On to the coast, where the high-speed, 400-seat Millennium catamaran ferry makes quick work of checking out 10 lighthouses, myriad islands, plus a turn through Newport Harbor. Between lighthouses the ferry jets along at 40 miles per hour.
The ferry goes under the Newport and Jamestown bridges, and by such notable sites as Fort Adams, Hammersmith Farms, and the decommissioned aircraft carriers Saratoga and Forrestal, with historian-narrator Arthur Strauss constantly doling out information. Rhode Island Bay Lighthouse Cruise, 1347 Roger Williams Way, North Kingstown, 401-295-4040, rhodeislandbaycruises.com. Adults $25 in advance, $28 for walk-ups.