Due to some morning commitments, our journey started after lunch.  Our first stop was the DeLuise Bakery on Oaklawn Avenue, because a tour of Cranston *needs* to include a stop at an Italian Bakery.  Cranston has so many delicious bakeries to choose from, but since Deluise is celebrating its 80th year, it seemed like the right choice for the day, and the pastries did not disappoint.  We had a very difficult time making decisions, and ended up with a variety of tasty sweets, which were devoured in record breaking time. ​

The Bradford Soap mill is quite an impressive building, and is one of the only working mills we’ve seen in our travels.  We could smell the soap in the air from behind the factory and could see steam rising from the towers and see and hear the operations of the factory taking place.  I could have stood there for a while, but it was time to move on, so we checked out the Royal Mills which has been turned into gorgeous living spaces and is located across the street from Bradford Soap Works, and then after pausing to take a picture at the New Haven Caboose that is on display in the area, we headed back to our car.  We learned that West Warwick was on the main railroad corridor for New England, making it a very desirable place for mills and factories back in the day. ​

Our next stop was the West Warwick Riverwalk.  I had been eyeing this area for a while as we had some solved-but-not-yet-found geocache puzzles along the Riverwalk.  We parked at the Youth Center on Factory Street, and Tarynn & I headed down the trail while Aemilia & Aoife opted to sit outdoors and wait for us to return.  I had low expectations for the Riverwalk, as I had read that it was overgrown and filled with litter.  However, it turned out to be a beautiful trail along the Blackstone, and the plentiful blackberries along the way greatly delighted Tarynn. We ended up at a rushing waterfall behind the Royal Mills complex, and then returned along the path to our car, snacking on more berries as we walked. ​

Our final destination in West Warwick was Station Fire Memorial Park.  This park was created in memory of the 100 people who died in a fire while attending a concert by the Band Great White on February 20, 2003.  It feels like nearly everyone in Rhode Island knew someone who lost their life in that fire, and it was sobering to see the individual plaques in honor of each of the 100 concert goers who lost their lives that night.  The park and memorial are beautiful, and while we were there, other people came to quietly and respectfully honor the victims as well. ​

Now it was time to head back to Cranston for dinner.  Cranston is a food Mecca, and given the ethnic diversity of the population, there are all types of restaurants.  We were looking for a place with outdoor seating, and we decided to head to La Casa on Laurel Hill Avenue for Guatemalan food.  La Casa is the winner of the 2019 RI Food Fight’s People’s Choice Award for Best Tacos, and it is owned by a student I knew when he was at the middle school in which I taught. The food at La Casa is some of the most amazing Latin American food we’ve ever tasted, and we were all looking forward to dinner.  Brian joined us for dinner and we ordered an assortment of tacos, nachos, fried yucca, and pupusa. The service was excellent, the restaurant was clean and we enjoyed our dinner immensely. ​

After dinner, Brian and Tarynn headed back home, while Aoife, Aemilia & I continued exploring Cranston.  We drove down Webster Ave and turned on to Bailey Street to see the house that Papa grew up in, and then we headed over to Cranston Street to see the Governor Sprague Mansion and the Cranston Print Works, which printed fabric in Cranston until 2009. ​

Further down Cranston Street, we stopped at Itri Square which is dedicated to the immigrants from Itri, Italy who settled in Cranston.  This area is also home to many outstanding Italian restaurants. ​

Next, we drove over to Meshanticut Lake for an after dinner walk.  We saw a family of ducks and a cute little free library on our evening lakeside stroll. ​

Finally we visited the village of Pawtuxet, starting on the Cranston side and then crossing the bridge into Warwick.  We found some historical markers relating to the events surrounding the burning of the Gaspee, and we also found another creatively decorated little free library in Pawtuxet Park. Heading back to our car, we heard music and laughter coming from the many Pawtuxet cafes and dining establishments, and we enjoyed the sparkle of the lights and the relaxed atmosphere of the village.  Aside from our face coverings, it felt like a normal summer night…..almost.  ​

This morning we were so excited to have a visit from Channel 10 reporter Kelly O'Neill and videographer Christian Ramirez.  

Kelly and Christian were both super nice and they interviewed us about our RI summer travels.  ​

You can watch the segment that aired on the 6:00 news here...

Thanks to Kelly, Christian, and WJAR 10 for sharing our story!

