Providing bed and breakfast lodging in South County, Rhode Island for many years, the Kings' Rose Inn is a beautiful Williamsburg Colonial-revival home, 77 years old. The Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The inn is located just one-half mile from the University of Rhode Island. Walking to URI through the historic village of Wakefield offers the opportunity to see 18th and 19th century houses, the church, library, book store, craft shop, and the Pettaquamscutt Historical museum. The Inn is accessible to half-dozen public sandy beaches and several golf courses.

The 16 room Inn has a fireplace in the living room, dining room and master suite. The beautifully appointed accommodations have private baths, TV air-conditioning and free High Speed Internet access. There are over 2-acres of gardens and two Koi fish ponds. A Class A fire system protects the Inn and its guests. The Kings' Rose and your host are pet-friendly, bring you dog. Children are welcome.

Breakfast at The Kings' Rose starts with home-baked muffins, fresh fruit, and Green Mountain coffee, followed by a large choice of entrees from the menu. Your hosts can guide you to a wealth of local restaurants. There are many seafood restaurants, a Cajun lunch cafe, and restaurant fare ranging from vegetarian to continental (especially Italian). Your hosts keep menus and help with reservations.

Nearby wildlife and bicycle paths, a shooting range, salt-river kayaking, and hot-air balloon rides provide a variety of activities. The ferry to Block Island is a short drive away. Whale-watching and marine-life night cruises in a glass-bottom craft are within ten miles of the Inn.

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casinos are less than an hour's drive from the Rose. Neighboring Kingston village and the University of Rhode Island provide year-round music and arts. The venerable Theatre-By-The-Sea is in Matunuck, Newport's waterfront and mansions are 20 minutes away. Providence, now a renaissance city with its spectacular Waterfire displays, is less than 30 miles distant, as are the historic seaport and aquarium at Mystic, CT.

Wickford and Wakefield villages feature a half-dozen affordable antique shops as well as specialty stores. Both have an 18th-century village center. There are two regional museums within five miles -- in the old Kingston jail and on a Narragansett estate. Gilbert Stuart's birthplace and the 17th-century "Smith's castle" provide Colonial atmosphere.

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