Rhode Island
19th Anniversary
October 17, 2013
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
City of Newport
King Park
Day One
This year’s itinerary was a secret to Julie even throughout most of this first day. At the airport (at 4AM), it was clear we were flying from Seattle to Boston, but that was not our final destination. It was eventually revealed upon landing in Boston that we were driving to the neighboring state of Rhode Island whose official name is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (the longest state name in our nation). We arrived at the Biltmore in Providence, one of the grand old downtown hotels built in 1922, around dinner time after dealing with rush hour traffic leaving Boston. After dinner at the Trinity Brewhouse we turned in for the evening after a full day of travel.
Day Two
We enjoyed a brief workout together to afford a guilt-free breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, which was delicious. After noting that all of Providence can be seen on foot, we walked across the Providence River which was once a deep water port catering to the biggest sailing ships of the 18th century. Home to five colleges including the well-known Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design, Providence has the feel of a small college town. We toured the First Baptist Church in America which was “gathered by Roger Williams” in 1638. The church historian was in and available and gave us a fascinating tour. We then moved to the Roger Williams National Memorial, which was closed because of the current government shut-down. We enjoyed the park grounds, found some literature, and were even interviewed by the local news reporter. We enjoyed a delicious lunch just off Thayer Street in the Brown University area at the English Cellar Alehouse. After lunch we walked to the Providence Athenaeum Library where Edgar Allen Poe frequently hung out. The library was an amazing maze of open shelves and ladders to countless book treasures. After a brief rest at the hotel we headed to the Rhode Island State House or capitol building. The dome of the State House is the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, after St. Peter's Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Taj Mahal. It was truly breathtaking, and Julie’s Latin came in handy when reading the phrases around the edges of the dome. Most interesting were the original flags from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars as well as cannons from the battles of Bull Run and Gettysburg. We finished at the capitol in time to catch one of the most unique events in Providence, Waterfire. In a line down the middle of the river are fire baskets anchored in place. At sunset, accompanied by music, a flame twirler, and boats filled with wood that would continue to refuel the fires until midnight, they light the wood in each of the baskets. There were even two gondolas that guided folks on the river during the evening. It was a delightful ending to a day of meandering around the Rhode Island state capital.
Day Three
We left Providence and stopped for a friendly hello from Mr. Potato Head who is delightfully placed outside of Hasbro’s World Headquarters in Pawtucket, RI. A short drive south through colorful fall foliage and across a couple big bridges took us to the grand summer "cottages" of families like the Vanderbilts that were built during the “Gilded Age of America” (1892) and accurately represented the opulence of that era. We certainly enjoyed the architectural and decorative detail at The Breakers which was beyond extensive. Mrs. Vanderbilt valued home and family very highly which was evident in the house and in the stories of life there. The family detail our boys would have enjoyed was that the children would often slide down the grand staircase on silver trays for fun. Mr. Vanderbilt encouraged his children to have fun even amidst the formality of the décor. The great contrast was Marble House (yes, completely made of marble inside and out) which was not warm and family oriented at all. Run pretentiously by Alva Vanderbilt, who championed women’s suffrage, it seemed a very unpleasant place to be even if stunning to the eye. We did eat a charming lunch in the Chinese Tea House built on the grounds of Marble House. Next, we continued to our lodging for the remainder of the trip, Castle Hill Inn. Staying in the Turret Suite, we were treated with a breathtaking view of the sunset, beaches, and passing boats. Castle Hill became our favorite anniversary inn for its personal staff and service, smaller size, and beautiful and restful location. We highly recommend it!
We dressed straight away for our wedding renewal ceremony and met Honorable Frank Camera (local judge) who escorted us a few miles down the road to King Park on the Newport waterfront for our service. We were not allowed to have the ceremony on the grounds of Castle Hill Inn as there was another wedding that afternoon/evening (first-timers). With our knot tightened again, we returned to the dinning room at Castle Hill Inn for a five-course amazing meal that delightfully lasted hours.
Day Four
This was island adventure day! After a short drive to the small fishing village of Galilee, we hopped a ferry for an hour ride across the undulating waves to Block Island. Mostly visited as a summer beach retreat, it had a quiet feel in the off-season. We rented a moped and cruised around to the various lighthouses (North Light and South East Lighthouse) and climbed down the stairs of the Mohegan Bluff to the beautiful beach below. We enjoyed a stunningly sunny and relaxing day together laughing at our straining moped engine. Sadly the ice cream shops were closed for the season, but we managed to find a tasty lunch at the Mohegan Cafe and Brewery (where Eric has a fun Jalapéno pepper brew) and some sweet morsels. We headed back on the ferry in the late afternoon and journeyed into Newport to find a place for dinner. We discovered Buskers, an Irish Gastropub, where we had such delicacies as Scotch eggs, Irish mac-n-cheese, corned beef, and homemade bread. We were moving very slowly after dinner!
