Rhode Island Days

Although our time was short in the Ocean State, we crammed in a lot! We headed south with our first stop being Allie's Donuts for a delicious assortment of freshly made, melt in your mouth donuts  (best glazed donut EVER!). Onward to South County and a stop at the watch tower on Tower Hill Rd.  Boo hoo-- the trees are so tall that you can't get the breathtaking panoramic view of Narragansett Bay anymore.  Still if you just feel the need for a slight vertigo panic, it's worth the climb. Then a swing by good old Harbour Island to see Granny. Of course you can't leave the island without a stop at the little beach for the view, to dip your feet, and to climb the dock. In the afternoon we braved the crowds in Galilee. A short visit to the beach and a lovely walk to Sand Hill Cove and back complete with Block Island ferry heading out. Clam cakes and Del's frozen lemonade--two treats not to be missed while in RI-before heading north again.  We meandered in search of New York System weiners and bailed at the dicey neighborhood in Olneyville.  Yes, having kids definitely lowers the risk taking factor.  We found ourselves on Smith St. in Providence at The Original New York System Hot Weiners (www.originalnewyorksystem.com).  Friendly service, counter seating, coffee milk and the unique flavor of a dog with meat sauce, mustard, onions, and celery salt. A perfect ending to our Rhode Island Day!

Kicking off the Summer!

www.waterfire.org

We're ready for summer and started it off by heading down to Providence RI for the waterfire. For those of you not familiar with this, cauldrons are lit along the Providence River for a night. Music is piped in and gondolas slide by silently. It is quite a mysterious and haunting experience.

We arrived before dusk and already people were strolling along the water or just sitting enjoying the late afternoon sunshine and warmth. The volunteers, who are all dressed in black and restock the cauldrons during the course of the evening, were at that time still in the process of setting up the wood in each one. A few of us spectators were voyeurs to a couple being serenaded under a bridge by their gondolier. Great acoustics and great voice!  We headed over to the Union Station Brewery for a sampling of their beer and a leisurely meal with trivia thanks to a Heinz ketchup bottle. Who knew!  The beer selection was small but interesting. Their brown IPA was confusing-- think stout-ish with a hoppy finish. The summer IPA was just right for this kick off to summer. Afterwards, we joined in with the strollers. I waxed fanciful about sparks from the flames until Adelaide told me to stop because I was being too poetic. Is there a compliment in there somewhere??  The rest of the night we soaked in the ambience--the courtyard filled with luminaries, the unnervingly still and sometimes scary looking street statues, and of course--the draw of the flames.