WESTPORT - When you tell people you plan to visit Westport, prepare for their inevitable response: “Westport, Connecticut?’’ For some reason, people often forget there’s a Westport in our own Bay State. Locals in Westport, Mass., have theories about why. “I think it’s because Westport, Conn., is where Paul Newman lived,’’ says Chris Barnes, who works at Westport Rivers Winery. But Barnes is puzzled about why the town’s Connecticut counterpart gets all the attention, “It’s not even like [Westport] is near Foxwoods.’’ Barnes is happy to report that our Westport offers up vineyards, sun, and sand, clearly a great getaway for couples or singles. More important, it’s also more than 100 miles closer to Boston than Westport, Conn. Not that it’s a competition.
There’s a taste for all palates in the Bay State’s Westport
Stay
You can go one of two ways in Westport: quaint inn or chain hotel. The standard for quaint is the Paquachuck Inn (2056 Main Road, Westport, 508-636-4398, www.paqua chuck.com; $150 per night, two-night minimum in-season), which is as cute and scenic as it gets in New England. Imagine four-poster beds, wooden bookshelves, and a garden patio. The place even has its own dock. On the flip side are the chain hotels, including Hampton Inn (53 Old Bedford Road, Westport, 508-675-8500, www.hampton inn.com), where depending on the night, you can get a room for less than $120. Here, you swap quaint for a view of the highway, but there is a pool, free breakfast, and air conditioning - a treat on a hot August night.
Dine
For dinner, it’s the Back Eddy (1 Bridge Road, Westport, 508-636-6500, www.the backeddy.com), where ingredients are local, fresh, and used in the most delicious of ways. Split appetizers, steamers, and brews for a $25-ish per-person bill. If you’re comfortable spending closer to $50, try a mixed drink like the One-Eyed Jake (that’s Patron, Grand Marnier, and sour mix) and an entree like the lobster casserole, seafood covered in corn bread crumbs. In the morning, you’ll be off to TheBarn (16 Main Road, Adamsville, Little Compton, R.I., 401-635-2985, breakfasts $6-$10), a cute, leisurely spot. For less than $10, you can get coffee and a stack of johnnycakes, which are thin cornmeal pancakes, filling and tasty.
During the day
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