Day Five
After breakfast at the Inn overlooking the sunny waters of Narragansett Bay, we explored the Castle Hill Lighthouse on the property and then ventured back to some sights in Newport. There we witnessed the Viking Tower/Old Mill which stands strong in spite of confusion about its original owners, purpose, and time constructed. Trinity Church, the first one that the Church of England founded in the colonies broke from England officially before the Revolutionary War and stands now as an Episcopal Church. We toured the building and learned its fascinating history, for example that Johann (Canon in D) Pachelbel’s son Charles installed the original organ that had been tested in England by George Frederick Handel before being shipped to the colony. We also sat in the “preferred box” that George Washington, Queen Elizabeth, Desmond Tutu, and Bill Clinton sat in to listen to the Word preached throughout history. We then walked a few blocks to St. Mary's Catholic church where John F. Kennedy married Jackie O. No inside peek there, just the outside plaque followed by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for lunch. (Don’t tell our kids!)
The big event for the day was a trip on the 12-meter sailing ship, Intrepid, that won the America’s Cup in 1967 and 1970. Eric got to work as part of the crew and also captain the boat for a bit. What an incredible vessel! The sunshine, glistening bay, and skilled sailors made for an impressive voyage. It made us want to sign up for sailing school.
Castle Hill serves a lovely afternoon tea that we took advantage of followed by a slow walk around the grounds of the Inn. Several folks had recommended Mamma Luisa’s, a local authentic Northern Italian restaurant in Newport. It is located in an old house which proved cozy. The freshly prepared pasta was melt-in-your mouth tasty. Again, we waddled away from the meal in great contentment. Back at the Inn we chatted for long time with a fun couple from Massachusetts who are also the joyful parents of boys. They were a hoot!
Day Six
We said good-bye to Castle Hill on another perfectly sunny day and drove back to the mansions on Bellevue to stroll the Cliff Walk that borders the ocean cliffs and the historic mansions. What fresh air and scenery! On the way back to Boston’s airport, we stopped at Slater Mill where the Industrial Revolution began in America with a cotton spinning mill run with harnessed water-power and succeeded in transforming life and industry in America beginning in 1793. That was our last stop on a wonderfully relaxing and romantic anniversary in Rhode Island.
October 17, 2013
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
City of Newport
King Park
Day One
This year’s itinerary was a secret to Julie even throughout most of this first day. At the airport (at 4AM), it was clear we were flying from Seattle to Boston, but that was not our final destination. It was eventually revealed upon landing in Boston that we were driving to the neighboring state of Rhode Island whose official name is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (the longest state name in our nation). We arrived at the Biltmore in Providence, one of the grand old downtown hotels built in 1922, around dinner time after dealing with rush hour traffic leaving Boston. After dinner at the Trinity Brewhouse we turned in for the evening after a full day of travel.
Day Two
We enjoyed a brief workout together to afford a guilt-free breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, which was delicious. After noting that all of Providence can be seen on foot, we walked across the Providence River which was once a deep water port catering to the biggest sailing ships of the 18th century. Home to five colleges including the well-known Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design, Providence has the feel of a small college town. We toured the First Baptist Church in America which was “gathered by Roger Williams” in 1638. The church historian was in and available and gave us a fascinating tour. We then moved to the Roger Williams National Memorial, which was closed because of the current government shut-down. We enjoyed the park grounds, found some literature, and were even interviewed by the local news reporter. We enjoyed a delicious lunch just off Thayer Street in the Brown University area at the English Cellar Alehouse. After lunch we walked to the Providence Athenaeum Library where Edgar Allen Poe frequently hung out. The library was an amazing maze of open shelves and ladders to countless book treasures. After a brief rest at the hotel we headed to the Rhode Island State House or capitol building. The dome of the State House is the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, after St. Peter's Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Taj Mahal. It was truly breathtaking, and Julie’s Latin came in handy when reading the phrases around the edges of the dome. Most interesting were the original flags from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars as well as cannons from the battles of Bull Run and Gettysburg. We finished at the capitol in time to catch one of the most unique events in Providence, Waterfire. In a line down the middle of the river are fire baskets anchored in place. At sunset, accompanied by music, a flame twirler, and boats filled with wood that would continue to refuel the fires until midnight, they light the wood in each of the baskets. There were even two gondolas that guided folks on the river during the evening. It was a delightful ending to a day of meandering around the Rhode Island state capital.