Other places we've enjoyed in Warwick: 

• Pawtuxet Village - Lovely historic homes, parks, restaurants, and small businesses along the water. We have strolled through this area many times, and have enjoyed the Gaspee Days festival here as well. 
• Conimicut Point - A great escape from the commercial congestion of Warwick, go here for beautiful views of the lighthouse
• Warwick Center for the Arts - Community focused art activities, classes, and events, and also a small art museum.  We've enjoyed holiday open houses here. 
• City Park - This large park has athletic fields, a beach, and three miles of paved bike/walking paths.  We have geocached here and have also participated in fundraising walks for A Wish Come True here. 

Soon, we arrived at the two towers in Narragansett. We saw an old fashioned clock called a sundial that tells you the time by where the shadow was and we took a picture in front of a fountain. We left another rock there on the rock wall. Then we went to the sea wall and looked at the cairns that people had made out of rocks. ​

At the beach we met up with our friends and carried our stuff to a spot on the beach. We set our stuff up and me and my friend and her younger brother splashed into the water. It took a little while but finally I went under the water with my friends. We found so many hermit crabs and we kept looking for more. During a little break from the water we went to the rocks and started looking for crabs. We found big crabs, little crabs, and tiny tiny crabs. When we had found over 20 crabs we went and built some mud cakes, a mud fountain, and seaweed soup. Then we went back into the water and cleaned off all the mud on ourselves and on the tools that we used. We stayed at the beach until the sun went down and then we packed up our stuff and headed to an ice cream shop called Brickleys. ​

Thank you for coming on this exciting adventure to Narragansett and South Kingstown. I hope you had as much fun as I did. See you on the next adventure! ​

Heidi wanted to find a geocache that we had searched for unsuccessfully five years ago. In the previous attempt we spent a great deal of time crawling over a large rock out in the water but the geocache was not there.  When you're into geocaching as much as Heidi is, a failed attempt like this (called a DNF for did-not-find) is something that haunts you in your dreams and drives you to "avenge" it when you have a chance. So Heidi and I left the kids on the beach to play while we walked a half mile north along the rocky shore to find the geocache that had eluded us years ago.  I am not nearly as driven in geocaching as Heidi is but I enjoyed the walk and the company and I was the one who found the geocache in the end. ​

​Ahhhhh…...A Bristol 4th of July.  As a proud Bristol native, there is no place I’d rather be at any time of the year, and most especially on the 4th of July.  Growing up in Bristol, the 4th was the highlight of our year.  It was even better than Christmas, with weeks of celebrations and events culminating with the 4th of July parade and fireworks.  The small seaside town of Bristol, RI is the home of America’s oldest continuous 4th of July celebration.  Starting in 1785 with Patriotic Exercises, the celebration has grown to include nightly outdoor concerts from June 14th (Flag Day) through July 3rd, the Miss & Little Miss 4th of July pageants, a week long carnival, photography & other contests, an orange crate derby, the 4th of July Ball, a drum & bugle corps competition, fireworks, and much, much more.  Bristol’s 4th of July celebration is 100% volunteer run, and planning for the next year starts right away on July 5th. 

This year’s COVID-19 restrictions provided the Bristol 4th of July committee with a challenge - How could they keep people safe & comply with social distancing while still carrying on traditions, especially the parade?

As someone who was born & raised in Bristol, I have only missed the parade twice in my life, and both times I was traveling out of the country.  Even though it has been over 25 years since I moved out of my hometown, my family and I look forward to Bristol’s celebration, and we go every year - even in the pouring rain (My father would say that it never rains in Bristol on the 4th - anything we thought was rain was actually only sea mist).  

As the pandemic progressed and we moved closer to summer, it was starting to look like the parade might not be able to take place this year.

However, the 4th of July committee came up with an amazing idea to keep the parade tradition alive. Rather than hold a large-scale parade as in past years with hundreds (maybe thousands?) of marchers and up to 200,000 spectators, the 2020 parade instead took the form of a motorcade with parade participants traveling the route in convertibles and on flatbed trucks.

Getting to Bristol on July 4th is always a challenge.  Bristol has two main routes into town (Rts. 114 and 136), and traffic is awful even on a regular day.  On past 4ths, we have usually avoided traveling through Bristol and instead taken Rt. 195 East to Rt. 24, and then gone over the Mount Hope Bridge.  My parents live at the southern end of Bristol, so we usually park at their house, eat breakfast together, and then walk about ¾ of a mile to the parade viewing spot that my dad would have staked out at 4 AM, and sat at until 5 AM to make sure everything was all set.  ​

This year, however, there were no crowded roads, and we cruised right down Rt. 136 at 7:30 AM.  We decided to turn down Mt. Hope Ave. to check if the parade route was still open to vehicles, and to our surprise it was!  We were astonished to see that there were very few parked cars on the side streets (it is not uncommon to have to park over a mile away from the parade route due to the large crowds), and we drove right up to our usual spot, unloaded our mats and chairs, and took photos of the empty area.  It was surreal to see Bristol nearly empty on what is usually the most festive day of the year. The only other person around was Tommy, who is well known throughout town and has been an enthusiastic parade viewer at the same spot across from us for many years.  We exchanged hellos and then drove to my parents' house. 

