Maybe you’ve heard: Some singer and a tight-end got married earlier this month.

The Swift-Kelce wedding (allegedly?) took place at Madison Square Garden, a venue with all the whimsy and romance of a Forman Mills. For a while, though, there was plenty of speculation the celebration would happen in idyllic Westerly, Rhode Island, where Taylor Swift owns a beachfront mansion.

This patchwork of villages, coves and carousel-dotted shoreline borders Block Island Sound and somehow manages to feel quiet despite its celebrity cachet. It’s a little Gilded Age, a little Jaws’ Amity Island, and a whole lot of money if you’re staying at the areas marquee hotels.

This itinerary takes you to both — just not to sleep — along with lighthouses, diners and beaches. It’s pushing Field Trip’s self-imposed five-hour driving limit from Philly, but it’s worth the haul. Better yet, pair it with our Newport or Mystic itineraries for a longer New England getaway. Start the car.

A devastating fire in 2025 nearly cooked the Cooked Goose for good. Thankfully, by March the beloved Watch Hill breakfast spot had reopened, with owners Andrew Nathan and Jennifer Gibson once again serving mortadella egg-and-cheese sandwiches, buttermilk biscuits and gravy, and cinnamon roll pancakes in a powder-blue dining room lined with local art.

Go, Bird.

📍 92 Watch Hill Rd., Westerly, R.I. 02891

If money is no object, stay at Ocean House or Weekapaug Inn. The rest of us should look at Shelter Harbor Inn. Built in 1800 and renovated in 2019, the 22-room property feels more like a refined country estate than a beach hotel, with exposed rafters, fireplaces, mature gardens and a peaceful setting that’s still less than 10 minutes from the shoreline. Summer rooms can still dip into the low $200s, leaving enough in the budget for a treatment at the on-site spa.

📍 10 Wagner Rd., Westerly, R.I. 02891

Housed in a slow-slung, cerulean-blue building along the river, the Westerly Museum of American Impressionism is a must-visit for art hounds. The private collection features works from the 1880s to the 1920s by John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, and other Impressionists displayed in naturally lit galleries. Wilson Henry Irvine’s A Summer Afternoon seems an appropriate place to start.

📍 79 Watch Hill Rd., Westerly, R.I. 02891

Atlantic Beach stretches like a long hammock between the residential neighborhoods of Weekapaug and Misquamicut, with one main street, Atlantic Avenue, running through. The gentle surf of the Sound rolls up to the golden-tan sand, and if you’re visiting with kids, circa-1921 Atlantic Beach Park gives vintage amusement vibes with its carousel and arcade. The park also operates Windjammer Surf Bar, serving lobster rolls (mayo or butter), coconut shrimp, and banana splits right on the beach.

📍 321 Atlantic Ave., Westerly, R.I. 02891

Watch Hill is a pretty good name for a place to put a lighthouse. There’s been a beacon on this finger of land pointing toward the maritime nexus of Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut since before the Revolution, with the current Watch Hill Lighthouse standing since 1856. While you can’t climb the gray granite tower, the breakwater-bordered grounds offer lovely views of Block Island Sound, and there’s a small, free museum packed with history about the lighthouse, shipwrecks, and storms.

📍 14 Lighthouse Rd., Westerly, R.I. 02891

From the Civil War until 2003, Ocean House watched over Block Island Sound from its blufftop perch. After decades of decline, the iconic resort was painstakingly demolished and rebuilt board for board into the elegant butter-yellow landmark that stands today. Even if you’re not staying overnight, stop by the Verandah Raw Bar for oysters and cocktails overlooking the water.

📍 1 Bluff Ave., Westerly, R.I. 02891

Every Sunday through August 23, Weekapaug Inn transforms its sweeping waterfront lawn into the Coastal Grille Series. Guests and locals gather in Adirondack chairs overlooking Quonochontaug Pond while feasting on buffet favorites like clam chowder, tomato-and-peach panzanella, brisket sliders, smoked baby back ribs, s’mores tarts and cupcakes inspired by Rhode Island’s beloved Del’s Lemonade. Advance reservations are required.

📍 25 Spray Rock Rd., Westerly, R.I. 02891