Day Three
We left Providence and stopped for a friendly hello from Mr. Potato Head who is delightfully placed outside of Hasbro’s World Headquarters in Pawtucket, RI. A short drive south through colorful fall foliage and across a couple big bridges took us to the grand summer "cottages" of families like the Vanderbilts that were built during the “Gilded Age of America” (1892) and accurately represented the opulence of that era. We certainly enjoyed the architectural and decorative detail at The Breakers which was beyond extensive. Mrs. Vanderbilt valued home and family very highly which was evident in the house and in the stories of life there. The family detail our boys would have enjoyed was that the children would often slide down the grand staircase on silver trays for fun. Mr. Vanderbilt encouraged his children to have fun even amidst the formality of the décor. The great contrast was Marble House (yes, completely made of marble inside and out) which was not warm and family oriented at all. Run pretentiously by Alva Vanderbilt, who championed women’s suffrage, it seemed a very unpleasant place to be even if stunning to the eye. We did eat a charming lunch in the Chinese Tea House built on the grounds of Marble House. Next, we continued to our lodging for the remainder of the trip, Castle Hill Inn. Staying in the Turret Suite, we were treated with a breathtaking view of the sunset, beaches, and passing boats. Castle Hill became our favorite anniversary inn for its personal staff and service, smaller size, and beautiful and restful location. We highly recommend it!
We dressed straight away for our wedding renewal ceremony and met Honorable Frank Camera (local judge) who escorted us a few miles down the road to King Park on the Newport waterfront for our service. We were not allowed to have the ceremony on the grounds of Castle Hill Inn as there was another wedding that afternoon/evening (first-timers). With our knot tightened again, we returned to the dinning room at Castle Hill Inn for a five-course amazing meal that delightfully lasted hours.
Day Four
This was island adventure day! After a short drive to the small fishing village of Galilee, we hopped a ferry for an hour ride across the undulating waves to Block Island. Mostly visited as a summer beach retreat, it had a quiet feel in the off-season. We rented a moped and cruised around to the various lighthouses (North Light and South East Lighthouse) and climbed down the stairs of the Mohegan Bluff to the beautiful beach below. We enjoyed a stunningly sunny and relaxing day together laughing at our straining moped engine. Sadly the ice cream shops were closed for the season, but we managed to find a tasty lunch at the Mohegan Cafe and Brewery (where Eric has a fun Jalapéno pepper brew) and some sweet morsels. We headed back on the ferry in the late afternoon and journeyed into Newport to find a place for dinner. We discovered Buskers, an Irish Gastropub, where we had such delicacies as Scotch eggs, Irish mac-n-cheese, corned beef, and homemade bread. We were moving very slowly after dinner!
Day Five
After breakfast at the Inn overlooking the sunny waters of Narragansett Bay, we explored the Castle Hill Lighthouse on the property and then ventured back to some sights in Newport. There we witnessed the Viking Tower/Old Mill which stands strong in spite of confusion about its original owners, purpose, and time constructed. Trinity Church, the first one that the Church of England founded in the colonies broke from England officially before the Revolutionary War and stands now as an Episcopal Church. We toured the building and learned its fascinating history, for example that Johann (Canon in D) Pachelbel’s son Charles installed the original organ that had been tested in England by George Frederick Handel before being shipped to the colony. We also sat in the “preferred box” that George Washington, Queen Elizabeth, Desmond Tutu, and Bill Clinton sat in to listen to the Word preached throughout history. We then walked a few blocks to St. Mary's Catholic church where John F. Kennedy married Jackie O. No inside peek there, just the outside plaque followed by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for lunch. (Don’t tell our kids!)
The big event for the day was a trip on the 12-meter sailing ship, Intrepid, that won the America’s Cup in 1967 and 1970. Eric got to work as part of the crew and also captain the boat for a bit. What an incredible vessel! The sunshine, glistening bay, and skilled sailors made for an impressive voyage. It made us want to sign up for sailing school.
Castle Hill serves a lovely afternoon tea that we took advantage of followed by a slow walk around the grounds of the Inn. Several folks had recommended Mamma Luisa’s, a local authentic Northern Italian restaurant in Newport. It is located in an old house which proved cozy. The freshly prepared pasta was melt-in-your mouth tasty. Again, we waddled away from the meal in great contentment. Back at the Inn we chatted for long time with a fun couple from Massachusetts who are also the joyful parents of boys. They were a hoot!
Day Six
We said good-bye to Castle Hill on another perfectly sunny day and drove back to the mansions on Bellevue to stroll the Cliff Walk that borders the ocean cliffs and the historic mansions. What fresh air and scenery! On the way back to Boston’s airport, we stopped at Slater Mill where the Industrial Revolution began in America with a cotton spinning mill run with harnessed water-power and succeeded in transforming life and industry in America beginning in 1793. That was our last stop on a wonderfully relaxing and romantic anniversary in Rhode Island.