As they are in their 70’s, my parents are considered high risk for COVID-19 complications, and they weren’t planning on attending this year’s parade.  However, when we told them how sparse the route was, they felt comfortable and safe joining us at the motorcade, while still keeping their distance.  We were all glad they decided to join us.  My parents know nearly everyone in town, and they had the time of their lives seeing people from a distance after months of isolation.  ​

On a normal year, the parade starts at 10:30 and the route is over 2 miles long. It takes about 1 ½ hours for the parade to reach our viewing spot, and to watch the entire parade takes about 2 hours.  Depending on the section of the route, the crowds can range from 3-10 people deep along both sides of the road.  This year, the motorcade parade started at 8:30 and arrived at our spot around 9. That meant that we got to watch the motorcade before the mid-day heat, and the motorcade participants were much more comfortable as well.  We were on our way back to my parents’ house by 10 am.

These two photos were taken in the same spot.  Left is 2020, right is 2016. Notice the difference in the size of the crowd.....

Before the start of the parade, Brian and I took a few minutes to walk into the downtown area, which is usually more crowded than where we sit, and although there were small groups of people here and there, the number of spectators was not anywhere near close to what it was in a normal year.  Had she opted to participate in the motorcade parade, Governor Raimondo would have been very happy with the social distancing along the route.   ​

Some of the sights from this year's motorcade....

I would like to give the Bristol 4th of July committee and especially the parade committee a huge shoutout for making this year's 4th amazing, memorable, and safe in spite of extremely challenging conditions. 

Afterwards, we had a socially distanced backyard bbq with my parents, sister, and her family.  After eating, the kids played some yard games and my mom, Brian, Tarynn (with an ear of corn, lol), and I took a walk through Blithewold Gardens and Arboretum.  Blithewold is beautiful in every season, and my favorite times to visit are in the spring when there are over 50,000 daffodils in bloom, and at Christmas when the mansion is decorated. Today’s visit was peaceful and relaxing, and we even saw a deer in the wooded bosquet.  ​

We finished out our family 4th of July celebration with the whipped cream hand flip challenge in the driveway.  Aoife is our champ (I have yet to succeed), and then said our goodbyes.  

To try to extend the magic of this flawless Bristol day, we visited the spectacular Colt State Park on our way home.  It was an unusual Bristol 4th to be certain, but it was just perfect in its own way. ​

Other places in Bristol that we've enjoyed: 

• Mount Hope Farm - Beautiful walking trails overlooking Mount Hope Bay.  There is a weekly farmer's market here too!
• Coggeshall Farm - This museum set on 48 acres adjoining Colt Park recreates life on an 18th century farm. Watch the calendar for their fall harvest fair.
• Downtown area  - Quaint shops, restaurants, and historic homes. Be sure to visit the Bristol War Veterans Honor Roll Garden next to the town hall.
• Bristol Christmas Festival - Bristol is especially beautiful at Christmas when the downtown area is adorned with lights.  
• Rogers Free Library - I practically grew up working here before the renovations, and I have many fond memories of summer reading programs in this lovely library.
• Independence Park - This pretty waterfront park is at the end (or the beginning) of the East Bay Bike Path.  After cycling, you can grab some clam cakes at Quitos. 
• Rockwell Park - Kids can play on the playground here while watching the Prudence Island Ferry come and go. 
• East Bay Bike Path - Multi-town bike path spanning from Bristol to India Point Park in Providence.  In my opinion, the Bristol section of the path boasts the most scenic views. 
• St. Mary’s Church - Completed in 1927, this church is beautiful inside and outside, and when the sanctuary is adorned with poinsettias in the Christmas season, it truly is a sight to behold. 
• Juniper Hill Cemetery - 19th century park-like burial grounds, Juniper Hill is especially serene in autumn when the leaves are turning. 
• Audubon Nature Center & Aquarium - Interactive museum focusing on the natural habitats and wildlife of Narragansett Bay.  There is also a 1/4 mile boardwalk that takes visitors through both salt and freshwater marshes and ends at Narragansett Bay. 
• Herreshoff Marine Museum - Illustrates the history of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and the America's Cup competition (Full Discolsure - We have never actually visited this museum, but I have heard good things about it)
• Linden Place & Bristol Art Museum - Colt family mansion with an art museum housed in the carriage barn
• Bristol Ferry Light House - I love this pretty spot next to the Roger Williams University campus.  Fishermen seem to like this spot as well. 

