Many of us in Rhode Island take our bay for granted. There it is, a long gray smudge beneath the bridge. Or we glimpse it from the freeway, crowded in by storage tanks and container ships. But if we slow down for a moment, if we divert our attention from our plugged-in, hectic world, we can find that our bay is a world in itself, a sprawling, alive place, filled with waves and winds and smells and sounds, where our neighbors are digging clams for dinner, or flying kites on the bay breeze, or sitting on a rock to soak in the sound of the crashing waves, or paddling in kayaks, or casting a line to catch the elusive striper, or trying not to screw up their very first tack and jibe in a sailing class.

I spent a day last weekend aboard Aletta Morris, Save The Bay's fast little education vessel, exploring the lighthouses up and down the bay. We traveled down one side of the bay and up the other side, poking into nooks and crannies where we found lighthouses big and small, freshly restored or long abandoned, perched on a rock or safely on shore. A few of the folks on board were lighthouse aficionados, collectors of a sort, who feel drawn to the stories about ships and the sea, danger and loneliness, that are the provenance of every lighthouse. But most of us were just happy to be out on a boat, exploring the bay.

Click on "More..." for the rest of this story, more pictures from the trip, and info for you to plan your own day on the bay.

The tour departs from Save The Bay's education center at the top of the bay, at Fields Point, and heads south to the first lighthouse, at Conimicut. On Saturday, the skies were blue and nearly cloudless, the sun warm but not blazing, the bay calm and bright -- a perfect day for boaters. Conimicut is the geographic point where the Providence River becomes Narragansett Bay -- though ecologically, it is all one big estuary. South of the point, shellfishing is allowed, and small boats gather in spots where the water is shallow and the muddy bottom is good quahog habitat.

From there, we blazed southward to Warwick Neck, passed Prudence Island, found the former North Light at the top of Conanicut Island (Jamestown), cruised past Beavertail and Castle Hill, checked out Fort Adams and admired Ida Lewis, then stopped for lunch at Rose Island, just south of the Newport Bridge. This tiny bit of land is home to a restored lighthouse where visitors can spend the night, or stay and tend the light for a week at a time. It's also a wildlife refuge where sea birds can find a safe place to nest.

Near the dock, we saw nesting seagulls with their fluffy gray chicks. The far side of the island is home for egrets and herons, glossy ibis, and other wading birds. Reada Evans, of the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation, met us at the dock and led us on a tour of the place, a tiny spot that overflows with history and beauty and charm, a treasure for all Rhode Islanders to enjoy. It's easy to reach every day, all summer long, just catch the ferry in Jamestown or Newport, and stay as long as you like.

After a picnic lunch, we climbed back aboard the boat to cruise up the east passage of the bay, past Prudence Island and Bristol harbor, to end at the beautifully restored lighthouse on Ponham Rocks. "Even people in East Providence don't know it's there, because you can't see it from the road," said David Kelleher, our lighthouse guide. But you can see it from the East Bay bike path, or from the shore at the Save The Bay center, or from the deck of our little boat.

We drifted for a while next to the rocks, waiting for a giant tanker departing the city to make its way past. With the engines off, we heard the splashing of menhaden, jumping to the surface to escape bigger fish on their tails. We watched as the afternoon sun broke through hazy clouds to gleam off the lighthouse, and just to the north, the city skyline glowed. A ferry sped past, its top deck filled with city folk headed to Newport for dinner. Then our captain revved the engines and took us home.

Maybe you're thinking about staying home this summer, since travel is so expensive this year, the economy is bumpy, and it seems prudent to save. If that's your choice, you're in luck, because there are so many incredible places to explore right here in Rhode Island. Here are a few of the ways you can get yourself out to enjoy Narragansett Bay.

Save The Bay offers more lighthouse tours.

Rhode Island Blueways Alliance has all the info you need about paddling a kayak or canoe on the bay, including a listing of special events; some offer rentals.

The Providence-Newport ferry schedule. This service is scheduled to end after this year, so go for it now.

The Jamestown-Newport ferry schedule.

The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation, with info about staying overnight or visiting for the day. 

Explore the shore -- click here for public beaches, and click here for public access sites. Public beaches generally have plentiful parking and facilities, public access points generally have neither.

Story and photos by NNN editor Mary Grady.