I had big plans for my two days off this week, both things did not work out. Friday, DJ and I were going to snorkel at Prudence Island. I went fishing on Thursday night and waded in the water. It was chilly. The high temp for Friday was going to be 74 degrees. That along with the chilly water temp would have made snorkeling uncomfortable. Instead, DJ and I went for a walk at Great Meadows in Concord then came home and cooked on the grill.
Saturday I was going to go back with Eric on his boat in pursuit of Black Sea Bass. Unfortunately, his boat was back in the shop and needed a fuel pump. I woke up this morning without any plans. That is bad. When I don't have a set plan, I usually lollygag and naps happen. That is exactly how my morning started.
While lying in bed I came up with a plan to do a hike in the Newport area of Rhode Island. After that, I was going to do some striper fishing in Newport.
The Aquidneck Land Trust owns a lot of open space on the island. They also have a lot of easements so their trails can cross private land. There is actually a ten mile trail the crosses from Portsmouth into Middletown. I have wanted to do this trail for a while. I figured it would work out today, because my plans for the night were to fish in Newport.
I got to the Portsmouth/ Middletown area about 1:30. There are two sections of the trail that is
divided by Mitchell's Lane. My plan was to do the left half which is a loop, get a drink at my car, then do the other half. The problem with the plan is, the right side is a straight trail, not a loop. I solved this problem by bringing my bike. Before I started hiking, I chained my bike to a tree on Sandy Point Road. The distance from the parking at Mitchell's Lane to my bike was about three miles.
The first half (the loop) mostly went through open fields. Some of the fields were hundreds of acres. There was a little bit of forest, but mostly just small pockets of trees. Seeing huge uncut fields is a rarity in the area, so it was cool to walk through. I should say, it was different to walk through. The fields had no shade, so it was pretty warm walking. I certainly built up a sweat. I did see a bobolink, and had a red tailed hawk making a lot of noise while flying.
After the hike, I went back to my car and refilled my water bottle. I then crossed the street and did the other half. A large portion of this side of the trail follows the edge of the Newport Country Club. A lot of guys were hitting little white balls with sticks. They would then drive a cart to relocate the little lost ball, then hit it again and repeat the process. (As opposed to my hobby. I throw a piece of plastic with hooks in the water attached to a string. I then hope a fish will bite the hooks, so I can pull him in only to let him go again... Clearly makes much more sense).
There were a lot of guys golfing. It was kind of fun to watch. The trail hung to the edge of the course. In places, I could see the course, in others a hedge would follow the trail blocking the view and potentially deadly golf balls. It was fun. After the golf course, you cross Brahmans Road. After that, the scenery is a mix of fields and woods. I did see a mink scampering in this area. I followed the trail to the end at a place called the Glen. Then I retraced my steps .25 miles back to my bike. I had a 25 minute ride back to my car.
I did about seven miles on my hike.The only part I did not do was the Middletown Northern Loop. I could see an event set up right by the trail that looked like a wedding party. I didn't want to walk by it in scrubby clothes with binoculars around my neck. So I chose to just do the southern loop.
I think this is one of my favorite hikes I have done. Even though it is mostly flat, it is long enough to qualify as a hike and not just a nature walk. With the hot sun beating down on me, I was tired by the end. The scenery is varied and different. The huge fields, pocket woods, and golf course all had their own appeal. Usually when I do a hike around here I'm glad I've done it, but don't need to do it again. I will go back to this area again. It was fun.
After my hike I rewarded myself with Becky's BBQ in Middletown. This restaurant, which looks like a house wins Rhode Island Monthly best barbecue every year. The menu is small but the food is absolutely delicious. I got pulled pork, double smashed potatoes and cornbread. If you are ever in the Newport area, give Becky's a try. The food is very reasonably priced and it is amazing.
After supper, I went striper fishing. The fish were biting, but they were small. I caught eleven fish, but almost all of them were about a foot. A bit disappointing, but at least there was action.
All in all, after having my plans pulled away from me, my day ended up really good. No complaints.
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| Some of the fields were loaded with wildflowers |
The first half (the loop) mostly went through open fields. Some of the fields were hundreds of acres. There was a little bit of forest, but mostly just small pockets of trees. Seeing huge uncut fields is a rarity in the area, so it was cool to walk through. I should say, it was different to walk through. The fields had no shade, so it was pretty warm walking. I certainly built up a sweat. I did see a bobolink, and had a red tailed hawk making a lot of noise while flying.
After the hike, I went back to my car and refilled my water bottle. I then crossed the street and did the other half. A large portion of this side of the trail follows the edge of the Newport Country Club. A lot of guys were hitting little white balls with sticks. They would then drive a cart to relocate the little lost ball, then hit it again and repeat the process. (As opposed to my hobby. I throw a piece of plastic with hooks in the water attached to a string. I then hope a fish will bite the hooks, so I can pull him in only to let him go again... Clearly makes much more sense).
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| Boardwalk near the end of the trail |
There were a lot of guys golfing. It was kind of fun to watch. The trail hung to the edge of the course. In places, I could see the course, in others a hedge would follow the trail blocking the view and potentially deadly golf balls. It was fun. After the golf course, you cross Brahmans Road. After that, the scenery is a mix of fields and woods. I did see a mink scampering in this area. I followed the trail to the end at a place called the Glen. Then I retraced my steps .25 miles back to my bike. I had a 25 minute ride back to my car.
I did about seven miles on my hike.The only part I did not do was the Middletown Northern Loop. I could see an event set up right by the trail that looked like a wedding party. I didn't want to walk by it in scrubby clothes with binoculars around my neck. So I chose to just do the southern loop.
I think this is one of my favorite hikes I have done. Even though it is mostly flat, it is long enough to qualify as a hike and not just a nature walk. With the hot sun beating down on me, I was tired by the end. The scenery is varied and different. The huge fields, pocket woods, and golf course all had their own appeal. Usually when I do a hike around here I'm glad I've done it, but don't need to do it again. I will go back to this area again. It was fun.
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| My bike, secured to a tree |
After my hike I rewarded myself with Becky's BBQ in Middletown. This restaurant, which looks like a house wins Rhode Island Monthly best barbecue every year. The menu is small but the food is absolutely delicious. I got pulled pork, double smashed potatoes and cornbread. If you are ever in the Newport area, give Becky's a try. The food is very reasonably priced and it is amazing.
After supper, I went striper fishing. The fish were biting, but they were small. I caught eleven fish, but almost all of them were about a foot. A bit disappointing, but at least there was action.
All in all, after having my plans pulled away from me, my day ended up really good. No complaints.
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| The trail system with parking areas |
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