This post is brought to you by Aoife.....

My mom and I visited East Greenwich together since Aemilia & Tarynn were busy fixing up their bedrooms, and my dad stayed home with them. (We recently switched rooms so now Aemilia & I are sharing a room and Tarynn has her own room.) It was a little bit rainy,  which was nice because there weren’t many crowds around. ​

The first place we went to was the Briggs Boesch Farm. At the farm there were hiking trails that if you went on them you would walk by different farm animals. As we were walking to the trail we passed a field full of about 100 ducks. After we passed the ducks we went by a barn and a vegetable garden, and that was when the skies opened up and it began pouring rain. We were hoping to do a real hike there, but we decided that it would be better to come back to Briggs Boesch Farm another day.  The buildings and signs around the farm were really cool, and they also had a farm stand run by Pat's Pastured.  (which was closed when we were there). ​

Our next stop in East Greenwich was Goddard Park, and it stopped raining just a few minutes after we arrived. Goddard Park was really nice to walk around and look at the water. At Goddard Park there was a golf course, a horse barn, trails to hike on, and a beach that would be especially good for little kids since there were not big waves there. We went on a trail down near the beach. As we hiked we found some geocaches and enjoyed the view of the waves crashing up against the bank. The trails at Goddard Park are nice and wide because they are used for horses as well as hikers. One thing we noticed as we drove around the park was that there were lots of bathrooms, and they were all still open even though it was close to 7PM. ​

After we had hiked through Goddard Park we went to the downtown area of East Greenwich. As we walked along the town looking into the little shops we heard some music being played from the street above Main Street. We walked up a side street to find the music and saw that it was The Kentish Guards practicing. We stopped and watched them play as well as going into their armory. We talked to them for a few minutes, and learned that due to COVID-19, they were not going to be able to participate in any 4th of July celebrations since blowing into the fife is like a continuous sneeze for spreading germs. We walked back down to the town and continued going down King Street until we were at the water. ​

Our last stop in East Greenwich was at Clementine’s Homemade Ice Cream.  We waited in the short line outside of the shop because only three people are allowed inside at a time.  When the man in front of us came out, he announced that Clementine’s was all out of ice cream!  Fortunately, he was just joking and we were able to order waffle cones of delicious ice cream that we ate in the car as we drove home.  ​

Central Falls: At 1.29 square miles, this is the smallest and most densely populated town in the smallest state.  Central Falls has a higher population density than Boston, Washington DC, and LA, and in the 1980’s was known as the cocaine capital of the North East.  One might wonder, what there is to see in such a place, but Central Falls is full of mill history and delectable ethnic foods.

Before our visit to Central Falls, I reached out to a Facebook friend for suggestions and she provided me with a wealth of information about what to see and where to eat in Central Falls.  Using her information as well as food recommendations from friends, we were ready for our visit.  

We started our visit with take out from La Casona, a Colombian restaurant that we had tried previously after hearing rave reviews from hispanic friends.  We ordered, and rather than wait outside the restaurant for our food, decided to take a walk over to Jenks Park. Jenks Park sits at the top of a hill, and it was a gift to the city from Alvin Jenks in 1890.  The 70 foot tall Cogswell Tower was added to the park in 1904, and it features four clock faces, each looking out in a different direction. ​
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We had the park all to ourselves during our visit, except for a carload of young men who were shooting off some large fireworks at one of the entrances.  The girls were a little freaked out by this, but after a little while, the car sped off.  We saw a lovely little free library in the park, and we left a painted rock at the base of a nearby tree. 

We savored delicious Chicharrón Picado (pork rinds) with Arepas, Chorizo, beef empanadas, and a traditional Colombian mixed grill plate that included bite-size beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, blood sausage, fried pork rinds, french fries, plantains, fried cassava and cheese.  Although, by that time it was raining lightly, the trees at Chocolate Landing provided enough cover that we were able to enjoy our food while staying dry.  We left another painted rock here before continuing on our way.

With satisfied stomachs, we crossed over the line into Pawtucket.  We parked across from the city hall and crossed the street to visit historic Slater Mill, a national historic landmark known for being the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. The site consists of the stone Wilkinson Mill, the yellow wooden Slater Mill, and the Sylvanus Brown House (all from the 1700’s). Although the mills are closed for tours due to COVID-a9, we were still able to wander the grounds and marvel at the strength of the Blackstone River as it poured over Pawtucket Falls. Of course, we had to leave a rock here.