated the two. The 35-acre island also has a public beach and is a nature preserve.
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