Nothing ruins a coastal walk faster than realizing the ground is the hazard. In Rhode Island, broken bottles have turned some shoreline paths and rocky viewpoints into watch your step zones, where you spend half the stroll scanning for glass instead of soaking in the view.
The setting still looks perfect at first, with salty air, crashing water, and that easy coastal rhythm that usually resets your mood fast. Then you spot the glittering shards near benches, along access trails, or tucked into sand and seaweed where they are hardest to see.
It changes everything. You walk slower, kids and dogs become a bigger worry, and even a quick sunset loop starts feeling tense instead of relaxing…